Rumriver Art Center presents a new gallery show titled: Nooks and Crannies Coalesce. The show opens in the Jan Johansen Gallery (2665 4th Ave, Suite 103A) on Saturday, April 20, 2024 from 2-4 pm. Nooks and Crannies Coalesce features polymer clay and mixed media sculptures by Layl McDill. Layl will be hosting an Artist Talk in the gallery on Saturday, May 11, starting at 12pm. Attendees will learn about her as an artist and the creative process she uses in creating her colorful artwork. There will also be a Meet the Artist on Thursday, May 9 from 11:30-1. All gallery activities are free and open to the public.
Layl McDill has been creating all her life. Her earliest memory is of learning how to roll a ball with playdough. She mostly wanted to learn all these techniques so she could enter in every category in the county fair for 4-H. She went on to study Illustration at the Columbus College of Art and Design. Right after art school, Layl and her boyfriend moved to Minneapolis and for the past 27 years they have run their own studio for handmade tile and her sculptural work called Clay Squared to Infinity, which is located in NE Minneapolis.
Layl says of her work, “I've worked mainly in polymer clay for about 24 years. Before that I made more mixed media art with fabric and found objects with just a little bit of clay added. Now I seem to be going back more into mixed media by adding more different materials including found objects and paper collage. This has been a fun direction because I am challenged by the engineering of melding different materials together and pushing the messages I am trying to convey.”
Layl tells us about her current work, “My most recent work has been about the way we as humans connect to the animals and the environment. I have always used animals as a subject matter in my work, sometimes in whimsical ways, but lately I've been connecting more to science and thinking about how I can convey the things I learn through my mixed media sculptures. I have used all kinds of materials, but polymer clay is the uniting factor that has tiny images and designs which are created by the millefiori technique. Many of my pieces will evoke a sensation of story and I hope the viewers will spend time with the pieces to discover the hidden details and all the layers of meaning within each piece.”
Layl McDill is also offering a polymer clay workshop where students can learn to create with polymer clay. If you are interested, you can go to this link for more information: https://app.getoccasion.com/p/n/mdrdsg4D/v5

Nooks and Crannies Coalesce will remain in the Jan Johansen Gallery through May 11, 2024.
Rumriver Art Center is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.