ESCANABA — Bay College announces the exhibition Erin Wheary in The Hartwig Gallery on Main Campus in Escanaba. Her work will be on view from September 6 – October 20. There will be a closing reception and artist talk Tuesday, October 18 at 2 p.m.

Erin Monet Wheary was born and raised in Portland, Oregon. She received a BA in sculpture and printmaking from the University of Puget Sound (2013) and an MFA in Sculpture from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth (2018). At the University of Puget Sound, she was awarded a Chism Summer Research Grant, which enabled her to begin her work synthesizing sculpture and printmaking.

Wheary has participated in residencies and exhibitions in the USA and abroad. Additionally, she has taught in higher education across the United States and most recently worked as the Associate Director of Chateau Orquevaux International Artist Residency in France.

“Since the dawn of civilization, people have not been content to see events as unconnected and inexplicable. [We] have craved an understanding of the underlying order in the world.” (A Brief History of Time, Stephen Hawking),” Wheary said.

“My search for order comes from a desire to understand philosophical questions and natural phenomena that I encounter. Visual art is my lens to see and understand the physical world and humanity. The circular nature of my art practice provides data and endless requisitioning.

“It seems that science and art have always gone hand in hand to move us along in our culture. Art makes visual what science seeks to explain. Therefore, I gravitate to the logic and control realized in the scientific method and apply it to my art practice. Guided by a space or object, I observe patterns or proportions which determine forms in space. Predictable and consistent, using these proportions to materials of organic origins initiates an unpredictable relationship between order and chaos, geometric and organic.

“I believe in the power of human connection. Art experiences connect individuals and initiate conversations. Because social media platforms can engage an alternative, diverse, and international audience, I have begun to use them to distribute my artwork.

“The Modular Sculpture series takes the art out of the studio and into public places where I create temporary sculptures. Ultimately a time-lapse video and still images are what remain and are distributed through social media platforms. Through this project, I am learning that the act of publicly making builds community. I believe these brief or lengthy interactions with community members are essential to the project. I am currently exploring different ways to incorporate them into the finished work.”