North Pole Studio presents: Rhythm and Hues

Lineup: Luke Wyland, composer, keyboard; Joni Smith, visual artist, pastel on paper; Machado Mijiga, composer, drums; Annie Rose Macer, visual artist, paper quilting; Harlan Silverman, composer, cello; Austin Brague, visual artist, pen/ink on paper.

Vibe: swirling, meandering, sequential.

Joni Smith is a prolific self-taught artist who has been drawing since childhood. Throughout Joni’s 60-year art practice, she has filled hundreds of sketchbooks. For Joni, art is a primary means of communication. She will draw for over eight hours each day, often filling both sides of her sketchbook pages. Joni draws with a confident, firm hand, making seemingly instantaneous decisions about color as she layers her lines with fluid, instinctual strokes. Over time, each page becomes saturated with vibrant, varied strokes and layers of color. Sometimes the page will tear under the force of her strokes.

In 2021, Joni joined North Pole Studio, where her creative practice expanded dramatically. Utilizing an upright drafting table, Joni was able to work at a much larger scale from her wheelchair. Over the past four years, Joni has created a stunning collection of large-scale mixed-media abstract paintings, characterized by rich layers of bold and harmonious color.

Luke Wyland is an interdisciplinary artist, composer, performer, and arts organizer. His current solo piano work uses time manipulation technologies to craft landscapes of immersive sound. As a stutterer, Wyland’s approach to music is informed by his idiosyncratic relationship with language. He has been releasing critically acclaimed records for the past 20 years in various groups, including AU and Methods Body, as LWW, and under his name, while working with notable labels such as New Amsterdam, Beacon Sound, Balmat, The Leaf Label, and Aagoo Records.

Annie Rose Macer has an acute interest in pattern-making and an innate sense for color. A lifelong artist, Annie Rose developed an understanding of pattern and color as a child by studying and creating intricate mandalas. Her work draws inspiration from the traditional textiles and patterns of Central America, where she is originally from. Her work explores subjects that bring her happiness, such as organic materials, including flowers, landscapes, animals, and different kinds of lines. Her creative practice encompasses painting, drawing, and cut-paper collage work, utilizing repurposed paper products, including paint swatches, painted paper, and more. She is most well-known for her large-scale “paper quilt” collages, which abstract significant subjects through layers of hand-cut shapes.

Machado Mijiga is a musical polymath: composer, producer, bandleader, educator, gear fanatic, and audio engineer, to name a few. Authenticity and uniquity assume the locus of Mijiga’s artistic identity. Self-expression is the prime directive, and the medium of choice changes like the weather.

Austin Brague’s art practice is inspired by cities throughout the United States. Working primarily in pen and ink, Austin captures architecture, significant monuments, and innovative transportation systems with a precision that considers details such as the number of windows on a skyscraper and the spacing of railroad ties on a track. His subjects span public and iconic buildings, cityscapes, transportation systems, and urban infrastructure. His work intentionally balances photorealism with the artist’s hand, bringing familiarity and softness to the sharp silhouette of cityscapes and industrial equipment. Austin credits his ability to work with such acute focus and attention to detail to his disability. He draws inspiration from artists such as Stephen Wiltshire and others.

Harlan Silverman believes in the power of music to comfort our minds and relax our bodies. As a cellist and multi-instrumentalist, his musical talents span genres from classical music for meditation and wellness to hip-hop and jazz. His diverse songwriting and producing credits range from singer-songwriter Michelle Branch to Grammy-winning pianist John Baptiste and genre-bending artist, Duckwrth.

North Pole Studio supports careers in the arts and exists to increase opportunities for artists with autism and intellectual or developmental disabilities to thrive as active members of the arts community. We foster self-determination and facilitate meaningful connections through total engagement in the arts. We believe that a collective understanding of diverse human experiences is foundational to a vibrant and whole community. Through studio practice and community engagement, we ensure that artists with autism and intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) live as self-determined, visible, and valued contributors to the local and national contemporary art community.