AITKIN-Artist Ashley Kolka captures the essence of small towns and rural settings through her small-scale collages. Her work will be featured through June 18 at Ripple River Gallery in a new exhibit titled, "A Sense of Place."
An opening reception will be 5-7 p.m. Saturday at the gallery.
Kolka creates miniature cut paper collages from recycled magazines. Her subjects are regional and mostly rural, and familiar landmarks in and around the Cuyuna Range and Aitkin areas.
"I am a big believer in the importance and power of art in and about small towns," Kolka stated in a news release. "When you take time to make a piece, you are implicitly saying that the subject of that work has contemplative value.
"Small works create a sense of intimacy with the viewer and can be purchased at an accessible price."
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Kolka, who lives in the Duluth area, is the grants manager at Arrowhead Regional Arts Council. "That job takes most of my time; working small fits the space in my life that I have for art making."
Not only is Kolka's work focused on small towns, she has been intentional about approaching rural venues to show her work.
Ripple River Gallery is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday; and from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays.
For more information on the exhibit e-mail ripplerivergallery@gmail.com or call 218-678-2575.
