“This project, with a working title where flowers won’t, time will grow (2023-present) is an ongoing exploration into the changing landscape of California as well as a personal study about the changing landscapes of my own family and the inherited traumas of the body. In this growing collection of photographs, this project seeks to equally position the landscape and my familial subjects as both a witness and the witnessed to the ways the ecosystem of our bodies, our families, and our landscapes are shaped by what is ongoing and chronic. 

Growing up in a home touched by chronic illness I have learned it is human nature to avoid looking at what is killing us. It is common for families to uphold silence over confrontation that might be difficult and vital. I have come to recognize this same familial avoidance in our societal unwillingness to look at the present effects of environmental disaster. This project began with my own experience and learning that avoiding confrontation with destruction equates to death. Through my documentation of the persistent traumas on the California landscape and the effects of illness on my mother’s physical body and my familial unit, I attempt to capture the creative and innovative nature of healing. My photos are exploring what is revealed and what emerges when we acknowledge and actively witness one and others' pain.”

On Anniversaries:

“I keep thinking about sobriety”

“My work presents a vibrant collection of images composed of eclectic cultural

iconography, raw dream narratives, and a personal quilt of archetypal patterns that make up the collective American psyche.

My art functions like the trickster who lives in the joints, making connections and embracing the tension between opposites.

Like a dream, my work requires a host body, a narrative to inhabit. Speaking through the distillation of characters and scenes within the shallow myths of American history and the parallels of tribal storytelling.

While the relationship between the subjects and the narrative isn't always apparent, the work evokes complex emotional depth, humor, and a mystery that invites the viewer to embrace a reimagining of humanity's stories that continue to live with us.”

On Anniversaries:

“Time is a flat circle”

Claire grew up in Carlisle, Kentucky and moved to New Orleans to attend college. She received a BA in Design and Sociology from Tulane University in 2023. With her photography, she intends to highlight the dreamlike qualities of everyday life and the emotionality found in moments of stillness.

“My creative practice is very much based on savoring moments of making and seeking a sense of whimsy. With my photography, I intend to highlight the dreamlike qualities of everyday life and the emotionality found in moments of stillness.”

On Anniversary:

“This anniversary is very exciting! I love this gallery and the thought behind it and hope it continues on for many more years!”

“My art practice is paintings-based research that reminds the viewer of the sacred fascinatingness of reality.

This series of work is guided by wood grain and imagination. Each piece is a reminder that the world is alive. More alive than we know.”

On Anniversaries:

“Anniversaries are when you're standing the same distance to halloween as you were when you did something the first time.”

“My journey into animal portraiture started during a bout with chicken pox at age 15. I was on prednisone, being unable to sleep, I turned to drawing to distract and entertain myself in the quiet solitude of the night when everyone else slept. The first one was a raccoon in a tree. I later won an award for that drawing. But life gets in the way and I didn't begin creating pet portraits seriously until 15 years later. I did a few portraits in oil pastels and friends began commissioning me to do their pets. Word of mouth kept me pretty busy but again, life got in the way. Now that my kids are grown and I actually have the time to dedicate to it, I am hoping to really dive into this passion for animal portraiture in a more focused and deliberate way I hope to paint many, many, more of our beloved and cherished pets. I have really enjoyed having my memorial portraits of the pets I have loved over the years. It is wonderful to still be able to see their faces and remember them.”

on Anniversaries:

“they are a way to celebrate our accomplishments”

“I practice and pursue a few different art forms. My photography is largely autobiographical. Whatever I’m doing, I’m mostly trying to tell a story or convey a feeling. The best definition of art I’ve heard is, “The successful transmission of an experience.” I try to go for that, as well as things that are difficult, entertaining, and helpful. “

On Anniversary:

“The word anniversary usually evokes something relationship-related for me. As of late, I think of makeups and breakups, on a lighter, more positive note, I think of my move to New Orleans and the amazing, irreplaceable times I’ve had here and the incredible people I’ve come to know and love. Those times very much include this place (Dogwater Gallery) and the people that pass through it. I’m very happy to be here, in New Orleans, on this planet, at this moment. “

Francie Hill’s hands move in ways that she can’t always understand. They paint, draw, and collage as she sits back and watches. She draws on surrealism, nature, and bold color for inspiration. She surrenders to her hands; she trusts her hands.  

On Anniversary:

“The anniversary is a reason to celebrate! Moving to New Orleans has made me quite fond of celebrating. Celebrate! And also in a few days, celebrate again. Even if you’re just celebrating a cool bird you saw outside or a new tube of toothpaste. Don’t wait to do it once a year. Happy anniversary though. Raising a one year old is quite impressive. “

“My passion and practice is primarily focused in glass making. I was quickly drawn to the mesmerizing medium and the integral community that surrounds it. The world of glass making is rich in history, yet there’s still so much to learn.

This series of work is an ode to the vast applications glass has in our day to day lives. Its beauty is inherent and its properties are magical. ”

On Anniversaries:

“Anniversaries are like traditions. They remind us of who we are, where we came from, and where we hope to go in life. They cycle both positive and negative feelings to give us clarity and carry on through life’s journey.

“I  handmake many of my paints using materials such as eggs, honey, and other naturally occurring substances. The deep red paint is made from Grana Cochinilla, a pigment derived from the beetle that lives on the Nopal cactus, highly prized since the 2nd Century BC. I work from live models, including these dogs and use techniques from my apprenticeship with the Mexican painter, Jose 'Pepe' Barbosa, from the Collective Grupo Suma in Mexico City.”

On Anniversary:

“A birthday party for a gallery with Water and Dogs!”

“Landscapes themselves are like paintings, except that reality is better than anyone can paint. I love great landscape paintings, but to sit before a sight which might inspire one…isn’t that the experience we want? I’ve been painting them now because they are beautiful and I want to spend time watching them while creating something that honors my memories of the sights. Each time I hope to capture the whole of reality, but can only get one window, one moment, one feeling. These all fade, like the day, the landscape, and our memories.”

On Anniversaries:

“When you ‘wake up’ doing something you’ve done before and realize that more time has passed than you thought”

btw that is my mom