Paducah School of Art & Design to Host Two Concurrent Exhibitions Opening Reception Set for Aug. 28

Two exhibitions will open simultaneously at the Paducah School of Art & Design (PSAD) on Thursday, Aug. 28 showcasing the works of printmaking artists Mark Donham and Michael Crouse, as well as drawings by Nashville artist Hannah Maxwell Rowell.

In the Bill Ford Gallery, Two Part Harmony features a two-person printmaking exhibition by Southern Illinois artist Mark Donham and Paducah artist Michael Crouse.

Crouse presents three ongoing series of work, including small-scale and miniature mixed-media prints of the Ohio River created using lithography and drypoint techniques. Many of the prints are hand-colored with watercolor and depict the river's changing conditions through weather, time of day and seasons.

"My second series of watercolors are meant to be tongue-in-cheek," Crouse said. "The third series explores a long-standing theme: the relationship between the natural world and human-altered environments. These works use OSB, a textured construction material, as the surface, incorporating acrylic paint and colored pencils. The pieces are inspired by hikes through forests and parks, reflecting both nature’s beauty and the impact of climate change and human activity."

Donham, who began creating art in the 1970s, was introduced to printmaking by Crouse after his wife’s passing in 2016.

“I started carrying sketchbooks and became fascinated with drawing and painting,” Donham said. “Crouse taught me stone lithography and drypoint, which I now use in most of my work. I often combine prints and painting to express the complexities, challenges and contradictions of today’s world.”

In the PJC Gallery, Lost and Found: Love Letters to the Land features a solo exhibition of charcoal and graphite drawings by Nashville artist Hannah Maxwell Rowell.

“Watching the land I’ve lived on for 20 years change has been powerful,” Rowell said. “Erosion, climate shifts, and the resilience of the natural world have all inspired these drawings. This work is a love letter to the land — a reflection on its healing power, its wild unpredictability and the tension between fragility and resilience.”

Rowell’s drawings explore themes of rootedness, regeneration and reverence for nature, blurring the line between the physical and the emotional landscape.

An opening reception will be held Thursday, Aug. 28, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. The exhibitions will remain on view through Oct. 3. Gallery hours are Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Paducah School of Art & Design, located at Ninth and Harrison streets in historic Lower Town Paducah.  All exhibitions and events are free and open to the public. The Helen LaFrance Exhibition in the PJC Library will also be available for viewing during the reception.

For more information, visit paducahschoolofartanddesign.org or contact the Paducah School of Art and Design.