On view in the Katherine Kilbourne Burgum & Gustavian Galleries from 24 March – 7 May 2023

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The Rourke Art Gallery + Museum is pleased to present Intuitive Ideation, which features artworks by Annette Marchand.
   • An exclusive Member Preview will be held from 6:30 to 8 p.m. on Friday 24 March 2023.
   • A Public Opening will be held from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. on Sunday 26 March 2023 with a 2 p.m. gallery talk.

Annette Marchand is a native of Harvey, ND and lives in Moorhead, MN with her husband Jason Hamre. She attended the School of Art at Minnesota State University Moorhead (MSUM) where she received a Bachelor of Fine Art in painting and drawing (1994) and an Art Education Degree (2000). She went on to earn a master’s degree from UW Stout, WI (2013).  Annette creates artwork in her studio located in the historic Dakota Business College building in downtown Fargo, above the Dakota Fine Art gallery where she is a co-owner and member artist. In addition to being a studio artist, Annette is a ceramics instructor at the Plains Art Museum and an online art instructor at
the North Dakota Center for Distance Education (NDCDE). She has a Graduate Certification in Instructional Design and has written and revised several classes including Beginning Painting, Digital Photography and Digital Art and Design.

She takes pride in creating a learning environment both online and in the ceramic studio that gives her students “Voice and Choice” so that they can learn and create art that is meaningful and relevant.  Annette has exhibited in numerous group and solo shows including the “A Place at the Table” at the Plains Art Museum and “Clay” and the annual Midwestern Exhibition at The Rourke. Since 2005 she has been awarded 10 grants from the Lakes Region Arts Council, (LRAC) in Fergus Falls, MN. In 2022 she received a LRAC Career Development grant that was used to participate in a workshop with artist Steven Hill at the Adamah Art Studio in Wisconsin. This experience enhanced her work and opened new doors. Adding to the toolbox of possibilities, Annette learned how to layer multiple contrasting glazes to achieve the depth the surface and color in midrange electric firing normally achieved only in high fire reduction and atmospheric firing.

ARTIST STATEMENT

This body of work is surreal in nature and inspired in part by the practice of meditation which has helped me tap into my subconscious and move beyond the constraints of conventional thinking or preconceived notions. My love affair with clay started in the mid-90's. While clay is not the only medium I work with, it is one of the most intriguing. Consistent themes reference the human form, leaves, clouds, and other creatures of nature. For it is our mother earth that provides the clay and the water that makes it flexible, coupled with air and fire to cure. It is truly transformational process.  

As a lifelong learner, I have discovered that failure is both my friend and foe, and without the ability to embrace it, I would not be where I am today. The first two words I can think of to describe my experience, are grit and determination. Being an artist requires having an open mind, accepting limitations, and then pushing past them as part of the process. Often, I rely on educated guesses and listening to my intuition. Improvising is often my best friend. 

This body of work reflects my willingness to take risks and explore new and old ideas, giving birth to an abstract self-portrait of my creative life. “Intuitive Ideation” breaks free from utilitarian pottery. The work is altered and manipulated. It circles back to a theme I explored in the early 2000’s. I had made a plaster mold of my swollen belly when pregnant with my first child, Sophia. In 2002, while pregnant with my second child, Ben, I made my first “Earthen Womb” wall hanging by slumping clay with Hosta leaf impressions over that mold. This past year, I found myself inspired by a new “found object” or mold with an exciting, deep wavy pattern coupled with a seamstress mannequin. A whole new exploration began. “Intuitive Ideation” ties together the art of spontaneity with years of research, practice, process, and technical knowhow.

The “Intuitive Ideation” exhibition is funded in part by a LRAC Legacy grant, 2022-2023. A special shout out to Ken Omundson who helped to make this exhibition happen. Ken generously opened his pottery studio with two large kilns, a spray booth, and all the amenities, allowing me to explore this new path in the spirit of community and collaboration. 

​—Annette Marchand, 16 March 2023