Confluence features the work of seven painters sharing a residency at The Pouch Cove Foundation, coming from diverse regions across North America from California to Rhode Island. United by their engagement with landscape and environmental themes, these artists push painting's boundaries through varied experimental approaches—from Meg Lagodzki's collaged scenes of ecological disturbance to Kirstin Lamb's hybrid works that blur photorealism with digital patterning.  The exhibition explores how contemporary painters navigate the intersection of natural and technological worlds, as seen in Ruth Lantz's technology-influenced vistas, Amy Vensel's systematic paintings bridging chance and digital phenomena, and Alicia Philley's color-based narratives about prairie conservation and urban restoration. Through approaches ranging from Audrey Tulimiero Welch's radical layering strategies to Katherine Steichen Rosing's inscribed marks referencing invisible processes in forested watersheds, these works collectively examine landscape not merely as subject matter, but as a lens for understanding our complex relationship with both the natural world and virtual spaces. The resulting paintings offer fresh perspectives on environmental consciousness, from abstract explorations of climate to ecological paradox.
 ARTISTS
 Meg Lagodzki creates richly detailed collaged paintings of landscapes that bear scars of disturbance, both anthropogenic and natural. (Bloomington, IN)  Kirstin Lamb paints wooded landscapes that blur the lines between focused Photorealism, computer-generated pattern, and fetishized repetition of an acrylic paint mark. (Pawtucket, RI)  Ruth Lantz explores how landscape painting shapes our perception and use of virtual spaces, using various painting techniques to create technology-influenced vistas. (Urbana, IL)  Alicia Philley shares stories about conservation and restoration of native Texas prairies and urban green spaces through color-based paintings and sculptures. (Austin, TX)

Katherine Steichen Rosing explores invisible forces in forests and watersheds related to climate and other environmental issues through painting and installation. (Madison, WI)  Audrey Tulimiero Welch utilizes radical layering strategies to construct abstract paintings that speak to inherent paradoxes found in the natural world, people, and events. (San Francisco, CA)  Amy Vensel employs a system of invented rules to bridge elements of chance and control in her paintings influenced by natural phenomena and the digital landscape. (Las Cruces, NM)
Opening reception on Saturday September 27, 2-5 pm  James Baird Gallery, 14 Gruchy’s Hill, Pouch Cove