GEOart Collective: Cracks, Layers, Water
“For a time I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.”
Thank you to our generous exhibition sponsor!
Wilderness Workshop is a nonprofit organization protecting the wilderness, water, and wildlife of Western Colorado’s public lands. They have worked across more than 4 million acres of public lands to ensure their ecological integrity. They have led efforts to designate more than half a million acres of Wilderness and hundreds of thousands of roadless areas in Western Colorado.
Learn more at WildernessWorkshop.org.
Carbondale Arts presents “GEOart Collective: Cracks, Layers, Water”, a group exhibition at the Carbondale Arts Gallery, on display July 9 - August 13, 2026. The opening reception will take place on THURSDAY, July 9, from 5-7pm at The Launchpad, with an artist talk at 5:30pm.
Note that there was another exhibition running concurrently (April 17 - May 21, 2026) in the gallery space:
“The Way Is Not A Way But A Place” by Chloe Wilwerding
The GEOart Collective is an international consortium of artists who share a love and fascination of nature and the geosciences. Each artist in our group brings a unique set of skills in the world of textile and mixed media. Many of us create our own fabrics, threads and papers through the use of dye, paint and print. Artists in the GEOart Collective have exhibited their work locally, nationally and internationally.
Featured artists include Nancy Dobson, Theresa Ely, Mary Louise Gerek, Neffra Matthews, Janet Scruggs, Susan Serreze, and Anne Severn.
Each calendar year the group selects three inspirational themes.
Current themes for exhibit are cracks, layers and water.
• Cracks take many forms and could be interpreted literally or figuratively, as a thing, action or description.
• Layers can be interpreted literally or figuratively, such as layered sedimentary deposits, layers of lava, soil profiles, or layers of history or emotion.
• Water covers 71% of the earth’s surface and exists as liquid, solid or gas. Water’s power erodes mountains, vital to life and constitutes our oceans, glaciers, clouds and groundwater.
Learn more about GEOart Collective at geoartcollective.com.
Nancy Dobson,
Colorado
Growing up in the heart of the Allegheny National Forest in Northwestern Pennsylvania instilled in Nancy a love for the outdoors and all its splendor. Life’s journey has taken her to many beautiful places. She finds inspiration wherever she is planted - from the prairies and mountains of Wyoming, the majestic mountains of Alaska and the captivating red rocks of the Southwest. After 30 years in Alaska, Nancy and her husband now call western Colorado home.
Learn more about Nancy at nancydobson.com
Janet Scruggs, Kamloops, British Columbia
When mixed media artist Janet Scruggs looks at the world through the lens of her imagination, she sees texture, colour, line and shape. For Janet, who has a degree in education as well as a Level 3 Certificate in Design and Stitched Textiles (Hand Embroidery) from City and Guilds of London England, a love of learning is matched by a love of teaching. She teaches online and in person, mentors others and exhibits her work locally, nationally and internationally. She has won several awards for her artwork.
Learn more about Janet’s work at janetscruggs.com
Theresa Ely,
Colorado
Theresa is a mixed media artist working primarily in textiles and surface design. She grew up in Minnesota and has lived in Colorado most of her life. As a retired scientist who worked in geography and physical sciences, Theresa’s art reflects these interests. She has been fortunate to visit throughout the Western US and has been influenced by these travels.
Learn more about Theresa at theresaely.com
Susan Serreze, Colorado
Susan is a fiber artist living in Colorado where she worked as a geologist and environmental scientist. Her work included developing environmental impact statements and plans for a range of development and environmental restoration projects. Her research experience included mineral interactions and marine geology.
She comes from a family of artists and sewing enthusiasts. While the individual talents did not overlap, the influences of both set the stage for her to become the fiber artist she is today. Nature and Western US landscapes and bright colors inspire her art.
Mary Louise Gerek,
Colorado
Mary Louise Gerek finds living along the Front Range of Colorado’s Rocky Mountains gives her endless inspiration. She has traveled extensively in beautiful parts of the world including Africa, South America, New Zealand, Europe, and North America. From mountains to desert to caves, her eyes are drawn to the extremes of nature’s majesty and fine details. Her art expresses feelings inspired by what she sees.
Learn more about Mary Louise at marylouisegerek.com
Anne Severn, Colorado
The natural and physical world inspires Anne with its diversity of flora and fauna, interesting geologic features, and abundant color palette and patterns. Geology fascinates her as she strives to understand the processes that created our world. Living a lifetime in the western United States has given her the opportunity to view the resultant landforms easily, everywhere.
She spent many years creating traditional quilts, in particular appliqué where she could create free form flowers and plants.
Learn more about Anne’s work at annesevernart.com
Neffra Matthews,
Colorado
Neffra enjoys combining her scientific training with her fascination of texture and color. As a child, she enjoyed searching for rocks and fossils as she wandered the hills of western Kentucky with her family. This gave her love of geology and paleontology an early start and carried her on to a degree in geology from the University of Kentucky.
Neffra’s artwork focuses on interpreting the wonders of the natural world through her creative repertoire of hand-dyeing fabrics, surface design, mixed media collage, embroidery, beading, piecing, and quilting.
Learn more about Neffra at prehistoricimpressions.blogspot.com