This solo exhibition will feature hand embroidered photo montages, mixed media portrait paintings, and paper collages by local artist, Pam Bjork!

We hope you will join us for our opening reception on Feb. 3rd from 5:30pm – 9:00pm!

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“With camera in hand and an inquisitive mind I’ve been fortunate enough to visit six continents. A few of my most meaningful experiences: Bali, her resplendent beauty and magic helped soothe after the death of my father; Tibet, witness to a ‘sky burial’ at 15,000 feet where heaven and earth meet; Sicily, pilgrimage alongside grieving women during La Processione Dei Misteri after the death of my sister; rare and endangered white lions in Timbavati, South Africa; Cuba, initiation with Santeria babalawos; Bhutan, small Buddhist kingdom whose mission is Gross National Happiness; Ethiopia, indigenous tribes with painted, adorned and scarified bodies. Most recently, Japan beguiled and captivated my imagination. The phrase “ichi-go ichi-e” meaning “one time, one meeting” captures life’s precious moments.

Along the way, I took photographs and shopped for the sacred, collecting ceremonial textiles, objects of devotion and items of beauty – both as an aide-memoire and to bring the experience home.

This exhibition is a visual journey of my love affair with the world. The photo montages were created during the pandemic, weaving together the mystery and enigma of my peripatetic wonderings/wanderings. Akin to the discovery of a special something in the marketplaces of the world, the discovery of drawings I made as a little girl and the drawings made by my then 5-year-old grandson add to the mix. Images of my paintings meet photographs of people and places visited. Often a stroke of color brings the seemingly disparate pieces together. Having a textile in each piece was important, to bring the fibers and material presence of each culture present. The stitching is an homage to my mother and grandmother. My collection and images reflect Indra’s Net, the Buddhist Vedic Hindu philosophy that symbolizes the universe as a web of interconnection and interdependence. Unexpected encounters make a richer weave.

This work is an offering to the love and beauty of this world. I hope you experience wonder as you create your own way of wanderlust, be it near or far.” – Pam Bjork