Loud + Proud
November 30th- January 18th, 2019)
​
Artist Reception: November 30th, 5-7pm

Gilded Pear Gallery
Address: 808 THIRD AVE. SE CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA 52403
Phone: 319-366-0205
Email: Suzy@gildedpeargallery.com

​Loud and Proud

I'm someone who moved 8 times before my eighth birthday and another 8 before age 41. I've lived in Iowa, Alexandria; Virginia, Minnesota, Iowa again, Georgia, Iowa again, Sweden, Iowa again, Sweden, Iowa again, Wisconsin, Oregon, Washington State, and Iowa again. In 1971, I lived in a Cuban neighborhood where Spanish was the first language. In 1982, I studied Swedish with immigrants from Eritrea, Kurdistan, Greece, Britain, the US, Turkey, and Iran. I was baptized Catholic, confirmed Congregational...Went to a southern public school where I was the only white kid in my class. I've worked in a hospital kitchen, made machines to put feathers into pillow cases, guarded art, been an office assistant more than once, sold fabric to interior designers, taught college, elementary, and adult students, worked as a department store display person, and am an artist...

Through all of this, I came in contact with people who were very different from me. What I learned is there are a lot of wondrous ways to be human. Each and every one of us is a unique mix of experiences...someone special and rare. If we’re hiding who we are to make others happy, or judging others because we don't understand them, then we’re missing the point.

We need to honor ourselves, let our freak flags fly, go for the gusto, not be stopped by what we are or aren't, and encourage the same in others.

My work is included in an exhibit at Cedar Rapids Museum of Art titled "Beyond the Prairie: Midwestern Art from the Collection."

I was interviewed by Ann Landi of Vasari21 along with several other artists on how we prepare for a studio visit.

"Advise and Select", Ann Landi, Vasari21, July 29, 2018

Feeling so excited. One of my #100dayproject pieces was featured on Boston Voyager Magazine's online publication. The article was part of their Boston City Guide/ "The Boston Arts & Culture Weekly Review" 

Suzy McGrane-Hop of Gilded Pear Gallery and I were honored to be interviewed about my upcoming artist talk at Gilded Pear. Each week Dennis Green, interviews local people about their latest work and how they're helping make Iowa's Creative Corridor one of the best places to live and create. 

To see the interview, go to this link.

Special thanks to Suzy McGrane Hop of Gilded Pear Gallery for making this happen. Super thanks to Dennis Green and KCCK!!!!

Details:
"A Rainbow Colored Dream" Mary Zeran Solo Exhibit runs through January 19th at Gilded Pear Gallery.
Join Mary for a free Artist Talk on January 11, from 5:30-7:00p.m.

Kick the Winter Blues with an Art Exhibition in the Full Spectrum
 
Gilded Pear Gallery presents...
A Rainbow Colored Dream!    
Opening Reception: Friday, December 1st 5-7pm at Gilded Pear Gallery
An Artist Talk will follow on Thursday, January 11th, 5:30-7pm
Exhibition continues until January 19th
 
CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA.--Gilded Pear Gallery presents its annual solo exhibition from local artist, Mary Zeran. She is the recipient of several awards and honors and her works are in numerous public and private collections as well as many notable corporate collections. The collage works have been exhibited in solo and group exhibitions in galleries and museums throughout the United States and abroad including  the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art; Sherry Leedy Contemporary Art, in Kansas City; SOIL Gallery in Seattle; Higher Art Gallery in Michigan; and Chaing Mai University in Chaing Mai, Thailand.
 
Mary Zeran grew up in a family of women artists whose textiles, embroidery, and woodcarvings, existed as their visual language; enigmatic shapes and forms were their words.  Each time she picks up a brush or scissors she immerses herself in the language of her family, which brings her ever closer to their traditions, histories, and stories. Abstracted flowers, trees, and all the colors of nature, speak her mother tongue. “When I conceived A Rainbow Colored Dream!, I dreamt of exploring colors I’d always feared and mixing new ones I’d never seen.  I had hopes that it would be a bold visual jump. Instead, the small increments and minor gradations captured my eye. I delved deep into layers, creating more unfamiliar patterns. Painted multi-colored dots that ran and beautiful expanses of patterned strips- I dared to form new relationships with these, as I cut new shapes,” says Zeran about the upcoming exhibit. Mary Zeran received her B.F.A and M.F.A from University of Iowa. She was born in Iowa City in 1964 and now lives and works in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
 
Gilded Pear Gallery is located at 808 Third Avenue SE, Cedar Rapids, IA 52403.  
Solo show of works by Mary Zeran

Gilded Pear Gallery
Address: 808 THIRD AVE. SE CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA 52403
Phone: 319-366-0205
Email: Suzy@gildedpeargallery.com
​Lauren@gildedpeargallery.com

My work has been added to the list of prestigious artists who graduated from The University of Iowa School of Art and Art History.

Notice how my pieces photobombed a recent interview of Suzy McGrane-Hop/ Gilded Pear Gallery on Fox News. Congratulations to Suzy for sharing her expertise and for always supporting my work! Go to this link to see how a local man purchased art at a thrift store worth possibly hundred of dollars.

MG & M/ Manion Gaynor & Manning has eleven locations throughout the country. These pieces will be gracing the walls of their Miami, FL office. 

I'm delighted to share. My solo show at Higher Art Gallery was featured on GrafixArts Newsletter.  

Higher Art Gallery is having their One Year Anniversary Soiree and "Give the Gift of Art" Holiday Exhibit. I have 5 small works on paper included in this show.

Opening Reception:
November 3rd, 11am-7pm

Shanny Brooke, gallery director
126 S. Union Street
Traverse City, MI 49684

Tel: Gallery- 231-252-4616

https://www.higherartgallery.com

I've limited it to tones of teal, burgundy, orange, blue, and green.  It's been challenging, but exciting all at the same time. 

Solomon McCown is based in Boston, MA, but has an office in New York City. Their specialties are working with Corporate, Healthcare, Real Estate, Education, and Non-Profit groups to:

"define who they are, earn the recognition they deserve, and protect their reputations."

During that time, I didn't have a physical studio. At first, I made most of my art on the bus. Eventually, I switched  I noticed was texture was a very useful tool for designing gardens and picking fabric for a room.

Everyone who's ever gardened knows that after the blooms are gone, texture becomes the star. The best gardens include different sizes and shapes of leaves to create different sections of texture. A large patch of grass next to a patch of daisies creates contrast that gives a late season garden something subtle to ponder.

Looking at my reference photos, I realized many were devoted to leaf texture. I especially like them when they're dried. There's something about that process that creates even more variation in texture.

​There's a direct connection between what I see in nature and what comes out the end of my brush. Of course color aways brings something to the party, but notice how easy it is to see the texture and pattern when we look at these photos in black in white.

Exploring what happens when I combine two patterns together is a recent challenge. Transparency makes it possible for me to really push things and create new textures.