Collection: Chasing the Sublime

Chasing the Sublime invites audiences to step inside the spectacle of the circus; both real and imagined. For centuries, the circus has embodied wonder, daring, and the surreal, a place where human skill and imagination collide. This exhibition gathers artists who explore the circus in its many forms: from vibrant depictions of performers to dreamlike abstractions that translate its rhythm, color, and energy into shape and motion.

In this show, the big top is more than entertainment, it becomes a metaphor for our own pursuit of the extraordinary. Some works celebrate the literal circus: acrobats frozen in flight, or clowns whose expressions teeter between joy and melancholy. Other works leave the ring behind, distilling the spirit of the circus into sweeping gestures, kaleidoscopic color fields, or surreal compositions where gravity and logic slip away. Together, they trace the thin line between chaos and control, risk and reward, illusion and reality.

The artworks span painting, sculpture, ceramics, embellished prints, and mixed media, reflecting the eclecticism and unpredictability of the circus itself. Each piece asks us to chase something just out of reach: a sensation, a memory, a fleeting moment of awe.In Chasing the Sublime, the circus becomes both stage and mirror. It is a space of play, danger, and possibility, an invitation to step out of the ordinary and into a world where art sparks joy, wonder, and maybe even vertigo. Curated by Gamut Gallery co-owner Kasi Aten, with curatorial support from fellow owners Francesca Bernardi and Brian Oreck.

Featured Artists:
Alexandria Mooney Jones, Barbara Riegel Bend, Barret Lee, Mary Catherine Solberg, Chris Nystrom, Dominique Winders, Emily Lavalier, Heather Reneaux, Holly Tappen, Jeremy Jones, Kris Fretheim, Linda Clayton, Mikhamik Dominguez, Susan Feigenbaum