Goodman Community Center | Ball of String - At the Ballweg Gallery in…

Ball of String - At the Ballweg Gallery in January 2024

Mixed media on canvas by Holly Strope

January 1, 2024 |
Share
“I Ache Like a Banshee” by Holly Strope, acrylic paint and acrylic pens on canvas, 24" x 24"

Artist Statement

“Like a ball of string I’m tangled memories of late tumble and fall”

Ball of string represents the tangle of ideas and memories I hold, which are sussed out on the canvas. With the use of color, mixed media and textures, I strive to translate emotional/self-expressive content. I’m not so tangled now that I paint and write. The ball of string continues to unravel.

Bio

As a singer-songwriter for over 30 years, artistry has always given me a way to express what lives inside and a path to translate what transcends around me. Where poetry and sound once brought form to my emotions, colored brushstrokes now light the way.

Painting has become the key that unlocks the door to my personal truths and freedoms. The shapes, faces, stories, spiritual light and symbolism I portray in my artwork is a direct reflection of my identity and beliefs. Painting has given me a happiness previously unknown. This new medium that I call “Outlier Art” or “Gay Folk Art” aligns with who I am as a lesbian on the spectrum dealing with the traumas, tragedies and triumphs of my past, present and future. For me, I see my work as a different and unique way to look at the mainstream of the world. I try to weave the web of interconnectedness in my illustrations that celebrate the differences I see in myself and the world around me. I honor peace, compassion and loving-kindness for all beings in my paintings. I always hope that what I create sends waves of positivity and happiness to those noticing.

A reception will be held Jan. 5 from 5:30-8 p.m. in Goodman’s Ironworks.

About the Ballweg Gallery

Goodman Center's Diane Endres Ballweg Gallery displays work by emerging and contemporary artists with a tie to Madison. It's free and open for all to enjoy — check out our latest exhibit off the main entrance of our Ironworks Building.

Learn More
Previous Next

‘The Living Bridges of Meghalaya’ produced by the BBC

February 5, 2025

This short YouTube documentary features an uncle teaching his niece how to cultivate a living bridge. Watching it reminds us how even our sense of time is created by our culture.

Eastside News Stories, Just Thinking

SASY Neighborhood Association restarts its environmental committee

January 21, 2025

SASYNA news also includes Neighborhood Grant Program deadline and a community social.

Eastside News Stories, Neighborhood News