The Modbo and S.P.Q.R., the Arts Alley District, are delighted to announce
a new opening on Friday, February 3rd, 2012. The Modbo will feature the works
of Puebloartist Bonnie Waugh in a show entitled, “Allegory,” while S.P.Q.R. exhibits
Modbo Collective member Nina Peterson’s latest oeuvre, “Femme Fatale.” The opening
reception is from 5:30 pm until midnight on Friday, February 3rd. The shows will
close on Friday, February 24th. The galleries are located at 17b and 17c East Bijou,
Colorado Springs, CO, 80903. More information available by calling 633-4240 or
emailing themodbo@gmail.com.
Nina Peterson began experimenting with oil paints nearly seven years ago
but took a hiatus from using the medium to develop her ballpoint pen drawings.
She first began exhibiting artwork in high school and participated in the Business
of Art Center’s “Wunderkind” in 2008. During her pursuit of an undergraduate
degree in Art History, she continued to show her ballpoint pen works to positive
reception. In 2010, Peterson became the youngest member of The Modbo
Collective. Upon graduation from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs,
she began preparing for her first solo exhibition at S.P.Q.R. by applying for
and receiving a Denise Pomeraning Memorial Enrichment Grant funded by the
Pikes Peak Branch of the National League of American Pen Women.
For the past year, Peterson has focused on acquiring expert painting skills. Although largely self-taught and still seeking improvement, she recently took an oil paintingclass with Modbo and SPQR co-owner Brett Andrus that enhanced her technical ability and understanding of the medium. Femme Fatale is an exploration of painting techniques that invokes artworks from the late 19thcentury Symbolist movement. Peterson started each piece with an under-painting and worked over it with glazes to build color variation and depth. While studying masterpieces by Fernand Khnopff, Franz Stuck, John William Waterhouse, and Lucien Lévy-Dhurmer, Peterson found not only inspiration for her methods but also for her subject matter. Her first solo exhibition is one that questions and subverts contemporary and historical depictions of women as cruel yet sensual.
F
or the past twenty years, Bonnie Waugh has been involved in the arts in many
different forms: as an artist, a curator, and always as an advocate. In 2000,
she started Red Raven studio in Pueblo, Colorado which provided work space for
artists, classes, a musicvenue, and gallery space. In 2003, she teamed up with a company called Art in the Aspens to provide plein air workshops that were based
both at her studio and in many scenic locations around Colorado. “From there I fell in
love with oil paint and capturing thelight,” says Waugh. “I choose to paint other
things than the traditional landscape, but itis still always about the light for me.” She became the Director of Fine Arts for the Colorado State Fair in 2008 and is still holds
that position. She is also a member of a contemporary artist collective called
38degrees latitude based out of Pueblo.
For Waugh, “Allegory” represents a move from curating and art promotion back
into the role of the painter; the show is derived completely from her personal
experiences and relationships. Rather than approaching the show thematically,
Waugh allowed each painting to develop independently. She chose to explore
mystery and ritual—allowing herself the freedom to paint from a more emotional
point of view. Bonnie sees her work as the narration of an odd story, and aims to
present images which open a door for the viewer to walk through, stimulating their
own set of visual memories and personal perspectives.
