Pressed & Painted, A Floral Study
May 1st - June 21st
The exhibition invites viewers to reconsider how we perceive nature. By abstracting floral forms, the artists free themselves from strict realism and open a space for emotional, sensory, and imaginative responses. A bloom may become a burst of color, a tangle of lines, or a rhythmic pattern that echoes growth and then decay. The painting bridges tradition and experimentation. The familiar motif of the flower—long central to art history—becomes a site for contemporary exploration. The artists invite viewers to slow down and notice the quiet dialogue between nature and process. In every carved mark and printed layer, the works remind us that flowers are impressions of fleeting beauty, captured through patience and repetition. The artists in this exhibition approach floral imagery not only as representation but as pattern, rhythm, and structure. Each piece invites us to move beyond merely observing the flowers and instead to truly experience them—drawing us into their quiet yet powerful presence. We are encouraged to sense their vitality in full bloom, their delicate beauty that exists only for a moment, and the subtle emotions they evoke as they fade. Through the careful interplay of paint and ink, these blossoms are not only captured but transformed, their essence carried across time and medium. In this way, their transient nature becomes something enduring, continuously shared and reimagined with every viewing.
Erin Holscher Almazan
My work moves between figure, nature and space; my subject matter fluctuates between self-portraiture, renderings of my children and explorations of my domestic space. The connecting thread that runs through my work is my experience as a female-identifying artist and the various roles I play and spaces I inhabit. I am interested in the complexities and dualities that exist within our identities, as well as the relationships that I cultivate with myself and others and with both the emotional and physical spaces in which I dwell.
This series of linoleum cut prints was made from still life set-ups that I created in my kitchen using a triangle-pattern blanket, a memento of a family vacation, as my table covering or backdrop. I was inspired by the abundance and richness in Dutch and Flemish still life floral paintings. I wanted to reimagine this beautiful and abundant complexity, using line to distinguish intertwining and overlapping textures and forms and ultimately creating a comforting and lushly curated visual space in which you might imagine yourself sitting with a book and a cup of tea – quietly lovely still images as respite from a loud and exhausting world.
Denise Geier
Denise Geier is a visual artist from the Dayton area. She graduated in 2022 from Wright State University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts, magna cum laude. Though she likes to explore a variety of mediums and techniques, her focus is oil painting. Denise has been a part of the Dana L. Wiley Gallery for several years. She has participated in the Art Matters, Group Exhibition in 2025, the Gateway Arts Council Spring Fling 2025, and received an Honorable mention at the Wassenberg Art Center June show 2025. She is currently working full time in her studio.
Artist Statement
In this series of dynamic floral compositions, I wanted to explore the balance of abstraction, description, and depth while also paying attention to the importance of color connections and the movement of lines and shapes across the canvas. This was a process of learning and discovery and asking myself "What does this piece need?" Giving myself a set of guidelines to work from was important to help keep each piece harmonious and cohesive. The (slow) process involved constantly questioning and deciding what the composition needs next in order to maintain a balanced rhythm. As I worked, the process became more refined and opened up new ideas to explore. As I continue to work on this series, each piece with their own characteristics and focus, influences the next in new and unexpected ways. It is through this exploration and questioning that I am learning what it means to create a body of work and what it means to paint thoughtfully and with intention.
Panel Discussion
We are delighted to bring together four artists whose practices explore material, process, memory, place, and the evolving role of contemporary art in our communities. Two of the artists, Erin Holscher Almazan and Denise Geier are currently in the gallery in the exhibition, Pressed & Painted, A Floral Study. Jeremy Long and Hannah Kasper will be contributing in the conversation as panelists through their experiences and thoughtful insights. Moderated by Rodney Veal, this conversation offers an opportunity to hear directly from the artists about their creative journeys, inspirations, and the ideas that shape their work.
Throughout this discussion, we’ll explore the artists’ individual practices, the challenges and discoveries that emerge in the creative process, and the intersections between their work. We hope this conversation offers new insights into contemporary artistic practice and creates opportunities for meaningful engagement between artists and audience.
Moderator Rodney Veal
Rodney is a graduate of Eastern Michigan University with a B.S. in Political Science and Visual Arts. He received his M.F.A in Choreography from The Ohio State University. Rodney serves on the Board of Trustees of Ohio Dance as President and on the boards of Levitt Pavilions Dayton, Dayton Performing Arts Alliance, Westcott House, HomeFull, Dayton Live!, and the community advisory board of WYSO. Rodney Currently serves as Public Media Connects as its newest Producer and Community Arts Liaison and as the host of the Emmy Award winning, The Art Show, which is currently in production for its 14th season.
Panelist Hannah Kasper
Hannah Kasper is a visual artist and writer. Born in 1981 in Ossining, New York, she holds a BFA in Painting from the Tyler School of Art and an MFA from the Glasgow School of Art.Hannah is an arts columnist for the Dayton Daily News and writes about exhibitions and artists “beyond the coasts” on Substack under the name Midwest Art Review. Hannah’s paintings have been exhibited in locations including Exit Art and Lucky Gallery (NYC), Tramway (Glasgow), Artnews Projects (Berlin), Gil Artist Gallery (Akureyri) and The Blue House Arts (Dayton). Her work is held in several private collections. She is an experienced art educator, bringing her classes to Los Angeles, New York City, and the Midwest, and is an artistic collaborator and a Muse Machine resident artist with Dayton Dance Initiative. Hannah relocated to Dayton from New York City in 2021 and keeps a studio in the Davis Linden building.
Panelist Jeremy Long
Jeremy Long born 1971 in Chicago IL is an American painter. He studied with a number of leading American painters, including Gabriel Laderman, Stanley Lewis and Wilbur Niewald at The Kanas City Art Institute. Long made his first trip overseas in 1996 to paint from the landscape in Rome Italy for six months. After returning to the U.S. he was accepted into the Painting program at American University in Washington D.C. where he earned his MFA working closely with Stanley Lewis and visiting artist Glenn Goldberg. He has taught at Knox College, Ithaca College, Assumption College, The School of Art at Chautauqua Institution, and is currently an Associate Professor at Wright State University in Dayton OH. Long has exhibited widely throughout the U.S. and is a member of the Bowery Gallery in NYC.