Nikki Coulomb Exhibits at UW-Arboretum Steinhauer Trust Gallery

Arboretum's Steinhauer Trust Gallery Celebrates the Majesty, Mystery and Magic of Trees

Canadian-born artist Nikki Coulombe celebrates the importance of trees and forests throughout history, portraying their diversity and relationships with all life forms in her solo exhibition, "Dancing With Trees."
Twenty three of the paintings in this collection are on exhibit in the UW-Madison Arboretum's Steinhauer Trust Gallery, 1207 Seminole Highway in Madison, from May 1 through June 3.
An opening reception is set for Saturday May 1, from 12:45 – 3:45 p.m.
"Trees are vital to the health of our home, the Earth," says Coulombe. "All life forms on this planet proliferated, continue to flourish, and ultimately depend on the existence of trees."
"The message is sober and urgent, but we are all touched at some point by the beauty of trees, so I hope the appeal of at least a few pieces in this exhibition may cause some reflection," she adds.
A range of artistic expressions emphasize the character of "Dancing with Trees," with one subject as the binding influence. Acrylic paintings, photography, oil pastel works on paper, watercolors, and mixed media pieces are inspired by the artist's travels throughout the United States and Canada, to Mexico, Costa Rica and Australia.
The accompanying Web site (www.majestyoftrees.com) functions as the foundation where all related concepts are organized into one cohesive unit, and for a comprehensive view of the scope of the exhibit, browsing the Web site is encouraged.
The collection in its entirety breaks from tradition slightly by offering more than just pictures of trees, presenting many other correlations conveyed in more than one medium.
"The overall concept promotes a philosophy about humanity's positive role on the planet, with the statement that creative thought is our greatest asset," says Coulombe. "Further, creativity is our most primal, yet highly advanced and ever-evolving contribution toward solutions to healing wrongs done and changing ingrained habits to ones that are more appreciative of the environment in general."
Located in the Arboretum Visitor Center, 1207 Seminole Highway, Madison, the Steinhauer Gallery is open during regular Visitor Center hours - 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays and 12:30 to 4 p.m. weekends.
The gallery has a two-fold purpose-to celebrate Wisconsin's natural heritage and the human connection to the land through the visual arts, and to showcase the creativity and talent of artists who draw their inspiration from nature. Most items on exhibit are for sale. Those interested in purchasing are asked to contact the artist. Profits from sales support Arboretum projects.