The Grace College Department of Visual and Performing Arts is pleased to announce its new art exhibition, “Women’s Work” by Simona Bortiș-Schultz. The exhibit will feature a collection of posters and a large canvas illustration inspired by traditional Romanian blouse folk art. The show is currently on display through Friday, Dec. 13, at the Art Gallery of Mount Memorial Hall, 1 Lancer Way, Winona Lake.
Bortis-Schultz originally immigrated to the U.S. as a child from Romania when she was eight. As an adult, Bortis-Schultz worked for many years as an art director in advertising, completing branding and marketing work for national and international clients. Her current illustrative work focuses on capturing the magic of visual narrative within a community. Her commercial projects involve supergraphics, surface design, books and motion design. She also enjoys using other available mediums.
A copy of Bortis-Schultz’s book, “To Hold Your Heart in Your Teeth, Women’s Work: The Visual Language of the Romanian Blouse,” will also be displayed. The book revolves around the artifacts of material culture as they relate to symbols, storytelling and design. It is available at Set Margins’ press.
“My book is a cultural-historical biography of the blouse, from Neolithic beginnings in northeastern Romania and western Ukraine through the period of the folk revival, the communist era and the post-communist immigration out of the region,” said Bortis-Schultz. “I am a New York-based child of this immigration. The weaving of my personal narrative is revealed throughout the aesthetics of artwork, writing and design.”
“At Grace, we encourage our students to allow their interests and cultural experiences to influence the art they create,” said Professor Aaron Winey, director of the Media Arts Program at Grace. “Simona’s work beautifully exemplifies the intersection of cultural research and personal history as inspiration for creating art with deep and lasting meaning.”
Bortis-Schultz double-majored in advertising and visual design at the University of Oregon. She earned a Master of Fine Arts in graphic design from the Vermont College of Fine Art. Beyond her work in design and illustration, Bortis-Schultz teaches communication design and enjoys life in rural Albany County, New York, with her family.
Bortis-Schultz will give an artist talk in the Mount Memorial Art Gallery on Wednesday, Nov. 13, at 7 p.m. The community is invited to attend the free reception from 7-9 p.m.
The exhibit is open to all without charge through Friday, Dec. 13. Art Gallery hours are Monday – Friday, 1-5 p.m. For more information, call the Grace College Department of Visual and Performing Arts at 574-372-5100 ext. 6022 or email artgallery@grace.edu. The exhibit is ADA-accessible.
For more information about the Department of Visual and Performing Arts, visit www.grace.edu/academics/undergraduate/academic-schools-departments/school-of-arts-and-humanities/department-of-visual-performing-and-media-arts/.
