Exhibition Statement

Embracing Chance brings together the distinct voices of Gloria Campbell, Lydia Riegle, and Jean Smith. Each artist has discovered that surrendering to the unexpected holds its own quiet reward. In their work, surprise, growth, self-realization, and wonder unfold through pieces that carry both presence and beauty. These are works that linger, are memorable and distinctive.

At its heart, Embracing Chance explores the art of letting go. Paradoxically, this freedom emerges not from a lack of discipline but from deep preparation. A foundation of skill, knowledge, and awareness makes release possible. Relinquishing control is far more challenging than it sounds, as each artist has come to understand through her process.

Gloria Campbell, an abstract mixed media artist, builds richly layered compositions through the interplay of color and texture. Her practice is one of continual adding and subtracting, an intuitive dialogue that results in complex, dimensional surfaces.

Lydia Riegle, a contemporary printmaker, creates clean, spirited works that subtly reference Mid- Century Modern design. She thoughtfully balances precision with spontaneity and infuses her compositions with playful forms, vibrant color, and a sense of lightness.

Jean Smith, a sculptural ceramic artist working in floor and wall installations, transforms clay into joyful explorations of color, texture, and form. Her imaginative process and structural sensibility also echo Mid-Century Modern aesthetics while maintaining a distinctly contemporary voice. Together, these artists invite you to experience the vitality that emerges when control gives way to possibility. We hope you discover a sense of joy and perhaps a bit of magic in the act of letting go.

Gloria Campbell – Mixed Media Artist

Gloria Campbell is an abstract mixed-media artist who loves mixing just about everything -- colors, textures, papers, techniques and supplies-–all fair game as she creates layers on top of layers. She is a self-taught artist who is willing to take risks and works intuitively. When looking at a collection of her paintings---they can be quite different. Some are quirky and loud, others quiet and almost somber but somehow the viewer can tell they were created by the same artist—an artist who embraces chance at every opportunity.

Gloria is a member of D’art Gallery in Denver, the Lincoln Gallery in Loveland and regularly exhibits at 3 Square Art in Fort Collins. Her work has also been juried into exhibits in California, Illinois, Louisiana, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Washington, and Wyoming.

Lydia Riegle – Contemporary Printmaker

Vitality and joy are at the heart of Lydia Riegle’s work. Through hand-pulled monotype prints, she invites the viewer to experience a unique perspective where energy, scale, and saturated color come alive. Lydia’s monotype prints explore two distinct directions. One collection pays homage to Mid-Century design – bold color, clean geometry, and unexpected large formats. The other captures stylized natural environments, evoking the big, wide open and a deep sense of place. The artist hopes you discover a spark of vitality and joy in every piece.

Lydia shares this sentiment with her audience. “Art, I believe: Helps to bring memories to the surface – to start a dialogue – which acts as catalyst to stretch thinking and boundaries – adding to the richness of the human experience.”

Jean B Smith - Ceramic Sculptor

A product of a Mid-Century childhood with an emphasis on Pop Art in college, Jean has been creating works in clay displayed in Co-Op galleries in Denver for almost 30 years. Her classes at Anderson Ranch along with weekend workshops in creating and learning have helped her fine- tune her vision and push her energies to create interesting bodies of work from playful food displays to dramatic floral bouquets and now to simplified geometric ceramic sculptures based on the feeling of her youth.

Jean enjoys the play of texture, color, size, and position in creating small intimate pieces as well as rambling, rolling, tumbling wall-filling statements. Jean’s tools of trade include a slab-roller to flatten half-bricks of moist clay into sheets which will be carved into fronts, sides, and backs for three-dimensional shapes. She uses knives, kitchen gadgets, buttons, rollers, found objects, and scraps of metal or nature found on the ground to bring these shapes to life either on the wall, hanging from the ceiling, or sprouting from the floor.

Besides creating her own work, Jean has helped students find their voice with clay via school and summer camp clay programs. Working with children helps her retain a sense of wonder and excitement when she creates a new body of work. She is definitely Embracing Chance!

GALLERY EVENTS:

• Show Reception: Friday, April 10, 5 – 9 pm

• Third Friday: April 17, 5 – 9 pm

• Artists Talk: Saturday, April 25, 1 pm (This is also International Sculpture Day)

• Sundays on Santa Fe: Sunday, April 26, 11 am – 4 pm

• Show First Friday: May 1, 5 - 9 pm

• Last Look: Sunday, May 3, 11 am – 4 pm

Banner Image: Gloria Campbell, “The Golden Hour.”