Point of Contact Gallery Hosting ‘Materiality and Poetry, the Visual and the Verbal’

Point of Contact Gallery is hosting a panel discussion, “Materiality and Poetry, the Visual and the Verbal,” on Thursday, Oct. 2, at 6 p.m. The conversation will concern the poetic influence behind the current exhibition “Last” by Dorene Quinn.

Dorene Quinn, “Underland,” 2014

Chilean poet and Nobel Laureate Pablo Neruda, considered one the greatest poet of the 20th century, is one of the main sources of inspiration behind Quinn’s current body of work, which expresses the physicality of the natural world in both verbal and visual contexts. Panelists will share thoughts and insights on this topic and will encourage audience members to participate in the dialogue with comments and questions. This event is free and open to the public.

The panel will consist of five individuals, including Quinn; Nancy Keefe Rhodes, author of “The Last of Follies: the Art of Dorene Quinn”; Colleen Kattau, musician, activist and professor of Spanish at SUNY College at Cortland; Michael Burkard, poet and professor of English at Syracuse University; and Maura Brewer, artist and professor specializing in the nature of identity and perception.

In “Last,” Quinn uses visual forms and diverse materials to create memorials to nature that speak of our relationship to the earth. The dual meaning of the word “last” is the genesis of her current body of work, engaging with humanity in an act of counting down, last one of species, last fateful decades of rising temperatures, last chance to contain the damage, perhaps the last of generations on a world that is familiar and sustaining. The artificiality and imperfection of the works reflect the futility in acting too late, to repair or preserve. By working in fragile environments, Quinn calls attention to her experience and presence in hopes that these places can remain.

“Last” will be on view until Oct. 8.  The gallery is open Tuesday-Saturday from noon-5 p.m. or by appointment.

Quinn was born in Portland, Ore., and has a B.F.A. in printmaking and painting from Pacific Northwest College of Art and an M.F.A. in sculpture from the NYS College of Art and Design, Alfred University. She maintains an active studio space in Syracuse, exhibiting solo and in group shows in several galleries and museums. She has been honored with fellowships, grants and awards for her work, including a NYFA Mark Fellowship and an NYSCA grant.

Quinn currently teaches sculpture at Syracuse University and founded a non-for-profit educational program fir inner city teens to gain access to college art and design programs. For more information about the artist, visit http://dorenequinn.com.