As director of Northern Michigan University's DeVos Art Museum, Emily Lanctot is used to showcasing the work of other artists. But now her own paintings are being featured in a solo exhibition at the Deo Gallery in the lower level of Peter White Public Library. Marquette's Office of Arts and Culture presents “People, Secrets and Snacks” through the month of December, with a public reception from 6-8 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 9.
The exhibition includes 25 vibrant acrylic paintings. All are portraits celebrating people who identify as artists and art supporters. The project began in early 2020, when Lanctot launched a survey under the pseudonym Pearl Mildred Painter.
“I shared it on social media, asking friends to help Pearl and, by participating, Pearl would paint their portrait,” Lanctot said. “While these portraits are different, they are similar in that they are imagined, collaborative and speak to identity. Paint is the chosen medium because of its long history and transformative nature. Paint provides opportunities to converse with the past while simultaneously capturing the contemporary moment to share with the future.”
The Deo Gallery is a part of the city's Arts & Culture Center, located on the lower level of the Peter White Public Library.