Work-In-Progress: Jordan Brooks, Susan Norris, & Lindsay Wede

Exhibit Title: Work-In-Progress

Exhibit Location and Dates: Octagon Community Gallery, August 20 – October 1, 2022

Exhibit Description: The Octagon’s Work-In-Progress exhibit will display the behind-the-scenes work of an artist. Artists Jordan Brooks, Susan Norris, and Lindsay Wede will use the Octagon’s Community Gallery as their studio space for the duration of the show. The three artists represent varied media, local artists, and art educators. Through making visible the process of creation, in a public and collaborative space that considers the value of intergenerational dialogue, Work-In-Progress seeks to celebrate art as a dialogic, community-informed, and collaborative professional practice.

Artist Bios and Statements: 

Jordan Brooks

Jordan Brooks is a creator and educator. His primary mediums are performance art, pen and ink, and painting both digitally and traditionally. His artistic practice and research explore the development of and commitment to identity, specifically Black identity. Guided by the affirmation, “See yourself, know yourself, be yourself.” Jordan’s creative practice seeks to understand self in relation to the social and physical world. Jordan created KNWSLF (Know Self) to bring his passion for creativity and identity development together. KNWSLF stands for Knowledge, Wisdom, Self Love, and Fellowship. Through all forms of creativity, he explores these four concepts in hopes to better know self.

Artist Statement: Developing imagination creates capacity to imagine and develop a nation!

Susan Norris

Susan Norris, an Ames artist, is a human magpie. Walk with her and you’ll witness her exclaim as she picks up a bit of rusty metal or a shard of plastic. Variety is the spice of Norris’ life from the colors, patterns and textures of her thrifted clothing and garden to the way she sets a table.

She is a scrappy collector and determined connector who can stitch Humpty-Dumpty back together again in a variety of imaginative ways. During the 2021 Ames Artist Studio tour folks asked, “How did you think of so many different ways to put things together?”

Norris is passionate about rescuing discarded objects, likening them to discarded people. The process of finding, sorting and grouping objects inspires ideas for expression through assemblage. Norris is currently experimenting with ways to combine her lifelong love of hand stitching and her newfound interest in mending with found object art.

Lindsay Wede

Lindsay Wede sees her world as a big adventure in art. She teaches art at Ames High School and helps students with their own projects. At home, she tackles creative challenges with her son. Lindsay loves the process of creating art and wants to use it as a vehicle for making a difference in the lives of others.

Visit www.pinzprints.com for more of her work.

You can also find her books at www.lulu.com/spotlight/pinzprints 

Artist Statement:  Brainstorming with botany, building blocks, bookmarks, books, and more.

Making art can be both refreshing and terrifying. It gives a chance to construct meaning and to release an array of emotions. It is a means to celebrate and rejoice or grieve and offer sympathy. It also offers a framework to pose questions and search for answers.

With art, I can study and share various perspectives and stories. I like to explore all aspects of life, from early childhood to old age. My work swings from silly stories to more sophisticated themes. I constantly think about my purpose and how my work can be used to make a difference. I think about what can be learned, as I am in the process of creating.

My pieces go through constant revision, because I approach them much like I approach life. Art mimics life, after all. As I work, I discover, learn, and grow. Like my art, I am a work in progress. Recently, I broke my finger on my primary hand and had to have surgery. I have been retraining myself how to use my hand and the process has taught me a lot. I have so many different ideas and mediums that I wish to investigate more. That is one of the reasons why I love teaching kids about art- there are always so many opportunities, even with limitations.

I enjoy making bookmarks and books to encourage reading and morals. I like designing building blocks for play and making connections. With the blocks, children can see familiar faces, expressions, and interesting colors and characters. I also am interested in drawing concepts from current events and various times in history together to try to better understand and make connections that are a lot harder to make. I am continually planning and creating with natural materials, as I really see them as the best art supply and a reminder of how connected we are to the earth. I use them to inspire me and make paintings and prints. To encourage my art, I spend a lot of time outdoors, talking with others, reading, taking notes, and sketching.

I hope you enjoy my work and take some time to engage with it. There are some interactive activities and there are books, bookmarks, blocks, and prints for sale. Please write your name in the guest book and add your email address. Please share any comments and questions you may have.

Events: 

Work-In-Progress: Open House

Thursday, September 1, 2022, 6:00-8:00 p.m. 

Octagon Community Gallery

Join all three Work-In-Progress featured artists for an open house! Jordan Brooks, Susan Norris, and Lindsay Wede will spend the evening showcasing completed and in-progress artworks, answering questions, and engaging with the Ames community to discuss their artistic processes and current projects. 

Work-In-Progress: Artist Studio Hours

Visit the Octagon Community Gallery to see the exhibit artists at work! 

Jordan Brooks: Thursdays, 4:00-8:00 p.m.; Saturdays, 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.

Susan Norris: Mondays-Fridays, 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. 

Lindsay Wede: Thursdays, 4:30-7:30 p.m. 

Additional Events: TBD