Kimberly Stemler “The Moment & The Memory”
Meet The Artist, Kimberly Stemler
Kimberly Stemler was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pa, and received a BFA in painting from Tyler School of Art. Living with her husband Jon and their three boys in a rural area of Montgomery County she is inspired by the land. Her work primarily revolves around landscapes that are densely patterned, layered and focused on color. These landscapes, while abstracted, give the viewer a sense of connection to place, time, moment. They can feel nostalgic and almost recognizable, like a fuzzy memory. Another concentration focuses on domestic objects that are evocative, wistful, and full of remembrance. Most recently, she has been captivated by Greek Mythology and the powerful imagery it evokes.
Opening Reception, First Friday, 7/4/2025, 5:30-8:30 pm
Gallery Hours:
fri aug 1 - opening reception 5:30-8:30 pm
sat aug 9 - artist talk 12-2 pm
sun aug 10 - gallery open 2:30-3:30 pm
sat aug 16 - paint, talk & hang 11am-2 pm
sat aug 23 - artists meet & greet 3-5 pm
sat aug 30 - closing reception 2-4 pm
To purchase from the exhibit please contact Kimberly directly or purchase through her online gallery here.
email: kimberlystemler@gmail.com
Website: www.kimberlystemler.com
instagram: @kimberlystemlerart
Artist Statement: The Moment & The Memory
My art is an investigative diary, exploring my world and environment while relishing in the paint and my process: pattern by pattern, color by color, dot by dot. I address three main themes: landscape, object, and mythology. Combined, they present a rich tapestry of work interwoven with a thread of nostalgia.
I explore deconstructing, redefining, and rebuilding the earth into terms conveying a personal history. The horizon line intrigues me. The moment of place where sky touches earth and what happens in those remaining spaces that eventually arrive at our feet.
My approach is similar when examining objects of personal, ancestral, or domestic history. I've discovered that the recurring topics I explore from childhood are connected to my grandmothers. This relationship is inconspicuous like a spider’s silk but equally strong. Painting them becomes a celebration of their existence, a commemoration of remembrance. Wound within these themes exist questions of identity, ethnicity, and ancestry.
Recently, I’ve been exploring Greek mythology. What has been thought-provoking is that below the surface of the myths lie ideas and assumptions about human and deity behavior, male and female dynamics, and oppression. The hidden meanings, imagery, and inspiration derived from these stories withstand the test of time. Man’s search for something greater than himself.
My love of dots began early in my career, alluding to organic and micro-organization. What originated with breaking the plane and imitating cells has become much more than solely disruptive space and detail. A depth is achieved, color shifts, a veil worn, and an obscured change of form. Though laborious, the process of brush painting the dots is meditative, and the result gives me a joy similar to witnessing a murmuration. Printing in oil began more recently. I’ve always been drawn towards patterns and tactile surfaces, wanting to achieve that feeling and density in my work. These processes beg a closer approach, encouraging an intimate relationship between painting and viewer.
There is a steady contrast of control and looseness at play in each painting; breath and movement. The result is a collection of lush, complex, and layered paintings. The approach to each subject is the same, whether it be myth, landscape, or object, and each of my paintings holds the same textural and emotional weight.
My work echoes the beauty that can be found in this world, the delight I find in the earth, in story, and in ordinary objects of my past. I want to spark conversations of relationship, nature, and memory by accentuating and elevating these subjects to a moment in time that resonates and feels familiar.
