"brace yourself: tenacious karma"
opens march 6

BENSON - The little gallery is pleased to host "Brace Yourself: Tenacious Karma" by John Stillmunks during the month of March. The opening reception is Friday, March 6, from 6:00 to 9:00pm at 5901 Maple Street in conjunction with Benson First Friday.

Born and raised in North Omaha, Stillmunks studied at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Metropolitan State University in Denver before graduating from Iowa State University with a BFA in painting.

After college, he and his wife opened the Independent Thought Gallery and Studio in Des Moines, where he shared his work and promoted local artists for 15 years. His art has been featured in shows across the country, from Phoenix to Miami.

Stillmunks recently returned to Omaha and established his studio at Bench. He describes the show as "17 new paintings examining life's influences, variables, options and choices - which often lead to resulting events arriving just as God begins to laugh heartily."

Below is the artist in his own words.

"My work always has a nod to schadenfreude – also I have been gravitating back to my roots in blue collar North Omaha in terms of color, texture, grit, humor, tenacity, variation, improvisation, perspective and resilience gained from growing up there. Ironically, I have spent my whole life trying to get away from what I am now embracing in middle age.

"I use multiple perspectives and patterned movement to convey energy and emotion. Colors and patterns come directly from Midwestern African American folk art. Textures and imagery are without a doubt influenced by urban Midwestern architecture, graffiti, Catholic church symbolism and graphics and the “edge” acquired from urban environments in the upper Midwest such as Omaha, Minneapolis, KC, and Chicago."

View his work at:

john-stillmunks.square.site
www.facebook.com/munksie
www.twitter.com/johnstillmunks
www.instagram.com/johnstillmunksart

The little gallery is powered by Polecat Communications in downtown Benson. Winter hours are Tuesday through Friday from 3 to 5pm, Saturday from 10am to 1pm and by appointment. For more information, call 402.681.1901 or email info@polecatcommunications.com.