2025 Potential and Purpose Gallery
Celebrating ideas expressed through art
Autumn Wittebort
Little Miss Secular
36″ x 48″ | Oil & Acrylic Paint on Canvas
By merging contemporary pop culture with 17th-century portraiture, this piece explores themes of feminism and historical restrictions placed on women. The head of Louise Belcher from Bob’s Burgers, a strong-willed character who defies traditional expectations of young girls, is placed onto the body of a woman from the 17th century—an era when societal constraints on women were deeply entrenched. This juxtaposition illuminates how these limitations persist across time, affecting women from childhood onward.
In the background, a reimagined version of The Creation of Adam replaces Adam’s outstretched hand with a defiant middle finger. This small but significant alteration critiques the religious and patriarchal structures that have historically dictated the roles and behaviors of women. By positioning Louise—a character known for her rebellion and confidence—within this historical framework, the painting challenges viewers to consider the enduring nature of these imposed restrictions.
Autumn Wittebort
Exodus 32:4
24″ x 24″ | Oil paint and resin on panel
This piece examines the potential for misplaced devotion and the purpose of self-reflection. Placed on the ground, the reflective golden calf forces viewers to look down, confronting their own image within the work. By merging biblical reference with personal introspection, the piece challenges the worship of materialism and compels a reevaluation of modern idolatry.
Breanna Bercegeay
Relentless Soul
5’ 6” x 2’ x 9” | Driftwood & Steel
Relentless Soul references the natural world and its textures and medium while urging the audience to see the opposing forces of material. It illuminates the connection between humanity and the environment we live in. This piece shows forces can come together and flourish.
Marika Dunne
Stop Requested
30” x 40″ | Oil Paint on Stretched Canvas
My painting depicts the reaction of a nuclear family from the early 20th century, colored in sepia tones, should they encounter an average moment of public transport in the modern United States. This America is a different world than the one the family made a life in. The differences in social interaction and societal culture are brought to light in sharp detail to the couple standing on the shaky ground of a moving public bus, one who’s destination for the future is still loading, yet unknown roles and behaviors of women.
Jack Barbera
Mutant Frog & Angry Frog
4 1/2″ X 12″ & 5″ X 10 1/2″
My stoneware sculptures, Mutant Frog and Angry Frog, are a humorous/serious cautionary duo touching on one potential of scientific research: destructive byproducts that enter our bodies and environment and linger for generations.
An influence on the cautionary message of my sculptures is the films I saw in my childhood: for example, Them! had terrifying giant ants, an unintended result of atomic testing, and the doctors Frankenstein and Moreau engaged in reprehensible biological research. Munch’s The Scream is an artistic influence on my Mutant Frog, and Angry Frog echoes King Kong atop the Empire State Building swatting at the humans in planes who would destroy him.
