February 1989
Artist’s Work Springs From Memories
By Gail Baruch
Scraggly birds, contorted trees, electric fields and raging skies stretch across the canvases of Nina Beall.
The images spring from the artist’s dreams and memories of small-town Texas.
About 15 of her works – and Beall herself – will be in Rockford for the next few months through the Rockford Art Museum’s Artist-in-Residence Program. Her paintings will be on exhibit through March 27 at the museum, 711 N. Main St.
Beall, 32, now of Chicago, began her four-month residency here in January. She works with 120 fourth- through 12th-graders at Guilford High School, Auburn High School, Wilson Middle School, Flinn Middle School, and Brookview and Ellis elementary schools. About 2,000 area students will be exposed to her work through workshops, lectures and the exhibit.
Out of 15 artists interviewed for the program, Beall was chosen because of her ability to communicate, her experience, her enthusiasm and the quality of her work.
“Her work is very strong,” says Jan Provenzano, RAM’s director of education. “It combines fantasy and realism and has an ominous, foreboding quality.”
Beall layers acrylic paint, gels and modeling paste to achieve a sculptured effect. Her landscapes are large (about 5-by-7 feet) and alive with bright, contrasting colors.
Beall will discuss her work at 7 p.m. Feb. 25 at the museum. A reception will follow. Admission is $2 for adults, $1 for students, and free to museum members.
The exhibit continues noon to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays at the museum. Admission is $2, $1 for students and senior citizens and 50 cents for children. For more information, call 965-3131.
The Artist-in-Residence Program is funded in part by the Illinois Arts Council, the Amcore Foundation and the Clark Foundation.