Gigantic cats of all ages and colors romp across a verdant, hilly landscape, a storm brewing in the distance. Simple brushstrokes create abstract landscapes that somehow look exactly like somewhere you’ve been before. A soft sculpture skeletal torso hangs from the ceiling and ceramic sculptures made out of thick mesh twist, curve and bulge with glossy globs of glaze dripping from their holes.
These are the surreal scenes you’ll find upon visiting ‘Phantasmagoria,’ the latest show on display at Fresh Eye Gallery in South Minneapolis until April 27.
Featured artist Yousha Tighe (pronounced “TIE”) coined the title, which means “a sequence of real or imaginary images like those seen in a dream,” after hearing it in a Francisco Goya documentary.
Tighe, the creator of the cat painting, hit the nail on the head with the title. The works throughout “Phantasmagoria” feel inexact and blended in form and color, like memories of a dream that linger after waking up.
Tighe is also one of 41 artists with disabilities represented by Fresh Eye Arts.
“I just feel lucky to be a part of it,” she said.
Fresh Eye Arts is the fine arts studio program of the day services provider MSS, which has been serving adults with disabilities in the Twin Cities since 1949. Art has been an aspect of MSS services since 1999, according to Fresh Eye’s website.
Its South Minneapolis gallery space opened just four years ago in 2021, after its first gallery in Lowertown, St. Paul closed during the COVID-19 pandemic. The gallery showcases the work of artists with and without disabilities.
“We don’t think that artwork made by people with disabilities should be segregated from the rest of the art scene,” Fresh Eye Arts supervisor Analiese Jarvi-Beamer said. “It helps create access for the artists we support, and it’s a really exciting opportunity for artists in the community who might not get to learn about the work of their disabled peers.”
Third-year University of Minnesota Master of Fine Arts student Marcus Rothering is one of two community artists in the show. He said he was honored to be in a show alongside artists with disabilities.
“I really commend Fresh Eye for making that a part of their mission,” Rothering said.
Before graduate school, Rothering said he worked with students with autism at Minneapolis Public Schools and helped with the Walker Art Center’s Sensory Friendly Sundays, which made the invitation to be a part of “Phantasmagoria” even more special.
Even in the chaos of finishing his master’s thesis, Rothering still crafted fresh ceramic sculptures for “Phantasmagoria,” a process he describes as a divine experience.
“It’s a process that’s both mindful and mindless,” he said. “It’s a known connection that’s still not fully understood, something I want to keep sacred.”
Rothering also included one of his older tufted rug pieces, “You’re Always There,” which strays away from the explicit sexuality that his newer pieces do. There’s a hand and a claw, both with red nails, and a fist, but the scene ultimately feels disjointed and indescribable.
Rothering said he seeks to depict Black queer sexuality beyond its traumatic aspects in his rugs — a literal softening of the subject matter.
The soft sculpture and tapestry works of another community artist Ivonne Yáñez add to the softness of the show, creating a dreamlike space that is tranquil and not disorienting.
Fresh Eye artist Lamine Richards’ painting “Untitled [Landscape 2]” serves as the promotional image for “Phantasmagoria,” and for good reason — with simple yet expressive brush strokes, the soft, cool blues in the landscape literally bring goosebumps to the skin.
Tighe’s and Richards’ art, along with that of their peers, are available in the Fresh Eye Gallery gift shop, which Jarvi-Beamer said is the best way for people to support the program and its artists along with coming to events.
She said that donations to Fresh Eye go even further these days since it’s being affected by federal budget cuts that are leaving nonprofits across the country in the dark.
“Art made in our studios is really good,” she said. “If you’re interested in creativity, this is the place to be.”
