Exhibit Gallery

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Interwoven Journeys

Paintings by Amy Shawley Paquette

Mixed media and Assemblages by Nancy Spahr

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Exhibition dates: february 23, 2023 – june 4, 2023

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About This Exhibit

‍Interwoven Journeys explores the relationship between artists, one creating nests and the other painting woodland birds. Together, Amy Shawley Paquette and Nancy Sphar create a narrative of the interconnectedness of nature. Their work shares similar themes reflecting both habitat and protection. The two art forms can be thought of as complementary, with the nest-builder providing a tangible representation of the nest as home, and the painter providing a more interpretive representation of the woodland birds in their habitat.

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Amy Shawley Paquette primarily paints birds. She loves pairing them with botanical, landscape, and texture elements. She works from her own photos, taken while documenting the wildlife, habitats, landscapes, and textures of her region, to create colorfully detailed and richly layered paintings. She works in oil, acrylic, and watercolor and enjoys exploring alternative approaches to traditional painting.

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Nancy Spahr focuses on bringing her work to life using mixed media and assemblages, and a relaxed interpretation of avian life. She gathers found and natural materials to allow for many choices when pulling items from her overflowing storage area. Her process includes sketching rough drafts, working on several pieces at a time in different stages of completion. All carefully considered, with no deadlines in mind, they develop and are not rushed in the process of the final act of creation, but rather create a narrative of the interconnectedness of nature.

Up Next:

An Artist’s Journey

By Milenko Katic

Exhibition dates: June 12 - August 20, 2023

Opening Reception, June 12, 5-7pm

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About This Exhibit

Milenko Katic was born in Serbia and grew up in Belgrade. As a young adult, Milenko worked toward a medical career. He was a year away from completing his medical degree when he discovered his love for art. Milenko did not expect to be an artist. He decided he was too emotional and compassionate to be a doctor. After he left medical school, he studied art and took classes with Sergije Jovanovic’ and Milic’ de Machva.

In 1984, Katic moved from Serbia to Dubrovnik, Croatia and opened the Milenko Art Studio where he continued to paint and exhibit his work. In 1988, he met Yates Nobles, a romantic relationship developed between the two while she and her family were visiting Yugoslavia. When the war began in 1989, he moved to the United States. Milenko and Yates married soon after and settled in Charlottesville, VA.

Milenko immersed himself in painting using different media while creating distinctive periods in his work. He transitioned from early painting in oil to using acrylic, watercolor, collage, charcoal and crayon, often using mixed media techniques. Milenko combined both abstract and representational forms in his painting, stretching the boundaries of artistic imagination and its meaning. He said, "I find excitement with each project, because each work leads me to the possibility of creating a different and important piece of art.”

Today, Milenko is struggling with health issues associated with dementia. The family decided Milenko would be happier if he returned home to his roots in Belgrade where he can enjoy a few more years living in a place that is familiar and close to his heart.

For decades, Milenko’s work has been well received at art festivals and galleries along the east coast where he gained notoriety and won countless awards for his work. This exhibition is a rare opportunity to view and purchase art he created during a long and prolific career. The sale of Milenko’s work from this exhibit will help support his medical care and housing costs in Belgrade.