Amy Cropper’s Collage Exhibit Explores Nature and Cultures

MILWAUKEE - March 10, 2015 - PRLog -- An opening reception for “Below the Surface: Mixed-Media Landscapes,” an exhibition exploring the notions of nature and culture by Amy Cropper, will be held Sunday, March 29, at Alfons Gallery from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Cropper will present an artist talk at 3:00 p.m. The exhibition continues through May 31, 2015.

Cropper is an Associate Professor of Art at Carroll University, where she teaches sculpture, drawing, and freshmen and senior seminars. She did her undergraduate work at Whitman College in Walla Walla, WA, graduating with a B.A. in Art and English. She completed her Master of Fine Arts in Intermedia Arts at the University of Iowa in 1993.

Cropper received the Norman and Louise Allhiser Award for teaching excellence at Carroll University in 2000.  She exhibits her work nationally and regionally and has completed several public art commissions.  Her work ranges from sculpture to installation to drawing.

Since the early 1990s, Cropper has been concerned with notions of nature and culture, which can be seen in the art shown during the “Below the Surface”reception.  The works in this exhibit are mixed-media collages of agricultural landscapes.

Cropper’s first series of landscapes loosely incorporate her knowledge of field rituals practiced by a group of present-day Mayans called the Zinacanteco from Chiapas, Mexico.  She is particularly interested in how the Zinacanteco field rituals suggest a vertical understanding of the landscape, with acute attention given to what is beneath and above a field’s surface.

The Zinacanteco people’s use of symbols to understand and control unseen aspects of nature connects to the artist’s ongoing interest in the Midwestern agricultural landscape, where she sees a constant struggle between order and chaos.  Cropper’s later series of collages abstract the landscape into a vertical space that more completely departs from a literal view of the land.  Earth and sky are replaced with stacked imagery that suggests growth and birth, and more ambiguous areas that are not easily named.

“Cropper’s artwork referencing the Zinacanteco’s field rituals reflects the School Sisters of St. Francis’ respect and concern for our global environment, as well as for diverse cultures,” said Valerie Christell, Alfons Gallery’s director and curator.

Alfons Gallery is located at St. Joseph Center, 1501 S. Layton Blvd. (27th Street and Greenfield Avenue) in Milwaukee. Free parking is available in the lot that is accessible on 29th and Orchard (Alexia Circle entrance). For more information on Alfons Gallery, please email vchristell@sssf.org, call 414-385-5273, or visit the Gallery’s website at www.sssf.org/gallery. The Gallery is open Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday from 12:00-3:00 p.m., and by appointment.

About Alfons Gallery

Alfons Gallery’s mission reflects the local and global work of the School Sisters of St. Francis.  Exhibitions explore cultures and advocate for social justice, peace and the environment through the artistic vision.  Special events aim to both educate and inspire viewers about our world and the impact every individual makes in it.

Our Cultural Shop’s mission is to expand cultural awareness and support artisans working in our global missions as well as regional fine craft. It also offers a range of cultural and religious artifacts.

About The School Sisters of St. Francis

The School Sisters of St. Francis are an international community of Catholic sisters who unite with others to build a just and peaceful world. Founded in 1874, they now have sisters, associates, staff, donors and volunteers actively working to address the needs of those who are poor and marginalized by society. Their mission is thriving throughout the United States, Europe, Latin America and India. For more information about the School Sisters of St. Francis, please visit www.sssf.org.