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 in Fargo is paying tribute to women artists it considers "Mothers of Invention;" the series of shows begins with a look at the work of Rochester sculptor 

The show is called "See Acts of Audacious Daring! The Circus World of Judy Onofrio" and features four of Onofrio's life-sized floor sculptures from the last decade, ten recent wall sculptures, and two smaller floor sculptures alongside examples of historic circus banners, posters, and carvings that have influenced her work.

Plains Art Museum Director Colleen Sheehy says Onofrio is a perfect candidate for the "Mothers of Invention" series because she's bold, innovative and inconclastic:

Sheehy admires Onofrio's inventive use of materials in her sculptures, from bottle caps to Mrs. Butterworth bottles of syrup to, more recently, bones.

Onofrio's exhibition runs through January 8; the next in the series will be Marjorie

Schlossman, an abstract artist based in Fargo. Sheehy says what joins these women together is they're part of a generation of artists who came of age in the '60s and '70s and who worked to dismantle barriers for women in the visual arts.

Sheehy says the tendency to overlook, ignore, or forget the artistic contributions of women has been particularly prominent in the Midwest; she sees this exhibition series as an opportunity to rectify that.

Arts and Culture

State of the Arts Blog

Marianne Combs

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The Plains Art Museum starts off a series of solo shows by looking at the sculpture of Judy Onofrio.

Plains Art Museum recognizes “Mothers of Invention”

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