The Dodge County Center for the Arts in Beaver Dam will be opening a new exhibit on March 17th. “Sonatas X – The Life of the River” – A series of 27 works of traditional darkroom photographic art by Brendan Quirk. The opening will feature a presentation and dramatic reading by the artist and his wife, Khaetidawne Quirk. The reading will consist of the poetry that accompanies the work as a whole as well as a question and answer period with the artist. Prior to the formal viewing, there will be Celtic and River music by Khaetidawne Quirk. The new photographic art exhibit features the East Branch of the Rock River from its origin to the Horicon Marsh, with the poetry from each piece displayed beside the art.
The presentation, including original songs and dramatic readings by the artist, will only be available on March 17th. The exhibit – “Sonatas X – The Life of the River” features 27 works of photographic art – printed on fiber based silver gelatin photo paper, accompanied by print specific text and will be on display at the Dodge County Center for the Arts in Beaver Dam from March 17, 2023 through April 23, 2023.
The work presented in this show is a combination of poetic text and images that describes the course of the East Branch of the Rock River in Dodge and Washington Counties, from the birthplace of the river in the Allenton Marsh, and following through its youth as it leaves the marsh to encounter its first town, Allenton. The show will take you on a journey with the river as the artist’s reading and slide show takes you on the river’s journey through the countryside to Theresa, where the youthful river encounters a proper main street. Flowing on, The River reaches adulthood on the journey to Mayville, looking tired in the slow regions, renewed after storms in Kekoskee, appearing to die – or lose its identity in the Horicon Marsh. The Rock River reappears – reborn after joining its other branches to leave the marsh for points far distant.
