Join us for our First Friday event!

Opening reception on Friday, September 2nd from 5:30pm – 9pm!

This exhibition features mixed media photo collages by Valerie Haring and oil-painted portraits by John Oehm!

Valerie has an arts education rooted in naturalism and traditional materials. Over the span of her career, she has explored conceptual subject matter, and allowed the materials she works with to yield to the concept, all the while leaning on the formal elements and principles of design.

“Drawing from observation is like an exhilarating physical workout when one relies on muscle memory to carry one to the finish line. Working non-representationally, or conceptually, is like hiking into unknown territory; looking for something to latch onto and transform.” – Haring

Since retiring from Butler CC in 2017, Oehm has worked full-time as a portrait painter. His portrait work can be found in collections throughout the Midwest and Southwest United States. In 2021, John Oehm and Valerie Haring were married. They currently live in Bel Aire, Kansas.

“My work reflects a lifelong interest in a tradition of figure and portrait painting that includes the likes of Rembrandt, Titian, Alberto Giacometti, Lucian Freud, and Jenny Saville. Each of these painters demonstrates a fascination with the illusion of forms in light and space. If it were possible, I would only paint from life.” – Oehm

“HARING OEHM” | Exhibition runs September 2nd through September 24th!