Bihl Haus Arts hosts an opening reception for “Posing Stories,” featuring new works by artist Pearl Sanchez from 6-9 p.m. Saturday, June 6 at the Bihl Haus Gallery, 2803 Fredericksburg Road. The exhibition continues through July 11.

For Sanchez, “Posing Stories” draws its inspiration from hundreds of sketches that the artist has created over the past 10 years. “I thought it would be neat to group the sketches as a story on a body form since we already carry our stories with us,” she said.

The exhibition includes six life-sized mannequins with whimsical drawings all over them, as well as 12 bright and colorful paintings on Masonite. One piece to be featured in the collection is titled “Our Bodies,” which is a celebration of women’s bodies. “Women can be very critical about their bodies, so I wanted to show the female body in a way in which they have nothing to be ashamed or embarrassed about,” Sanchez said.

Other works include a collection of hand-painted clothing, such as men’s shirts and women’s dresses and skirts. “I do a goddess series and paintings about men’s and women’s professions,” Sanchez said of the clothes she has painted, adding that painting on clothes can be especially challenging.

“You can make mistakes and turn it into something,” Sanchez said. “No one has any expectations.”

The artist also paints furniture, including tables and chairs, which she started doing several years ago when a friend asked her to paint a chair. The exhibition will include two doors she painted. One features an image of Frida Kahlo, which she describes as a “joyful piece” with monkeys she has painted blue.

About the Artist
Pearl Sanchez is a graduate of Antioch College, and a recipient of the Rocky Mountain Women’s Institute Art Grant. Her work is influenced by her culture, religion and time spent in Bolivia as a Peace Corps volunteer, in New Mexico, and in Guatemala as an exporter of indigenous textiles. Color, pattern, religious imagery and women’s stories are the driving forces in her work. “I knew since I was 5 years old that I wanted to be an artist because I liked to make things,” she said. “I would draw on any paper or cardboard I could find.”