Women and Water

Artist:  Meg Erke

Show Run:  Mon, March 24 - Thur, April 24

Artist Talk:  Thur, April 24, 1pm

Gallery Hours:  M-F 10 am-6 pm and Saturday, April 12, 8 am-3 pm

Artist Statement

My work explores the themes of women and water. As an open-water swimmer for over a decade, I have found strength, joy, collective effervescence, and resilience in submerging myself in natural bodies of water year-round—even when the lakes are frozen. Water is a source of wonder and creative inspiration, a medium that connects me to the natural world. I balance this with an awareness of water’s power to shape, transform, and sometimes destroy.

I use gouache and watercolor to paint independent layers on paper and wood—depicting water, sky, trees, fish, weeds, rocks, clouds, and figures. These elements come to life through simple stop-motion animation, allowing me to experiment with movement, transformation, and composition. Once animated, I affix some of the same painted pieces into static, layered paintings, capturing the movement in a fixed form.

My practice is interactive and experimental. I intentionally include my hands in my animations, revealing my presence and emphasizing the act of creation. I look for ways to invite viewers to engage directly with my work—manipulating painted elements and altering compositions. I am interested in creating opportunities for the viewer to shape the narrative.

Through this evolving process, I aim to explore the dynamic relationships between control and surrender, movement and stillness, permanence and change—mirroring the shifting nature of water.

The James Wegner Art Gallery provides an educational experience to students and the community by featuring exhibitions from regional, national, and international artists working in a variety of media.  

The gallery is located in the Austin East building just to the left of the Frank W. Bridges Theatre lobby. Gallery hours vary each semester. Please call 507-433-0600 for current information.