Portraits of dignity, diversity, and human experience showcased at Roberta’s Art Gallery
Celebrate diversity and personal connections through powerful portraits and still-life imagery with “Neighbors: Near and Far,” by three long-time friends Craig Ede, Dan Gamble, and Charlie Steinbrecher. This exhibit, honoring individual human dignity, is open from January 27 to March 3, with a reception on February 18, free and open to the public.
“Neighbors: Near and Far” showcases neighbors of all backgrounds and walks of life to highlight their uniqueness and strength. This exhibit includes digital and traditional drawings, including sketched portraits of neighbors arrested during one of the largest immigration raids in United States history at a meatpacking plant in Postville, Iowa, in 2008. It will also include abstract charcoal sketches capturing the curious perspective of human culture and conditions and graphite renderings honoring the friendship between artist Dan Gamble and his elderly, physically challenged neighbor.
“Generalizations are made in political discourse where people are defined as contagion because of their place of origin,” says Ede. “This limited metaphor inhibits our ability to see people as they really are. People are not germs; they contribute to the richness of our society; they are our neighbors, the people we experience life with. These works aim to highlight that.”
Craig Ede, Dan Gamble, and Charlie Steinbrecher are all spiritual neighbors. Ede, a local Whitewater resident, is an accomplished painter, writer, and visual design consultant. Throughout his career, Ede has joined his love for drawing with his respect for human dignity. Ede earned his Master of Fine Arts from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities and has taught at UW-River Falls, UW-Whitewater, and the University of Alabama at Birmingham. After earning his MFA from the University of New Mexico, Dan Gamble lived in Chicago where he compiled an extensive exhibition record, showing work in numerous galleries and art venues. He has also worked as an art conservator and has taught at the Art Institute of Chicago. Gamble is currently rehabbing a bungalow in Mason City with the help of tools generously gifted by his neighbor, a Military Veteran, former farmer, and railroad mechanic. Charlie Steinbrecher, a painter, earned his MFA from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and taught for 14 years at the Russell Sage College in Albany, NY. Steinbrecher is passionate about education and teaches English at a homeless shelter and to immigrants from Ukraine, Belarus, Russia, and Azerbaijan.
The exhibit reception will be held on Feb. 18 from 6 to 8 p.m. and include an artist talk with Craig Ede and an audience Q&A from 6 to 7 p.m., followed by an open house with refreshments from 7 to 8 p.m.
Roberta’s Art Gallery is located on the first floor of the James R. Connor University Center at 190 Hamilton Green Way, Whitewater, Wis. The gallery collaborates with campus departments, student organizations, and community artists to coordinate and sponsor exhibits. Our hours are Monday to Thursday from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The gallery is closed on Saturdays and Sundays.
At Roberta’s Art Gallery, we pride ourselves in providing free and open exhibits to the public, and attending certain events can earn students class credit. If you are interested in being featured in the gallery, please contact us for a proposal request. Reach us at ucart@uww.edu or 262-472-3193. Visit www.uww.edu/rag for any questions or inquiries and follow our Instagram @uww_rag. To learn more about Craig Ede’s work, follow him on Instagram @craig_ede. Follow Dan Gamble’s work at http://gambledan.com/ and connect with him on Instagram @gambledan0.
