Although the piercing chill in the air keeps us bundled up and far from our planting centers, the promise of spring and the seeds of rebirth are just ahead. Even if it feels light-years away, the new semester brings renewed energy and anticipation. The Western Illinois University Art Gallery welcomes spring with Tonja Torgerson’s “Plant/Person.
The exhibit, which opened Jan. 20, will be on view through Tuesday, Feb. 24.
No stranger to the bitter Midwestern winters, Torgerson—a native of Minnesota’s northern woods—draws on her experiences to explore the calming, humanistic connections between people and the natural world.
Through printmaking, she conveys how we influence and are influenced by other living things. Her work has appeared in both private collections and museums, nationally and internationally.
From Newfoundland, Canada, to Texas, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and now Detroit—where she teaches at the College for Creative Studies—the roots, soil and plants she has encountered in their natural state around the world helped shape her art.
Across these varied climates, Torgerson’s pieces tell a universal story: nature is at the heart and soul of our well-being, our health and our happiness, just as we are vital to nature itself.
Torgerson’s solo exhibit will culminate in a reception in her honor from 4:30 to 6 p.m.
Feb. 24.
The University Art Gallery, located at 1 University Circle in Macomb, welcomes visitors Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m. and Saturdays from 1 to 4 p.m. Admission is free and open to the public.
