A Glimpse at the Magic Makers and Dream weavers Behind 3 WISHES
- Jennifer Gillia Cutshall
- 11 hours ago
- 4 min read
Artists in the current 3 WISHES exhibition share their inspiration and process:
"I go walking every night in Downtown LA and take photos of the world around me as part of my artistic practice. In this photo, three industrial valve wheels on the side of a building cast shadows on the wall behind them. These ghostly, humanoid silhouettes reminded me of the three Furies of ancient Greek mythology or perhaps stylized anime characters embodying sinister forces lurking in the city’s undercurrent. Some days they are mysteriously absent."
Robert Gideon
Katya Kim Holmes
"Woven is both the title of this 22.5 x 28.5" papercutting—and the idea behind it.
This piece explores how we carry a sense of belonging with us, even as we move through different spaces, roles, and seasons of life. Belonging, to me, isn’t fixed or external. It’s something we can learn to create and carry—something that can be woven into our everyday experiences.
Art has always been a kind of escape for me—a dreamlike space where I can imagine freely, explore new layers of thought, and lose track of time. But it’s also how I stay present.
Through layered cuts, fluid shapes, and intentional space, I wanted to reflect on the ways we hold connection—how we can feel rooted and open at the same time. Woven is about that inner sense of belonging we bring with us, wherever we go."
Katya Kim Holmes
HALONA HILBERTZ
"Our world now delivers rapid-fire news of destruction and malice. Every day, I make a conscious effort to summon hope. Hope requires imagining a better life; dreaming; wishing.
The 3 in “3 Wishes”: a fairy tale number. My “Little Glitter King (Bees Hibernate in Flower Stalks)” traveled from a fairy tale dreamscape in which Humanity understands the importance of balance in the biosphere. A huge wish: that humans respect flora, fauna, fungi, and all other players in the Natural World - and act accordingly."
Halona Hilbertz
Kelley Duilio
"I was drawn to 3 WISHES by a quiet insistence from within—a long-held dream rising at last to the surface. This piece felt like a whispered wish, ready to be seen, to be known. Being welcomed into this show was more than acceptance—it was a gentle rupture of old illusions, the shedding of stories that said I must keep this part of me hidden.
Following that inner nudge broke the spell.
My work is a ritual of wonder and ache—a dance where brave dreams step into the light and take form."
Kelley Duilio
Kelli Judkins-Cooper
"The theme for this exhibit, 3 Wishes, resonated with me because most of my figurative work has a dreamy, surreal nature to it which lends itself to this hopeful, thought-provoking theme. My work often has a sort of whimsy about it which I believe can drive one’s imaginings, and inspire one to ponder and daydream. Also, there is definitely something about the number 3 for me, it’s always been my favorite!"
Kelli Judkins-Cooper
ELAINE DUNHAM
"Much like the rather simple shapes in “Tumult,” wishes, hopes, and dreams often whirl around in my mind."
Elaine Dunham
JAN LINTZ
"3 Trees in Winter" began as one of an all-black series in the first dark days after the election, then gradually recalling the peace of my favorite full-moon snowshoe as a balm.
The cupcakes and pink candles celebrating "3 Wishes" stirred a bittersweet nostalgia—a longing for a time when I couldn’t yet imagine living through the dystopian unraveling of democracy, the relentless cruelty toward immigrants and the poor, the silencing of those who speak out against genocide and war, and the accelerating destruction of our climate.
I wish for the return of empathy and compassion—for the practice of the golden rule, honored by every faith and by none.
I wish for swift accountability: that those in power, complicit through action or silence, be held responsible now, not just in future history books.
And I wish for courage—for myself and for others—to continue creating art as resistance: art that names violence, holds space for grief, and imagines a world rooted in healing and justice.
Jan Lintz
Janet Antepara
"The Death of a Wish was made using the ashes from an unfulfilled wish and the poem it inspired. I began the piece in October 2023, shortly after the attacks in Israel and before the genocide in Gaza. A written wish was burned to symbolize the unfulfilled hopes of war victims, and its ashes were mixed into the paint. Creating this piece was my way of processing grief, war, and death."
Janet Antepara
Sharon Harper
"Three is a significant number for me and has appeared in my art many times.
I come from a primary family of three...my mother brother and me. They have both passed awayand my work has reflected what it feels like to be the last of the three. I am the keeper of the memories and stories."
Sharon Harper
KRISTIN BROTEN-JULL
“To pay attention, this is our endless and proper work.” — Mary Oliver
EILEEN BOCHSLER
“Art should be fearless, weird, and joyous. If it doesn’t make you tilt your head and smile, you’re not reaching far enough into the unknown.”
David Byrne
