“Dry Spells and Deluge,” an art exhibit by artist Katherine Steichen Rosing, will be on display Oct. 17 through Nov. 14 in Ripon College’s Caestecker Gallery of Art in the C.J. Rodman Center for the Arts.
Rosing will host an artist talk Friday, Oct. 17, at 6 p.m. in Demmer Recital Hall with a reception following at 6:45 p.m. in Caestecker Gallery.
Born in Appleton, Wisconsin, Rosing’s art explores environmental processes and phenomena related to forests and watersheds through immersive installations and vibrant paintings.
“My paintings and sculptural installations explore ecological processes within forests and watersheds,” Rosing said. “I am fascinated by the intricate connections within these ecosystems — particularly by the carbon and water cycles — and how disruptions to weather patterns caused by the climate crisis impact their delicate balance.”
Her artistic vision stems from immersive experiences in nature, studio experimentation and scientific literature.
Rosing takes inspiration from artist Arthur Dove, often regarded as the first American abstract painter, who blended natural phenomena with abstract concepts.
“I develop complex surfaces reminiscent of natural textures by drawing or writing inscriptions in wet paint that reference unseen ecological processes and microscopic life forms,” Rosing said. “As I apply layers of saturated and nuanced color, these marks become partially obscured by additional brushwork, creating multi-layered surfaces where earlier elements remain partially visible — reflecting the way natural processes operate beyond our immediate perception.”
Her installations are often immersive spaces filled with hanging monochromatic tree-like sculptures, intended to foster reflection on ecological issues such as climate change, deforestation and invasive species.
Example of Artists workRosing’s work has been featured in over 100 solo and group exhibitions around the globe, including venues such as The Rockford Art Museum in Illinois; Amos Eno Gallery in New York; The Arts Club in Washington, D.C.; James May Gallery in Milwaukee; The Museum of Wisconsin Art in West Bend, Wisconsin; ARC Gallery in Chicago; Tomioka Museum in Tokyo and Saitama Modern Art Museum in Japan.
She has received many grants and awards, including the 2022 Forward Art Prize and the Madison Arts Commission/Wisconsin Arts Board Individual Artist Fellowship. Additionally, she has worked in science-based artist residencies at the UW-Madison Department of Limnology’s Trout Lake Research Station, the St. Croix Watershed Research Station and the Pouch Cove Foundation Residency in Newfoundland.
Rosing received her master of fine arts in painting and drawing from Northern Illinois University, a bachelor of fine arts from the University of Colorado-Denver and a bachelor of arts from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She has taught studio art courses at various colleges and universities in Chicago and Madison, Wisconsin, where she currently resides and works.
The Caestecker Gallery of Art is open Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 2-5 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 2-6 p.m. Admission is free and open to the public.
You may also like the following events from Ripon College:
- This Friday, 3rd October, 02:00 pm, Threads, Folds & Rabbit Holes: An Exhibit by Kristy Deetz in Ripon
- This month, 16th October, 07:30 pm, Silent Sky in Ripon
- Next month, 13th November, 07:30 pm, Almost, Maine in Ripon
Also check out other
Arts events in Ripon,
Fine Arts events in Ripon,
Exhibitions in Ripon.
