Hearth Artists Talk and Art Exhibition

Hearth Artists Talk Saturday, May 16, 2026, 3:00 pm The Riverside Arts Center’s FlexSpace is pleased to present Hearth: Kai Boone, Carmen Casillas, Fatimah Farooqi, Beck Lech, and Maddalena Piazza, guest curated by Madelyn Roldan. Please join us for an artists talk with exhibiting artists Kai Boone, Beck Lech, Maddalena Piazza, and the curator on Saturday, May 16th at 3pm. The exhibition is on view Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 1 to 5pm through June 6, 2026. Artists Talk: Saturday, May 16, 2026, 3:00 pm Exhibition Dates: April 19 - June 6, 2026 Gallery Hours: Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, 1:00 – 5:00 pm Hearth, brings together a group of contemporary artists whose works collectively explore the intimate spaces of home, memory, and belonging. Through painting, sculpture, collage, and textile-based practices, artists Beck Lech, Fatimah Farooqi, Carmen Casillas, Kai Boone, and Maddalena Piazza investigate the emotional and symbolic dimensions of domestic life. The exhibition centers on the idea of the “Hearth” not only as a physical site of warmth and shelter, but as a metaphor for connection, resilience, and personal history. At the core of the exhibition is a deep attention to everyday moments; those often overlooked fragments of life that quietly shape identity. Beck Lech’s The sacred bond between a twenty-something year old girl and her cat captures an intimate, almost humorous closeness between human and animal, emphasizing comfort, companionship, and the quiet emotional bonds formed within domestic spaces. Three’s a Company also captures the closeness yet intimate spaces we hold for each other. In contrast, Lech’s DCIM004 fragments memory into layered images of interiors, windows, and personal artifacts, suggesting how the home is constructed not just physically, but through accumulated experiences and recollections. Carmen Casillas sculptural works, including El Nopal de Michoacán and A Little Piece of Mexico, extend this dialogue into cultural memory and heritage. Her vibrant, intricately detailed forms present the home as a living archive. An archive that holds traditions, celebrations, and generational knowledge. The cactus, growing in multiple directions, becomes a symbol of resilience and possibility, while embedded scenes of community life reflect the richness of cultural identity. Casillas' work reminds us that the hearth is not static, but continually shaped by movement, growth, and lived experience. Fatimah Farooqi’s series of painted vases further explores interiority by translating rooms into delicate, intimate forms. Her pieces such as Our Mornings, Living Room, Parents’ Room, and Bedroom capture fleeting moments of light, color, and stillness. Her use of soft, almost translucent surfaces evokes the fragility of memory, while the recurring presence of windows suggests a quiet dialogue between interior and exterior worlds. These compositions emphasize the home as a site of reflection, rest, and emotional grounding. Kai Boone’s Elizabeth and Dorothy introduces a sense of companionship and shared presence. Through warm tones and gentle gestures, Boone captures a moment of togetherness that reinforces the exhibition’s emphasis on human connection. This sense of relational warmth is echoed in Maddalena Piazza’s Wall of Evil Eyes, where protective symbols form a vibrant, abstract field. Drawing on spiritual traditions, Piazza’s work highlights the need for protection and care within both personal and collective spaces. Across Hearth, recurring motifs; windows, plants, domestic objects, and circular forms create a visual language of comfort and continuity. These elements reflect how the home functions as both a physical refuge and an emotional anchor. Simultaneously, the exhibition acknowledges the complexities of contemporary life, suggesting that the act of creating and sustaining a “Hearth” requires resilience, intention, and care. Ultimately, Hearth is an invitation to reflect on the spaces we inhabit and the memories we carry. It affirms the importance of familiarity, culture, and connection, reminding us that even in an uncertain world, the concept of home remains a vital source of warmth, identity, and renewal. - Madelyn Roldan, Guest Curator ----- Riverside Arts Center | 32 East Quincy Street, Riverside Illinois 60546 | www.riversideartscenter.com

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Website: https://go.evvnt.com/3628894-0

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