Nebraska Arts Council Exhibition

The Nebraska Arts Council’s Fred Simon gallery has been featuring a select number of exhibitions since 2005. Located in the historic Burlington Building, 1004 Farnam St.it is a sought after venue by Nebraska artists. On view now is a two-person show, Chad Fonfara, Glass (Kearney)/Travis Hencey, Drawing (Chadron). The dual installation of Fonfara’s glass and Hencey’s drawings complement one another in the gallery’s intimate space of rough-hewn brick walls. Glass artist Chad Fonfara has been evolving his sculptural process of glass blowing since taking on a teaching position at the University of Nebraska at Kearney in 2006. “The immediacy of the technical challenges, and the immersion in process is a transformational experience,” Fonfara said. “It keeps me going.” The organic forms might be interpreted as botanical or anatomical. Using rich color and texture, Fonfara creates forms with multiple references to metamorphosis. The monochromatic counterpoint of Travis Hencey’s drawings and collages amplifies the exhibition’s metamorphic quality. “I work nights,” Hencey said. “I deliver medication to retired people, families and assisted living facilities in the surrounding area of Charon. The long drives in that landscape provide a lot of time for reflecting on life, nature, and change.” Of particular note is the graphite drawing of a dead deer on mid-toned brown paper. The deer, hit by a car, appears to ascend in the compositional space of the drawing’s frame. The collages configure an appealing quirkiness in their balance and proportion of parts to the whole. Hencey’s work delivers the goods with a light touch. The exhibition continues through February 15, 2013 in the Burlington Building’s Lower Level. Gallery hours 8 am – 5 pm, 402.595.2142, http://www.nebraskaartscouncil.org/welcome.html