Between Here and There: Works by Cindy Henry

Tioga Arts Council recently announced its February exhibition, “Between Here and There,” featuring works by Cindy Henry. The exhibition opens on First Friday, Feb. 7, from 5-8 p.m. in the Main Gallery located at 179 Front St. in Owego. Join them for an artist talk with Henry at 6 p.m.

Between Here and There features recent images by Cindy Henry that reveal brief glimpses into places past and present that hold important symbolism in Cindy’s life. A place may represent a time of escape, as in Adirondack Front Porch in June, which was inspired by a 2020 getaway with friends at Lake George. Other places refer to daily life and the ordinary, and still others a transition from past to present or present to future.

Places become etched in our memory in ways that define our experiences in those spaces and recount the smells, sights, sounds, and feelings we shared there. Simple objects such as a chair provide reference to important events or figures that have influenced Cindy in her life and work. A chair can be an invitation to sit, a place where someone belongs, a call to task, or a reminder of an absence as it emphasizes a void in the space.

Places become etched in our memory in ways that recall and even become our experiences in those spaces. In these works, Cindy romances the ordinary by attending to place and space as she captures moments in time through paint, collage, fabric, and stitching.

A full-time art teacher, Cindy Henry holds a BS in Art Education with a minor in Graphic Design from the College of St. Rose, Albany, N.Y. and an MA in Art Education from Kent State University, Kent, Ohio. 

In her work, Cindy draws on personal experiences with people, places, and objects to create evocative images that seem to transcend time and space. These images present as memories, wishes, or dreams captured in paper, fabric, ink, paint, or other physical material. 

In a press release from TAC, they quoted Cindy as stating, “Sewing, quilting, and needlework have touched my life since early childhood as my mother and grandmothers spent many spare hours with a needle between their fingers. I create work in paper, fiber, collage, and mixed media. I use many traditional and contemporary techniques, including hand and machine piecing and quilting, painting, fusing, and building up transparent layers of sheer fabrics.”

The release continued, “My vocabulary often comes from simple, universal shapes such as circle, square, and cross or icons from the built environment such as pier, bridge, house, or skyscraper. The images I choose often have a sense of precariousness, a delicate balance of strength and fragility, security, and instability. They are built on associations with personal and shared experiences.”

Following the opening, the exhibit will remain open through Feb. 28 and will be open Wednesday through Saturday, from noon to 4 p.m. 

Contact Christina Di Stefano at tiogaartscouncil@gmail.com if you have additional questions or want to inquire about a purchase. 

Hollenbeck’s Feed & Coal, Inc. is the sponsor for this exhibition.