During the month of July, the Artists Cooperative Gallery will feature the work of three member artists - Cortney Christensen, Mary Kolar and Robert Dewaele. The show, called PhotoUnrealism, will run June 28 to July 31. The opening reception is Friday, July 1, 6 - 9 p.m., and will also showcase the music of violinist Jennifer Christensen. Refreshments will be provided.

Cortney Christensen

Nature has always been a staple of Cortney Christensen's photography, and a frequent source of inspiration and creativity. For this exhibit, he focuses on the abstract qualities of flora in its environment. He uses long shutter speeds and, in many cases, intentional camera movement to mimic how plants and trees interact with the wind, water, and other natural elements. The movement of light and color is a prominent feature in this collection of work.

Mary Kolar

Mary Kolar’s work consists of a variety of mediums and found objects and expressions of form, color texture and the breaking up of planes, focusing on conveying the humorous and sometimes not so humorous follies of our everyday lives. She strives to evoke humor with the ambitions, virtues, simplicities or just plain silliness of human beings. Her work symbolizes who and what we are, what we could or want to become and also what we do not want to become.

Robert Dewaele

Born and raised in the agricultural midwest, Robert Dewaele experiences the world in a unique way. His creative journey began at a young age and although his viewpoint of the world and passion made it difficult to fit in, he persevered in discovering new ways to express himself. Robert primarily works with wood and bronze mediums which he hopes will depict scenes of victory, struggle and faith, with the goal of having viewers being able understand these ideas as well.