Cyndi and Lily Gusler at the Smith House

May 10th, 2010

image image

The Arts Council of the Valley invites the public to view the fanciful mixed-media exhibition Hybrid, co-created by artists Cyndi Gusler and her daughter Lily.  The mother-daughter show opened with a public reception on May 7 from 5-7 p.m. at the Darrin-McHone Art Gallery in the Smith House at 311 S. Main.  The opening reception was in conjunction with First Fridays Downtown, and the exhibition will remain on view through May 28. 

Hybrid includes drawings, collages, paintings, and sculpture that bear all the delightfully fresh and fanciful works of a child’s imagination, as they were created by Lily Gusler, who was only five years old when she first started collaborating with her mother on works of art.  Yet, by co-creating with her mother, the works are taken to a more mature level—technically, conceptually, and artistically.  The two artists’ process is often circular.  Lily typically starts creating an artwork in ink on heavy printmaking paper.  Her mother develops her daughter’s drawings further by painting on them with colored liquid inks. Ultimately, mother and daughter work together to configure the final composition of the finished work.

Cyndi Gusler is currently Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Visual and Communication Arts at Eastern Mennonite University (EMU).  During her tenure at the university, she has taught painting, design, drawing, and printmaking classes, along with senior seminars. 

Recent Posts