PNC Hosts “An Outsider Looks In” Painting, Sculpture Exhibit

PNC-Hosts-An-Outsider-Looks-In-Painting-Sculpture-ExhibitPurdue University North Central Odyssey Arts and Cultural Events Series is presenting the exhibit, “An Outsider Looks In,” by Thomas Olesker, a collection of mixed-media paintings and sculpture that will be on display through May in the PNC Library-Student-Faulty Building student lounge, Room 062. Building hours are Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Saturday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Library-Student-Faculty Building is closed on Sundays.

Olesker’s work of the past 40 years has been inspired by both the ancient and contemporary life of Mexico. His use of applied materials - wood, string, paper and even toys - gives his work dimension and translates the materials into both a tactile and visual experience. Olesker was born and raised in Chicago and now lives in Mexico.

“The glorious thing about creating art in this wonderful country is that the inspiration can come from a shard of 1,000-year-old Hohokam pottery or from the old caballero selling mangos on the street yesterday,” explained Olesker. “The importance of the spirit-life imagery in Mexico’s artistic heritage has supplied me and countless other artists with enough inspiration for the next 1,000 years. I am fascinated with other cultures, especially the Huichol indigenous people of the Sierra Madre Mountains in Mexico and the Mata Ortiz area near the Arizona/Mexico border. Looking at the images they use for sacred ceremonies and everyday life is an inspiration to me. They revere the natural world in all of its glory.”

Olesker’s work has been featured in shows at the Lubeznik Lakefront Fair, Michigan City; Outsiders Outside, Judith Racht Gallery, in Harbert, Mich.; Exhibiting Artist Galleria Uno, in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico and Exhibiting Artist Galleria Dante, in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

His commissioned art appears in private collections in Mexico, California, Oregon and Illinois.

To obtain further information about this exhibit or the Odyssey Arts and Cultural Events Series, contact Judy Jacobi, PNC assistant vice chancellor of Marketing and Campus Relations, at 219-785-5593. Persons with disabilities requiring accommodations should contact Jacobi.