First Friday with Visiting Artist Lisa Chu

First Friday Pop-Up Show & Artist Talk with Visiting Artist Lisa Chu

August 4, 2017, 5pm to 8pm
Grant Building, 12 Chambersburg Street

Light refreshments & Exhibition 5pm to 8pm
Artist Talk 6:30pm to 7pm

Presenting illustrations created during a 30-day residency in Gettysburg in 2016: Battlefield & Beyond. Plus, a public interactive textile created during exhibition of this work in California.

Web: wildtomatoarts.com
Instagram/Twitter: @drlisachu
facebook.com/wildtomatoarts

Event made possible through generous support from Lynda Taylor, Monica E. Oss, and J. Jay Mackie of Gettysburg

Lisa Chu, a California-based artist, returns to Gettysburg in August 2017, one year after her month-long artist residency in 2016, to present a pop-up show during Gettysburg First Friday Art Walk on August 4, at the Grant Building on Chambersburg Street.

At the pop-up show, Lisa will present illustrations inspired by the landscapes and vistas of today’s Gettysburg, as well as new mixed media works completed during the past year representing a dialog between the people of Half Moon Bay, California, and the themes of hope and commitment expressed in Lincoln’s Gettysburg address. The inspiration of Gettysburg’s deep historical significance has ignited Lisa’s renewed interest in not only American history, but also her own personal history of her mother’s migration from China to Taiwan in 1949, and her parents’ immigration to the United States in the 1960s.

Lisa’s whimsical interpretations of life inspire a daily art practice utilizing a variety of media, chosen to reflect the essence of each subject she encounters. From watercolor and ink illustration to collage and acrylic painting, Lisa enjoys rediscovering the innocence of “beginner’s mind” while also allowing deeper contemplation to influence her art. “Wild Tomato Arts”, the name Lisa chose for her art studio, reflects this celebration of the spontaneous and organic, both in life and in art. Her community art practice invites audiences of all ages to engage with their own unique expressions of creativity, whether through hands-on workshops or interactive public art installations. During her visit, Lisa will also serve as a teaching artist for Adams County Arts Council, offering a one-week youth summer workshop and evening adult creativity class.

“We’re thrilled to have our historic Grant Building as the venue for this wonderful show,” said Monica E. Oss, one of the building’s owners. “Lisa’s work is proof that the legacy of Abraham Lincoln spans both geography and time. I think her art is important in this time of great divisions between the nations of the world.”

The reception, from 5:00 to 8:00 in the Grant Building lobby, will feature an artist talk by Lisa Chu at 6:30pm, light refreshments, and exhibition, and is made possible by the generous support of Lynda Taylor, Monica E. Oss, and J. Jay Mackie of Gettysburg.

Learn more about Lisa Chu on her website, http://wildtomatoarts.com. Follow her daily art making on Instagram http://instagram.com/drlisachu, Twitter http://twitter.com/drlisachu, or Facebook http://facebook.com/wildtomatoarts.