Christine Bethea & Katy Dement have created a reprisal of their original 2022 exhibit, Amalgamation. This show premiered at the Dressler Center in Somerset PA. The artists are happy to reinvigorate their vision once again. These two artists come together in a true amalgamation of their individual talents to turn the old into new using salvaged items that appear to have no obvious use; to create unique, one-of-a-kind pieces of art each one a visual narrative – a story for you to tell. Whether it’s a rusty tool, discarded wood, fabric remnants or vintage ephemera and handmade papers, these two ladies turn ordinary cast off objects into extraordinary beauty!
Katy Dement uses handmade paper as to “skin” and connects mixed media sculptures crafted from old toys and rusty tools creating characters from the land of “rust belt noire” into handmade paper mixed media sculptures. Dement will be showing 2-d works that capture the seasons in the “garden” through gleaned plant materials, papermaking and environmental captured textures and printmaking with plants.
Ms. DeMent has been making her living as a full-time papermaker and teacher for over 20 years. Her work is found in galleries and museums worldwide and has been featured on HGTV’s “Crafters Coast to Coast”. DeMent was an Art major at Georgia State University but is self-taught in papermaking, welding, sewing and other crafts.
Christine Bethea is a fiber artist, quilter, mixed media, installation artist and writer who creates art from vintage fabrics, salvaged wood and objects which have no obvious use. In this way, she stays true to her goals of reusing all potential resources in unique and artful ways.
While Bethea holds a degree in journalism, the visual arts became her main passion 20 odd years ago. Mainly self-taught, she has won local and national competitions such as the Art of Can hosted by Red Bull. One half of the design team behind Argyle studio in Oakland, she has spent the past year as the President of Women of Visions and still makes time to make and collaborate!
Amalgamation ll opens April 7th with an artists’ reception 7-9 pm. The closing reception will be held May 5, 2023. Regular Gallery hours are Saturdays from 2-5 pm and by appointment. The Irma Freeman Center welcomes groups to book events and tours to experience this engaging, beautiful exhibit . For information call us at 412-924-0634. Attached are 6 pieces of artwork. The first 3 are done by Katy Dement and the last 3, by Christine Bethea.