Artists & Makers Studios in Rockville Presents
“Garden of Desires” New Work by Laurel Lukaszewski
(Rockville, MD) – Artists & Makers Studios on Parklawn Drive in Rockville is proud to host Laurel Lukaszewski and new work fresh from her studio in the Invited Artist Gallery with two additional exhibits and an Open Studio event for the month of June. The show, Garden of Desires, runs from May 31st through June 28th at Artists and Makers Studios, with an opening reception on Friday, June 2nd, 5 – 9pm. Laurel says, “Our lives are filled with desires—wishes for things that are both fantastical and mundane. Some desires grow and take root becoming lifelong goals. Others last merely as long as a puff on a dandelion. As a gardener, the metaphor of the garden as a reflection of life is ever present, where living organisms thrive in the right environment, wither when neglected, and sometimes fail, even when all is done correctly. Our desires are much the same. Some desires are carefully cultivated, cherished, and doted over until they bloom. Others are weeds, insidious and devouring. Occasionally, they are cut at their peak, dying when we most wanted them. Then there are those that are merely forgotten, evaporating like a morning mist.
In this show, the figure of the rabbit represents a childhood obsession—an unfulfilled desire to possess and love something cuddly and vulnerable. In clay the rabbits symbolize all the things I desired but could not have. Their place in the garden is both magical and destructive, simultaneously embodying dreams and disappointment.
As a diver the ocean garden, realm of the octopus, is a place of submersion, buoyancy, and wonder. It is a vast, undiscovered world beneath the surface where our desire for adventure and escape is answered. Here the noise of the world above is silenced, revealing a brilliant visual symphony that we can experience only in measured breaths. But it also reflects a world in peril and embodies a personal desire to find ways to preserve what could be lost irrevocably. The ocean garden answers our desire to be immersed in the moment, keenly aware of our limitations and broadly open to a hidden world.”
A note about the works in this show
The artist primarily uses two mid-fire (Cone 6) clays—an English Grolleg porcelain and a black stoneware—fired in an electric kiln. All the figures are hand-built. The pottery is wheel thrown. The white designs on the black pieces are drawn freehand with porcelain slip on greenware (unfired clay). The blue and black designs are drawn and painted by hand in underglaze on bisqueware (partially fired clay), covered in clear glaze, and refired to Cone 6.
With thanks to the Maryland State Arts Council (msac.org) for their support through the 2023 Grants for Artists program.
Enjoy additional exhibits – “Not your grandmother’s still life” with Resident Artists, and 19 Gallery 209 Artists exhibiting their latest work. A still life is a picture showing an arrangement of objects, usually set on a table. The objects are the focal point. A still life is usually set indoors and contains at least one man-made object, such as a vase or bowl. Traditional still life works often included flowers, fruit, food, bowls, goblets. The memento mori (“remember you must die”) represents themes of death and fragility with skulls, candles, feathers, rotting fruit, wilting flowers and the vanitas depicts themes of vanity include wine bottles, goblets, musical instruments, and books. A contemporary still life reflects the artist’s life today. On view in the Gallery Hall, May 31st – June 28th.
“Garden of Desires” with Laurel Lukaszewski
“Not your grandmother’s still life” with Resident Artists
The Artists of Gallery 209
Opening Reception
5:00pm – 9:00pm, Friday, June 2nd, 2023
Artists & Makers Studios
11810 Parklawn Drive, Suite 210
Rockville, MD 20852
Pop-Up and Artist Talk with Laurel Lukaszewski, June 24th from 11am-3pm
Talk at 1pm
Exhibits for Laurel Lukaszewski, the Resident Artists, and Gallery 209 will run from May 31st through June 28th. Viewing hours are 10:00am – 4:00pm, Monday-Saturday, and Sundays by chance or appointment. Artists & Makers Studios on Parklawn Drive in Rockville, established in October 2014 by artist and arts community builder Judith HeartSong, is a 13,000 sq. ft. facility is home to 87 artists, and 80 student artists. Artists & Makers Studios – Oro Valley, AZ is a two-year-old jewel box location with talented Resident Artists, 3,575 sq ft of studios, galleries, and flex-classroom space. Construction is currently underway in San Gabriel, CA for Artists & Makers Studios’ third location, with construction set to begin shortly for the fourth location in North Hollywood, CA. A&M Studios is dedicated to providing a supportive and vibrant environment for artists to realize their creative goals – through studio practice, collaboration, education, opportunities, networking and connecting with the community beyond our doors.