Curator Talk: Bruce Guenther

AT THE CORE presents a selection of thirty oil paintings by Sternberger chosen from the Bellingham-based artist’s production since 2019. Centered on the Pathways Series, the exhibition explores Sternberger’s turn away from traditional easel painting in 2017–19 to directly engage with the materials and process of painting—from developing her own color palette and using dry pigments to make custom oil color bars for applying paint to letting go of brushes to work the paint freely with her hands on canvases attached to the wall.

Bruce Guenther, Art historian and independent curator, will share comments about his curation of Sternberger's work for this exhibition. 

About Bruce

Bruce Guenther has been a tireless advocate for artists of the Pacific Northwest. He published important works on artists such as Guy Anderson, Jacob Lawrence, Alden Mason, and William Morris. Bruce retired as chief curator at the Portland Art Museum in 2014. During his career, he also held significant curatorial posts at the Seattle Art Museum, Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, and Orange County Museum of Art in Newport Beach, California.

The Western Gallery thanks artist Barbara Sternberger and guest curator Bruce Guenther for the exquisite exhibition. The Homer Bernard Mathes Endowment and Marian Boylan Endowment generously supported AT THE CORE.

Free parking available for patrons in Lot 17G.