Vol. 3, All Together as Cumulus Clouds

August 28–October 17, 2026, at the Contemporary Art Center of Peoria, Illinois, with a reception on September 19 from 6:30p.m. to 8:30p.m. and additional events on both September and October First Fridays. 

Exhibition Statement

Vol. 3, All Together as Cumulus Clouds is the last of three volumes of artwork that mirror core pillars of human existence I hold true. The key concepts of openness (Vol. 1), discovery (Vol. 2), and togetherness (Vol. 3) form a triangular path of mapped locations at the heart of Central Illinois. 

The term togetherness is expansive in this instance. I am, of course, referring to time spent with others, be it in celebration or sorrow, but I also wonder how we remain together with those who are no longer with us? What traces of the past connect us to other cultures and civilizations? How do we acknowledge this moment and the evolution that preceded it?   

Working alongside Eddie Breitweiser, a sound artist and community organizer, discussing topics around paradigm shifts as coined by Thomas Kuhn, Cahokia Mound revelations, and visual analysis of spectrograms led to the creation of a commonplace book that will soon have a vinyl record composed by Eddie to complete the stack. In another instance, the desire to reflect on lasting impressions of dear friends and loved ones has me asking the question, “Will you squeeze this clay as hard as you can?” on repeat. The strain of the action and the pressure on the clay leaving perfectly unique vessels, all in conversation in a family heirloom cabinet. 

The counter-balance of the rock tethered by rope to my home landscape becomes a representation of the grounding forces that unite these floating worlds. Surely we can be together when we are apart––when the roots of home defy the location of it. A revised printing of a book of love and longing, held in a player piano. The siren song of the writers can be heard one-thousand years later. 

Then there’s the grip of two individuals holding tight to each other, climbing the rungs of a rope ladder to nowhere, but collectively making something new and functional in just the right ways. Finally, a body of printed collage works emerge that have been trapped in drawers, waiting to be finished. This completion brings together a stream of consciousness connecting my studio practice 13 years ago to now. These are some of the ways I am interpreting togetherness.

Gratitude

A big thank you to William Butler and the CAC for the opportunity to exhibit in a space full of character and offering just what we all need, a place to celebrate all varieties of art.

Additionally, I thank Ava Erickson, my daughter, for her patience with me and my excessive retreat to the studio this year. She consistently challenges my ways of thinking about the success of a project. And to Matt Erickson, my counterpart, for his support in so many ways including total honesty about whatever I am making. I am so grateful for this family trio and the weird and wacky ways of coming together.