We are beyond excited to announce our 4th (!) solo exhibition with Minneapolis based mixed media artist and long time Art Star artist, Amy Rice. The show, titled “Curb Appeal”, will be up in our gallery space from March 25th through May 21st, 2017. We will be hosting a reception with the artist while she is in town on April 8th from 5-7pm. Light refreshments will be provided.
“Curb Appeal” is inspired by Rice’s recent purchase of her first home with her partner, Matt. The artist describes her new house as a “seriously distressed foreclosure”, so the term “fixer upper” would be putting it lightly. The couple quickly dove into renovations to make their new house their own. Around the same time they also purchased some rural property in what they call a “Scandanavian Pride” town where all the homes have over the top decorations like fancy gables and hand cut decorative window trims. Her latest body of work is an exploration of all that we do to make a house a home – bringing in plants and potted flowers, adding art work, building window boxes, adopting pets, and adding all our own personal flourishes to create Curb Appeal.
Amy recently wrote and illustrated a Zine titled, “How To Grow Zinnias”, which comes with two zinnia seeds in hand-painted seed packets. The book will make its debut at our reception with the artist on April 8th. Stop by to pick up a signed copy!
Amy Rice’s nostalgic, subtly street art-influenced works are deeply defined by her Midwestern roots. Growing up in a rural area, Rice found inspiration in the surrounding flora and fauna; she naturally developed an intrinsic appreciation for the simplistic yet beautiful things in life. Rice is most satisfied when a tangible or visceral connection is built between the materials used and the image rendered. Her work is deeply layered, often both literally and figuratively. Her evocative, wistful imagery is largely biographical and reflective of her pensive nature.
Using non-traditional printmaking methods such as hand-cut stencils and a Japanese toy Gocco printer as a jumping off point, Rice develops the basis for her signature, one of a kind mixed media pieces. She combines, layers and experiments with many different mediums and tools including enamels, acrylics, gouache, inks, hand-carved linoleum print blocks and a antique letterpress machine. Rice searches out unique and meaningful surfaces that can run the gamut from antique papers such as handwritten love letters, journal pages, sheet music and maps to antique fabrics including heirloom embroidery and feed sacks from her family’s dairy farm.
She has exhibited her work extensively in galleries in the US and beyond. She has received the Minnesota State Arts Board Artist Initiative Grant as well as the Metropolitan Regional Arts Board Next Step Grant.
Rice enjoys working themes and imagery into her pieces such as bicycles, found objects, gardening, collective endeavors that challenge hierarchy, acts of compassion, downright silliness and things with wings.
This print is of an original piece titled “Root” from Jen Corace’s solo exhibition at Art Star. It is an archival pigment print on Hahnemuhle 100% cotton rag paper. We use Silicon Fine Art Printing here in Philadelphia, so it is extremely high quality. It is a signed, limited edition of 100 and is $40. Buy it 
You’ll see there is a theme here. I have plants and nature on my brain. This print is by Minneapolis based artist, Amy Rice. Amy is a prolific artists whose work we’ve carried since we opened in 2004. She is one of our absolute favorites! Luckily for my wallet, Amy offers a line of affordable art prints like this one. She enjoys painting/printing on antique letters, journal entries, maps and even high end wallpaper, like this one. This is a hand set and hand pulled letterpress print. I just love it! $40 Buy it 
Another floral piece with a motivational phrase. I need it this time of year! I love Mai Autumn’s delicate watercolors, they are so beautiful! This one will also add a nice pop of color to any room! This piece is available in both 8×10 and 11×14, which are both standard frame sizes. Printed with archival inks on Canon Pro Luster Pape and $20/$35, depending on which size you choose. Buy it 
A daily reminder – ha! Plus, it makes me laugh a little b/c there are seriously bobby pins all over my house. In the oddest places too! For this reason, I think they are the bane of my husband’s existence. Just kidding. This is a screenprint by Bryan Sculthorpe of Yardsale Press, who I fondly refer to as “talls” because he is a giant and I am a midget. Just $15 – buy it 
My husband and I have already begun planning our camping trips! This reminds me that in a few months we’ll be sleeping under the stars. I. cannot. wait. This is an 11×17″ poster illustrated by Andrea Lauren of Paper Sparrow and it is printed with vegetable + soy based inks. $18. Buy it 
And finally, this gem. Because I love art with a sense of humor most of all. It is titled “Reflecting Pool of Shame”. It is a reproduction of an original painting on top of a photograph by Mauro Biaocco of Naughty + Nice. It was printed using archival ink and paper. Don’t lie, you’ve been there! $20 Buy it 
