The Dempsey Family Gallery located on the first floor features an all-women exhibition titled, “Leading Women” curated by Lisa Hutler. Lisa Hutler is a Resident Artist at Water Street Studios and educator. "Leading Women,” according to Hutler, “is a representation of women who have been mentors, mentors to myself, to other women I have known, or important mentors to our community. Every woman in this show has a close connection to another woman within these walls; someone who helped her to find her voice, or to learn how to approach galleries and showing, but mostly in creating a dialogue of growth.”

“Leading Women” features the following regional artists, Jenny Brown, Shannon Downey, Karen Gubitz, Gretchen Jankowski, Tonika Johnson, Laura Kina, Laura Mosquera, Sunny Neater-Dubow, Andrea Peterson, Jennifer Reeder, and Jen Wawro.

The Chicago Capital Gallery located on the second floor will display “Tallgrass Exchange” featuring a variety of ceramic and photographic work by local artist, Georgia Schwender. According to Schwender, “The photographs and prairie blocks were made over time and countless walks, responding to the tallgrass prairie at Fermilab. The tallgrass prairie is a place of subtle quiet beauty, anticipation and contemplation of life cycles. I find comfort in seeing and photographing the compass plant sending its’ tall stems filled with composite yellow flowers against a blue sky, with bees as pollinators. The prairie blocks made of clay, are a remembrance of a specific time on the prairie, evidence of what was. This fragile and resilient ecosystem is carefully tended by staff and volunteers at Fermilab. Illinois was once covered with tallgrass prairie now 99% has been lost to farming/plowing and development. Exchanges are not equally beneficial.”

Opening reception will be held Friday, March 13, 2020 from 6:00-9:00 p.m. Meet the exhibiting artists and our Resident Artist community during this monthly event. In addition, a cash bar will be available featuring beer from Solemn Oath Brewery and wine selections from The Wine Exchange in St. Charles.

This event is free and open to all ages. We encourage all visitors to make a $5 donation at the door to support arts programming at Water Street Studios. A special thank you to our event sponsors: Chicago Capital LLC, Batavia Enterprises Inc., First National Bank, and K.Hollis Jewelers.

Both gallery exhibits will continue to be on display until Saturday, April 4, 2020 at 5pm. The exhibits in both galleries can be visited during regular public gallery hours: Thursday-Sunday from 12:00-5:00 pm at 160 S. Water Street in Batavia, Illinois.

About Water Street Studios
Water Street Studios is a 501(c)3 for-purpose art center located in downtown Batavia, Illinois. Our mission is to help make the arts more accessible to the Fox Valley region and beyond. Our vision is to be a cultural hub in the Midwest. We provide our community with classes, artist studios, gallery exhibitions, free programs for under-resourced families and schools, events in our historic venue, and more. Learn more at www.waterstreetstudios.org