Betsy Ruth Byers | Scaffold: A Project Space Exhibition

“Receiving the Project Space grant from Kolman & Reeb gave me the resources and funds to move from two-dimensional painting to installation-based work,” Byers says. For several years, Byers has accompanied scientists on trips to various glaciers, hiked the Aletsch Glacier in the Swiss Alps, and observed how glacier tourism now requires bridges and ladders to reach receding and melting glaciers.

“Many people’s experiences of arctic, alpine, and tropical glaciers (often located on equatorial volcanoes) are through screens, and through the speed of social media,” Byers says. “In this exhibition, through which I’ve been processing my experiences, I hope to create contemplative, sensory spaces people can step into and come to an embodied understanding of what’s happening in our world.”

The work within “Scaffold,” Byers says, “is visually anchored in the aesthetic of survival gear—colors like bright orange and metallic reflectives—and the language of temporary solutions and adaptations.” Elements include a survival tent, a soundscape created from heartbeats heard via a digital stethoscope, paintings, and an olfactory piece. “Smell is so connected to brain function,” she says. “My goal is to create an interactive space that engages the senses and creates physical lasting memories of the exhibition.”

Byers also wants viewers to consider concepts such as time and change, the temporary, and ideas of survival. “The earth is reacting to climate change in survival mode, and we are slow to act. I hope to create a space in which people can contemplate this and let the elements of installation affect them physically.”

“We are thrilled to be providing Betsy with a space in which to create an installation that addresses one of the pressing issues of time, climate change,” says Anita Sue Kolman, “Our gallery has always focused on supporting Minnesota artists. Our Project Space initiative has allowed Betsy to create a whole world that includes her paintings and other aspects that will engage all of the senses.”

Adds Patrick Pryor, “Betsy has used her grantee funds, time, and support to elevate her career to a new level with this exhibition. Scaffold will be a powerfully engaging and thought-provoking work that we hope will affect the hearts and minds of all who experience the exhibition.”

April First Thursday Hours
Please join us for April's First Thursday on April 7. Our special guest will be Project Space grantee, Betsy Ruth Byers. 

• Visit with Betsy Ruth Byers 6:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
• Betsy Ruth Byers Artist Talk 7:00 p.m.

Gallery Hours

Saturday: 12pm to 4pm

First Thursday of the month: 5pm to 9pm

Image: Elegy for Cayambe, Betsy Ruth Byers