Archived News Release: December 31, 2014 - An exhibit of works by Burns Park neighborhood artists will run Jan. 9 through Feb. 27 at the Ann Arbor Senior Center in Burns Park. The community is invited to attend an artist reception with live music and light refreshments on Friday, Jan. 9 from 6-8 p.m. There is a suggested donation of $5 for reception attendees, payable at the door.
The exhibit artists include Jane W. Bunge, Julie Cohen, Pam Hoffer, Samah Majadla, Carol Morris, Julie Renfro, and Mike Sivak. Their work is comprised of mixed media, clay tiles, digital printing and sculpture.
Music for the exhibit opening will be provided by Burns Park resident Bill Connors. He plays guitar and mandolin, and co-leads the Ann Arbor (Mostly) Acoustic Jam meet-up group, taking place every other Sunday at the Ann Arbor Senior Center. Connors is also a member of the group Ebb Tide, which performs throughout southeast Michigan.
Bunge works in acrylic, pastels, charcoal and three-dimensional media, and is also a published writer. Her artwork is in the permanent collections at the University of Michigan Mott Children's Hospital in Ann Arbor and the Swords into Plowshares Gallery and Peace Center in Detroit. Bunge is currently working on a series of drawings and sculptures that explore themes of the feminine divine, sacred sexuality, illness and death.
Cohen specializes in art tiles. She is an Ann Arbor native with a bachelor of fine arts degree from the University of Michigan School of Art and Design. On the board of the original Ann Arbor Street Art Fair for 12 years, Cohen ran the Artist Demonstration program, which connected exhibitors with hands-on opportunities for fairgoers of all ages. Cohen, a former art teacher at the Ann Arbor Art Center and elsewhere, has work displayed in galleries in Northville and Petosky, Mich., Wellfleet, Mass., and California.
Hoffer's first solo show was also the first show to ever take place at the Ann Arbor Senior Center. She is a retired clinical social worker and has lived in the Burns Park neighborhood since 1969.
Majadla is a recent graduate of Mount Holyoke College, where she studied computer science and art. As a digital artist and software developer, she is constantly looking for artistic expression at the intersection of the two fields. Majadla also creates animation, and most recently worked on an open-source animated short titled Tube, currently in production.
Morris, a graphic artist, is also a published poet, film maker and creates CDs of her poetry in collaboration with musicians. Morris has recently exhibited in Michigan, New York, Minnesota, St. Louis, San Francisco and Denver. Her Lobbie Lamento Variety Show is often aired on Ann Arbor's Community Television Network. Morris also leads volunteer collage workshops for women in the county jail.
Renfro earned a bachelor of fine arts degreefrom Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, Calif. With a varied creative background, Renfro has been a soloist with a regional ballet company in southern California and senior artist with a software development company in San Francisco. In 2001, she took up residence in Ann Arbor with her husband, Michael Sivak (who is also exhibiting in the Art from the Hood show). Renfro is currently director of design and administration for the Sphinx Organization in Detroit.
Sivak's work is exhibited extensively in galleries and juried art fairs throughout southeast Michigan. He is a native of the east side of Detroit, and earned a bachelor of fine arts degree in illustration from Art Center College of Design in Pasadena.
The Art from the Hood exhibit takes place at the Ann Arbor Senior Center, and is part of the City of Ann Arbor Parks and Recreation Cultural Arts programming. The Ann Arbor Senior Center is at the southeast corner of Burns Park, 1302 Baldwin Ave. The gallery is open 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday through Thursday. To learn more about the city's cultural arts programming, visit www.a2gov.org/CulturalArts. To learn more about the Ann Arbor Senior Center, visit www.a2gov.org/senior.
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