The Unusual Suspects: Art from Unexpected Materials
The Unusual Suspects:
Art from Unexpected Materials
The Unusual Suspects brings together a group of contemporary artists whose practices challenge traditional notions of artmaking by embracing unexpected, repurposed, or unconventional materials. From salvaged plastics and industrial debris to domestic ephemera and organic detritus, these artists transform the overlooked, the discarded, and the unremarkable into compelling, thought-provoking works of art.
In a time of growing environmental consciousness, material experimentation, and conceptual reinvention, The Unusual Suspects highlights the power of creativity to reshape perception—not only of what art can be, but of what materials are worthy of cultural and aesthetic attention.
The exhibition focuses on material innovation, emphasizing process, transformation, and meaning embedded in nontraditional media. Rather than treating materials as neutral carriers for form or concept, these artists foreground the material itself—its origin, history, and symbolism—making it central to the work’s impact.
The selected works include sculpture, installation, wall-based pieces, and mixed media, all of which foreground the unconventional nature of their construction. Through these works, the exhibition asks: What stories do materials carry? How does their recontextualization subvert expectations? And what can they tell us about consumption, identity, and the environment?
The show opens on Friday July 11th 6pm and is on display until Saturday, August 9th.
Featured Artists:
Kamal Ahmad
Howard el-Yasin
Carol Flaitz
Carla Goldberg
Eric Grau
Deborah Hesse
Alison McNulty
Suzan Shutan
Brian Walters II
Other Asterisms. Solo Exhibition of Recent Wall Constructed Spatial Paintings
Exhibition at Ball and Socket Arts. Bldg 3. August 1 to September 7, 2025
Other Asterisms is a solo exhibition by Deborah Hesse featuring sculptural, light-responsive wall works made from industrial and everyday materials. Together, the pieces form a constellation—charting imagined links between the material and immaterial, the physical and virtual. Evoking underwater ecosystems, celestial maps, and microscopic life, these luminous, biomorphic forms blur boundaries and invite reflection on unseen systems beyond the known world.
BEAUTY IS WHAT WE ARE FIGHTING FOR
BEAUTY IS WHAT WE’RE FIGHTING FOR
Juried by Philippa Pham Hughes
Exhibition: MAY 6-JULY 21, 2025
Public reception and juror talk: MAY 6, 5-7 P.M.
Juror talk by Philippa Pham Hughes
In times of crisis and transition,
beauty serves not as an escape but
as an essential act of resistance and renewal. This juried exhibition explores beauty’s transformative power to inspire awe, foster connection and envision flourishing futures.
Philippa Pham Hughes is a social sculptor, educator, speaker and writer. She is a social practice resident at The Kennedy Center, visiting artist for Arts and Civic Engagement at the University of Michigan Museum of Art and a lecturer at the Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan. She is a contributing author in the forthcoming book, “An Empathy-Building Toolkit for Museums.”
Color Me
This exhibit explores the artist’s emotions through color across various media and genres. Each piece visually captures a distinct feeling or moment, using carefully crafted colors and subject matter to guide viewers on an introspective journey. Accompanied by brief descriptions, the artwork offers insights into the emotional landscape behind each creation.
Reception is Saturday, February 15, 2-4pm
Artist Talk
Join us TODAY Saturday February 8 at 1pm to learn more about the artistic practices, process, influences and more of Deborah Hesse, Yuko Nishikawa and Courtney Alan Rossy.
About the Exhibition
The Gallery at Yellow Studio presents Living Color, a dynamic exhibition where artworks evolve and transform before viewers' eyes. Running January 11 through February 8, 2025, this innovative showcase features artists Deborah Hesse, Yuko Nishikawa, and Courtney Alan Rossy, each exploring the fluid nature of artistic creation through distinct approaches to movement and change.
Through light-based constructions, kinetic installations, and layered paintings, these three artists activate the gallery space in compelling ways. Hesse's works shift with viewing perspective, while Nishikawa's suspended forms dance with air currents, and Alan's canvases reveal the accumulated gestures of their creation. Together, they transform the gallery into a living ecosystem where art exists in constant dialogue with its environment.
View and purchase artwork in the exhibition here. In the Collections dropdown menu please select “Living Color.”
Living Color. Yellow Studio Gallery
The Gallery at Yellow Studio presents Living Color, a dynamic exhibition where artworks evolve and transform before viewers' eyes. Running January 11 through February 7, 2025, this innovative showcase features artists Deborah Hesse, Yuko Nishikawa, and Courtney Alan Rossy, each exploring the fluid nature of artistic creation through distinct approaches to movement and change. Join us for an opening reception on Saturday, January 11 from 4 to 6pm.
Through light-based constructions, kinetic installations, and layered paintings, these three artists activate the gallery space in compelling ways. Hesse's works shift with viewing perspective, while Nishikawa's suspended forms dance with air currents, and Rossy's canvases reveal the accumulated gestures of their creation. Together, they transform the gallery into a living ecosystem where art exists in constant dialogue with its environment.
Transformations. Reimagining Earth and Waste
The Crown Gallery at Metro Arts Studios is proud to present Transformations: Reimagining Earth and Waste, an immersive exhibition curated by renowned mixed media artist and independent curator Carla Goldberg. The exhibition brings together six visionary installation artists who transform discarded and natural materials into compelling works that provoke thought and inspire action. Participating artists include Deborah Hesse, Kamal Ahmad, Alison McNulty, Carla Goldberg, Suzan Shutan, and Sui Park. This exhibition is not just a visual experience—it is a call to action, encouraging us all to reconsider our role in sustainability and to see the potential in the discarded. Through the transformative visions of these six artists, Transformations offers a glimpse into a more hopeful, regenerative future.