Seelucanth by Rhea Nowak, Intaglio with stitching and perforations, 22.5 x 15.5 inches, 2018. (Submitted photo)

MORRIS — This summer, The Gatehouse Coffee Shop & Mercantile is pleased to present Call and Response, an exhibition of intaglio prints by Oneonta-based artist, educator, and scholar Rhea Nowak. The opening reception is Friday, July 3, from 4 to 6 p.m.

The exhibition brings together selections from her work that explore language, notation, and the ways humans construct meaning through marks, symbols, rhythm, and observation.

For Nowak, reading extends far beyond words on a page. We read landscapes, patterns, gestures, colors, and relationships, assembling fragments of information into understanding. Through layered marks, repeated forms, and evolving visual structures, her prints invite viewers to consider how meaning is shaped through context, memory, and experience.

As Nowak reflects, “It took humanity 2,000 years to create an alphabet and now it takes children only 2,000 days to learn to read. We read words making meaning from our marks, and we read landscapes making meaning of our world.”

Working primarily in intaglio printmaking, Nowak creates compositions that balance structure and improvisation. Her elongated forms trace movement through time, while color, layering, repetition, and variation compose a visual language, each mark shaped by what comes before and after.

Rhea Nowak received her BA in Printmaking and Painting from Bennington College, her MFA in Printmaking and Drawing from the University of Connecticut, and a Master Printer Certificate from Il Bisonte in Florence, Italy. She currently serves as Professor of Art at the State University of New York at Oneonta, where she teaches printmaking, design, and artist's books. Her work has been exhibited nationally and internationally, including exhibitions throughout the United States, Portugal, China, Germany, Poland, Bulgaria, and Italy. A recipient of numerous grants, awards, and artist residencies, she was named SUNY Oneonta Scholar of the Year in 2020.

Visitors are invited to experience the exhibition throughout the summer. In this fast-paced world, Nowak's prints offer a chance to slow down and consider how we make meaning from the world around us.

Guests are invited to meet the artist and explore the exhibition at The Gatehouse Coffee Shop & Mercantile at the opening reception on Friday, July 3, from 4 to 6 p.m. The Gatehouse Coffee Shop & Mercantile is located at 129 Main Street, Morris, NY 13808

For additional information, please visit www.thegatehouseny.com.