Local artist Jennifer McCracken’s exhibit to open during the Short North virtual gallery hop
There’s no need to march down to the March gallery hop – the monthly Short North gallery hops will continue to take place virtually this year through the @ShortNorthArtsDistrict Instagram story and Facebook page.
Many galleries are still offering in-person hours on select days as well as private appointments. The Studio on High Gallery will be open every Saturday in February from 1-5 p.m. Guests may check the website for updated in-person
hours each month.
Jennifer McCracken, one of Studio on High’s 20 featured artists, will be showcasing an exhibit for the March gallery hop. Experiments in Nature opens March 6 and will run until April 1, 2021. The virtual gallery hop also begins on March 6.
McCracken’s work is heavily inspired by Asian culture, as she spent many years living in Taiwan. She holds a BFA in painting and sculpture from the Columbus College of Art and Design and studied enameling at the Columbus Cultural Arts Center. She primarily creates jewelry out of copper enameling, and also upcycles jewelry boxes with enamel paneling and uses graphite, cloisonné and watercolors to make enamel illustrations.
Experiments in Nature is her first enamel painting exhibit and brings nature to life on a two-dimensional surface.
“I really like walking through the woods and just certain elements of a tree or a vine will catch my attention,” McCracken says, “and you take a picture and it just doesn't have that full look, the dimension, because it's just a small photo as opposed to real life. So, with my art, I was trying to kind of capture some of those elements that struck me as I was walking through the woods, so that you can get a feeling of what I was attracted to, but it doesn't look completely real because it's an enamel piece.”
Enameling is a technique in which glass powder is fused into metal at a temperature of about 1500 degrees, McCracken says. She likens enameling to glazing pottery and says that there are many different things enameling can create.
For those planning to attend during in-person hours, Studios on High Gallery requests that guests maintain social distancing guidelines. Studio on High Gallery is a mask-only gallery. For those who are interested in a private showing, please contact gallerystudiosonhigh@gmail.com.
Originally published on Feb. 15, 2021, on cityscenecolumbus.com.
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