Exhibition: An Ecology of Marks

An Ecology of Marks is an exhibit that begins with a celebration of the power of paint, that shifts into an exploration of the variables of mark-making, influenced by the natural world. Earth pigment paints tell us stories of place, brushes wash up on the shores of Lake Michigan, and non-traditional surfaces encourage divergent approaches to composition. Every person is a mark-maker in multitudes, yet we have much to learn from marks made by the animate world around us. Artist Educator Jeff Zimpel brings together a wide-range of mark-makers to amplify and document the hope embedded within any given mark.

Jeff Zimpel is an artist-educator whose social practice promotes the importance of life-long learning. Jeff received his BFA in Graphic Design from Cardinal Stritch University (‘09) and his MFA in Art & Social Engagement from UW-Milwaukee(‘21). He taught art and design at the high school level for six years and at the college level for three. Currently, Jeff is the Instructional Designer for Arts@Large. In his studio practice he is focused on mark-making, and interrogating the space where painting and photography meet. Jeff’s photographs encourage slow-looking and point to an ecological approach to living and making.