"Those Were the Days!" | Bonnie Thorne at Interact Gallery
September 30 - October 26, 2023
Interact is pleased to announce the opening of Those Were the Days!, a solo exhibition by Bonnie Thorne at Interact Gallery.
Bonnie Thorne (b. 1951), a painter who came to the discipline in her sixties, takes a loose, gestural approach, giving her work an easy lightheartedness that reflects the artist’s own effervescence. “I like to see people smile,” she says.
Thorne’s narrative paintings playfully explore past and present, reality and fantasy, referencing elements of pop culture, personal history, and nostalgia. Her work is an array of eccentric portraits, quiet interiors, busy park scenes, and famous bands reimagined. Mischievous dogs, human-like cats, and nursery rhyme reboots. Rock star tributes, coffee dates, birthday parties, and lighthearted city scenes.
Thorne, a beloved friend and thoughtful leader in the Interact studio, sees becoming an artist later in life – and cultivating a community around her creative work – as a pivotal moment. She describes the practice of painting as a sort of remedy, a steadfast routine that has elicited joy and carried her through the ups and downs of her own physical and mental health. The exhibition includes a collaboration with her friend and fellow artist, Lucy Picasso.
“Those Were the Days is named after a poem that I wrote,” she says. “It’s about me growing up with seven siblings and getting into trouble, and then having my own family and my adorable kids, and then being a grandma. The poem ends with me looking back on my past to say, ‘I can’t complain. Life’s been full.’”
EXHIBITION DETAILS
When | September 30 – October 26, 2023
Where | Open by appointment at Interact Gallery, 755 Prior Avenue N., St. Paul, MN 55104. (Not to be confused with Interact Center.)
Opening Reception | Saturday, September 30, 4 - 6 p.m. Artist remarks at 4:30 p.m. Free and open to the public (no appointment necessary).
Visit in person | Make an appointment at calendly.com/interact-gallery or send us an email at gallery@interactcenter.com.
COVID-10 SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
Masks will be required at the reception. We will have extra masks on hand if needed.
ACCESSIBILITY
Please visit this page for more comprehensive information. Interact strives to be a welcoming and accessible place for all visitors. If there is something we can do to make it easier to visit us, please contact us at gallery@interactcenter.com. We welcome all suggestions and requests.
Image (above): Bonnie Thorne, Feather Lady, 2020, acrylic on paper, 24 x 18 inches.
Image description: A painting of a figure with peach skin, red hair, and greenish eyes stares straight ahead. They have prominent lips outlined in brown and wear a feather boa. They also have a crown of feathers in their hair.