THE DALLES — The second exhibit of 2024 at The Dalles Art Center (TDAC) is “Rose Szapszewicz: Embracing Unpredictability,” an exquisite collection of monotype prints by the experienced and insightful Columbia Gorge Area artist. The exhibit opens March 14 with a reception at 5 p.m., and runs through April 11. The beauty of the Columbia River Gorge was like a siren for Szapszewicz. Under its influence, her work, be it monotypes or sketches of nature, is best be described as energy caught on paper. The images of the landscape she lives in is absorbed into her being and expressed in the work.The one-of-a-kind monotypes are created with large rollers moving over paint applied to a metal plate. Szapszewicz works spontaneously, adding elements from nature to the process like flora, or water and from chemistry such as alcohol that create special effects in each print. The plate is run through a press several times until she is satisfied with the result. The nature of the surprise thrills her as she sees the colors and textures emerge on their own.
TDAC’s Artist Talk series continues on Thursday, March 21 from 7-8:30 p.m. as TDAC Executive Director Sally Johnson interviews Szapszewicz. Tickets are $5 and can be purchased in advance at thedallesartcenter.org.
“Rose Szapszewicz’s artistry is extremely powerful and moving,” said Johnson. “Just looking at her prints, your nervous system, heart and mind are activated. People are going to be amazed to see these prints in person.”
About Rose Szapszewicz
Born in Lodz, Poland, in 1949, Szapszewicz, at age 10, moved to the American Midwest — St. Louis, Missouri — in 1959. Unable yet to speak English, a teacher handed her a bunch of paper and markers. “It took away the boredom of the long hours in the new school I hadn’t experienced growing up in Poland where the school day was only half as long,” Szapszewicz said.
She later studied art at the Pratt Institute, transferring to Cooper Union to focus on photography and painting, Cooper Union faculty member and American abstract expressionist painter, Jack Twarkov, encouraged her imagination, and she graduated with a B.F.A in 1971.
After eight years in New York City working as a struggling artist, Szapszewicz moved to Vermont. “Nature healed me,” she said. “It gave me a topic for my art until I put it all away for the next fifteen years. I discovered the benefits of acupuncture in bringing me back to myself through the New England School of Acupuncture, where I met pioneers of acupuncture from Portland, Oregon.”
After moving to Portland, Szapszewicz got her license in acupuncture and began a practice that supported her spiritual quest even though it was off the fine arts path.
“After a lot of introspection, I came the realization that without art I felt incomplete, like something had died in me. I picked up brushes again and took a class from Tom Prochaska at Pacific Northwest College of Art where I started doing monotypes. Eventually I met visiting Chinese artist Wang Gongyi who mentored me for the next 15 years in Chinese Calligraphy and classical Chinese painting. This launched my practice by integrating Western and Eastern traditions which are evident in my work today.”
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