The Art Gallery

Join us in The Gallery for this exhibition from Patsy Surh O'Connell!

Gallery Talk: Oct. 5 at noon

Reception: Oct. 12 from 4-6pm

About the Artist: I came to America from Korea at the age of 20 on a student visa with next to nothing. I went to school in San Francisco and worked part time at the Chinatown YMCA. My life's journey continued when I arrived in Washington State in 1985. In 1995, my parents joined us on their last journey. I learned and wondered about my true role in life.

Now I am an artist, a teacher, and founder and president of the 28-year-old Asia Pacific Cultural Center (APCC). I am self-motivated, collaborative, independent and innovative. For the past 38 years, I have worked in the arts, in education, as a small business owner, and in Washington State public services.

My work and experience span a wide range of relevant artistic perspectives and approaches, including teaching, collaborative projects, curatorial work, artist collectives and publication. My perspective is shaped by cultural diversity and real-world experience.

I'm curious about the process by which seedpods contain life and transfer it to succeeding generations, so I collect seedpods. Like seeds, we all start life with the same inherent potential to grow, flower, bloom and create another link in the chain of life.

Through this solo show, I share my work with the greater Northwest community. It shows the complexity of my thought processes and my life's journey, which is still oriented toward new discoveries.