A series of landscapes that chronicles the travels of artist Janet Decker Yanez will be displayed during February in the Gallery at the Art and Music Library on the University of Rochester's River Campus. The exhibit is free and open to the public.
Inside found picture frames, Yanez began her oil compositions of the cities where she's lived. She recalled "the space and the people who were around me then, collective memories and experiences, some holier than others." After painting on canvas, she decided to add another dimension and selected fabric, a consistent medium in her work.
"The fabrics were then chosen for their connection, both sentimentally and visually, to the background where they were being placed," she says in the introduction to the exhibit called "Wanderlust." "I like to think I'm actually painting with the fabrics while I sew them on with the needle and thread," she explains.
The show opens Thursday, Feb. 5, and continues through Friday, Feb. 27. A reception with the artist will be held from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 7, in the gallery, which is located on the ground floor of Rush Rhees Library.
Yanez received a bachelor of fine arts degree from the University of Houston. Since then, she has worked as a mortgage loan originator and continued to produce and exhibit her art. Until July, she lived and worked in Rochester, actively supporting the Upper Monroe Neighborhood Association, South East Arts Development, and CityWalk. She is now residing in Nashville, Tenn., concentrating full time on her art.
The Gallery at the Art and Music Library, located on the ground floor of Rush Rhees Library, is open from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday; noon to 5 p.m. Saturday; and noon to 10 p.m. Sunday. For more information, contact (585) 275-9249.
Note to editors: Color JPG images of Janet Decker Yanez's work can be e-mailed to you. Please call (585) 275-4128 or send your request to sdickman@rochester.edu.