Reception: Christine Sullivan: Optimistic Pessimist: New Works in Felt

Christine Sullivan: Optimistic Pessimist: New Works in Felt
On view: May 21 – June 29, 2025
Opening reception: Friday, May 23, 5:00–8:00 pm
Free admission with wine and snacks provided

Santa Fe, NM — Opening May 21, 2025, at Aurelia Gallery, Optimistic Pessimist is a new body of work by Christine Sullivan that invites viewers into a tactile, reflective space where hope and uncertainty coexist. A public reception will be held on Friday, May 23, from 5:00–8:00 pm. The show runs through June 29, 2025.

Optimistic Pessimist: New Works in Felt

Sullivan says, “Anni Albers said she strove to ‘make something that is lasting, something that survives the terrible happenings of the day. Look around you and see what is surviving through the centuries—it is the beautiful things, and it is not wars.’ In Optimistic Pessimist, I offer ‘beautiful things’ that soothe and sustain—alongside themes of connection and possibility. Inspired by organic forms, cracks in the chaos, and networks like mycelium, these pieces invite reflection and stillness in unstable times. These works create a quiet space to notice glimmers and openings. Leonard Cohen wrote, ‘There is a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in.’ Brokenness is not hopelessness. Through experimentation with felt—cut, painted, waxed, sculpted—I’ve created pieces that feel like small sanctuaries. Their warmth, softness, and organic structure suggest an unseen network of community and resilience. I hope this series is both a balm and a blueprint: a place to pause, reflect, and imagine what comes next.”