Art of the Wish
Andy Newcom & Marn Jensen
March 4 - May 28, 2022
Main Gallery
Please join us for the opening of Art of the Wish — an art exhibit that celebrates the wishes of elders.
Artists Marn Jensen and Andy Newcom interviewed over 200 older people across the country and asked them their wishes — for themselves, their families, and the world. Then, the artists created artwork based on these wishes in hopes to bring them to life in a poignant and memorable way.
The work is comprised of a range of mediums — from photographic to sculptural, textile to encaustic, mixed media to painting — allowing the “wish” to inspire the direction of each piece. The artists were very intentional about the materials used, often incorporating repurposed, found objects that had once been discarded and tossed aside. “Breathing new life into these objects is a perfect metaphor for appreciating the potential and beauty in old things,” they explained.
Marn and Andy’s wish is that this body of work inspires people to reach out and have a conversation with an elder. They promise, “it will not only make their day, but it will make your day, too.”
Bio/Statement
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Artist Duo combines creative experience with love of older people.
Artists Andy Newcom and Marn Jensen have been friends and creative co-workers for over 35 years and share a love for older people. When an opportunity arose at their company to work on a passion-led project, they chose to interview elders across the country — to gather their wishes for themselves, their families and for the world. Then, the artist duo created artwork based on those wishes in hopes to bring them to the world in a memorable way. That exhibit was met with much success and now retired from their creative corporate jobs, they have continued this mission to give voice to those who are not always heard.
Andy and Marn love to talk about having a similar childhood— growing up with artistic parents, they were both destined to pursue a creative path. With several solo shows under their belts, they say it’s been “twice as fun” to join forces and partner on this exhibit.
Experienced in both writing and visual art, Andy and Marn bring both aspects to this exhibit. “We both have a love for story-telling as well as the visual work and it was important to give each piece a slice of context to set the stage,” Andy says.
The ‘Art of the Wish’ is comprised of several mediums — from photography to sculpture, textile to encaustic, mixed media to painting — allowing the “wish” to inspire the direction of each piece. The artists are very intentional about the materials used, often incorporating repurposed, found objects that had once been discarded and tossed aside. “Breathing new life into these objects is a perfect metaphor for appreciating the potential and beauty in old things,” Marn explained.