The Deo Gallery is an ingredient of the City of Marquette’s Arts and Culture Center. This gallery is a part of the Public Gallery Program, a partnership between the City of Marquette Office of Arts and Culture and the Peter White Public Library to provide accessible and inclusive formal gallery spaces in public places.
The Deo gallery is sponsored by the Lake Superior Art Association, and features a bi-monthly exhibit of fine art.
For more information about the Public Gallery Program, visit the homepage
Current Exhibit
Color and Light: North Country Images
Color and Light: North Country Images, an exhibit by artist John Hubbard is on display in the DEO gallery through the months of April and May. The opening reception will occur Thursday, April 11th from 6-8 pm. An artist talk for this gallery will start at 7 pm.
Combining oil and acrylic, these paintings explore how light changes appearances and creates
visual patterns through local landscapes.
John Hubbard, former professor of Art and Design at Northern Michigan University, describes his process: “I may be riding in a car or tramping through the woods on snowshoes, constantly scanning my surroundings for images that might produce an exciting painting. Usually, I go hiking for periods of thirty minutes to three hours and shoot from 30-200 images, which I later review as to which hold painting potential. I crop and adjust the image on my computer and then work from a monitor to create the final painting.”
Hubbard works on one painting at a time and develops it as far as he can in one day. “Often I have 2-3 paintings at that stage, and will over time, continue to further refine it until I have reached the final resolution. Usually, the original reference is soon put aside, so that changes can be made that benefit the final outcome, and are not influenced by the original reference photo.”
“Oil paints are my primary media, but I often begin the work with a ground tone created with acrylics. Acrylics allow for fast drying and are a way of introducing hue as a foil for the image to come. The subjects are predominately based on the local landscape and have been developing for the past twenty-odd years. Initially, the work begins with ideas evolving from direct observation of my surroundings as they are affected by changes of season and environmental factors such as atmospheric conditions and time of day. The one primary concern was always how “light” changes appearances and creates visual patterns.”
“Any subject can be manipulated by altering the light source. Therefore what might be a “boring” image, or one that went unnoticed, changes dramatically when a bright light source is introduced. For this reason, I normally go in search of material only on sunny days. Any object or item in the visual field has the potential for a painting. In addition to the trees and water, I have developed interests in such things as Ravens, machinery and rock formations. Most recently I have returned to the landscape and how it is altered by the changing atmospheric factors.”
“These paintings are my interpretations of what I see. They are not meant to be “photographic “ in their appearance, but t demonstrate an interest in developing a “shorthand” that conveys the essential information before me. That individuality is what distinguishes one artist’s work from another. The way they create marks on a surface, their color choices, what they include or eliminate, and how the image is presented, are all visual text for thought.”
Past Exhibits:
Color and Light: North Country Images
Color and Light: North Country Images, an exhibit by artist John Hubbard is on display in the DEO gallery through
UP Denizens and Debris
UP Denizens and Debris, an exhibit by artist Micheal Letts is on display in the DEO gallery through the months
Color Memories
Color Memories, an exhibit by artist Ginnie Cappaert is on display in the DEO gallery through the months of December
Inside/Out
Inside/Out, an exhibit by artists Carol Phillips and David Schmitt is on display in the DEO gallery through the end
Portraits of Contradiction
Oil pastel portraits by Antony Aumann will be on display at the DEO Gallery through the end of September. The
Art Week 2023 Community Built Installation
Throughout June, help Art Week Artist in Resident Amber Dohrenwend build an art installation out of locally recycled cardboard strips.
High School Art Show
The High School Art Show features over one hundred local student artists from Marquette Senior High School, Negaunee High School,
The Graphic Design Show
Opening reception will be Thursday April 13th, 6-8pm. Exhibit duration is April 10-28. The exhibition showcases a body of work
Upcoming Exhibits
August/September 2023
Inner Turmoil, Outer Beauty: Portraits of Contradiction
Antony Aumann
October/November 2023
Inside/Out
Carol Phillips & David Schmitt
December 2023/January 2024
Color Memories
Ginnie Cappaert
February/March 2024
U.P. Denizens and Debris
Michael Letts
April 2024
North Country Images, Oil Paintings
John Hubbard
May 2024
The High School Art Show
Marquette, Negaunee, Ishpeming, Gwinn, & Northstar Academy
June/July 2024 – Art Week 2024: Grow
The Bee Oracle Project
Ona Martin and Jackie Rushton
August/September 2024
Alchemize: On Bodies & Clay
Niikah Hatfield & Marissa Marquardson
October/November 2024
Lake Superior Art Association Curated Exhibit
December 2024/January 2025
Winter Work
Pier Wright