Ceramic Walls & The Painted Terrain opens April 11th at River Gallery

River Gallery is pleased to present Ceramic Walls & The Painted Terrain, a two-person exhibition featuring ceramic sculpture by Mary Fischer and landscape paintings by Susan Danko. The exhibition opens with a public reception on Saturday, April 11 from 3–6 PM and remains on view through May 30, 2026.

The exhibition brings together two artists whose practices explore our relationship with the built and natural environments. Though working in different media, Fischer and Danko each respond to place, observation, and the passage of time.

Mary Fischer’s sculptural ceramic works evoke architectural fragments—small structures marked by erosion, openings, and textured surfaces that suggest memory, shelter, and the passage of time. Influenced by buildings encountered both in the landscape and in books, Fischer constructs small house-like forms that evolve through an intuitive process of assembling clay components. Often these pieces begin as paper models before they are translated into clay, creating sculptural forms that suggest imagined dwellings rather than specific buildings. Mary’s pieces invite viewers to consider the physicality of built forms and the quiet narratives embedded within them.

Susan Danko’s paintings reflect long-term observation of the local landscape and the constantly changing environment. Her work responds to seasonal shifts, weather, light, and the subtle variations that shape our perception of nature over time. Through layered color and reflective imagery, Danko captures both the beauty and fragility of the natural world. Her practice is informed by interests in botany, ecology, and environmental protection, acknowledging the paradox of contemporary landscapes that are both resilient and vulnerable.

Together, Fischer’s tactile ceramic structures and Danko’s atmospheric landscapes create a dialogue between architecture and environment, solidity and reflection. The exhibition invites viewers to consider how the places we inhabit—both built and natural—shape our experiences and understanding of the world around us.