The Real Teal
For the month of December, the Harrison Gallery and Annex are exhibiting The Real Teal, this year's eclectic and delightful celebration of the elusive color teal.
Every December, the Harrison Center draws an excited crowd to view its annual color show, featuring submissions from hundreds of artists all centered around one color. This year, it’s The Real Teal, a hard-to-pin-down shade of blue-green. The word "teal" actually comes from the name of a duck, the Eurasian teal, which boasts a bluish-green-colored stripe on its head. Throughout history, teal has generally been considered a calming, sophisticated color reminiscent of oceans and forests and was popular even in the days of the Egyptians and Greeks.
In The Real Teal, nearly 200 pieces from artists of all ages, backgrounds, and skill levels come together to provide a vibrant exploration of the color teal and its variations. The diverse mediums include mosaics, prints, ceramics, textiles, collages, and hand-blown glass. The eclectic styles range from bold graffiti artwork and Jackson Pollock-like pieces to colorful acrylic paintings and woven art. Many bright abstract paintings include gripping movements reminiscent of rivers and oceans of teal blue water. The show even features an embellished electric guitar, with bright red and teal paint forming the profile of a sharp-eyed, blue-faced woman.
In one piece, a lone cowboy kneels with his gun at the ready, colored in shades of teal against an empty background with only his shadow for company. In another, the viewer is greeted by a peaceful seaside village delicately painted with watercolor and ink. A vintage-inspired sculpture consists of a teal-colored Iowa license plate on a pedestal, with a bundle of wires and odds and ends artfully arranged on top. Layered photographs of urban streetscapes and skylines cast in a teal tint hang alongside a bright teal print of a Great Horned Owl. An exuberant and engaging mix of artworks, The Real Teal highlights local artists' interpretations of the elusive color teal and what it might mean to them.
Come and be delighted, intrigued, surprised, and entertained by this year's color show, The Real Teal. The show can be viewed anytime in the Harrison Gallery and Annex through the end of December during gallery hours, Monday through Friday, from 9 am to 5 pm. The works can also be viewed and purchased via the online gallery through December.