In conjunction with the current exhibition 5 minute Drift, at Rockford University Art Gallery, Melissa Leandro will be giving a talk.
When: Wednesday April 3, at 5:15
Where: Clark Art Center, Rm 111
After the talk, a mini reception with a donation bar will be held in the gallery so guests can have another chance to see the work.

Melissa Leandro 5 minute Drift presents the work of Chicago-based artist Melissa Leandro as she reflects on personal familial and cultural realities that coalesce experiences from her everyday life and family histories. Leandro’s exhibition introduces a hodgepodge of domestic vignettes through the use of woven, quilted and embroidered textiles, uniquely upholstered furniture, collaged plastic tablecloths and plaster sculptures created by Leandro and her father.

Her practice is shaped by past experiences and relationships; specifically family memories of her mother working as a housekeeper in Miami, Florida; her grandfather’s farm house in Costa Rica; and her father’s living as a construction worker and builder. Through the process of cyanotype printing and drawing techniques, Leandro documents her present day collecting of souvenirs, knick-knacks, and natural detritus during her travels aqua melt, Melissa Leandro, Jacquard woven cloth, dye, foil, 2018 within and outside of the U.S. She considered the ephemeral nature of personal objects, both treasured and disposable, and seeks to recognize how they shape her sense of identity.