From Woman 18 in 2025, at Understory
- Published:
March 7th, 2025
Review by Lyz Bly, PhD, in CAN Journal:
"Last year, Mary Urbas left her longtime post as Director of the gallery at Lakeland Community College after the administration cut her position and closed the gallery amid deep budget cuts and financial woes. During her tenure as director, she curated long-running themed exhibitions, including the annual the Skull and Skeleton Show, and, in honor of Women’s History Month, the From WOMAN exhibition every March since 2007.
2025 marks the 18th iteration of From WOMAN, and—determined to keep From WOMAN 18 as comprehensive as the show it was in the past, Urbas divided it into three sections. This year, the exhibigion spreads the same number of works that used to fill Lakeland’s large gallery across BAYarts’ Sally Otto (Playhouse) Gallery, Lake Erie College’s BK Smith Gallery, and Understory Gallery at W. 78th Street Studios. The Understory iteration opened on February 19, and is on view for Third Friday, March 21, closing on March 29.
The work at Understory is comprised of abstract, two-dimensional pieces, as well as Annie Peters’ woven vessels, functional ceramics by Diana Bjel, and enamel works by Marty Moore. “Given the three venues, I decided the best way to showcase the work was to present it thematically, placing the abstract works together at Understory,” explains Urbas..."