Karla Chambers speaks on her exhibition Farming, Food, and Fine Art, on view in the JSMA's Education Cooridor Galleries (October 14, 2014-January 25, 2015).
Karla Chambers has operated Stahlbush Island Farms in Corvallis--the first farm ever to be certified as sustainable by the Food Alliance--since 1985. A self-taught artist, she uses the colors and textures of her produce as the inspiration for her lively paintings.
Chambers’s passion for art began as her last child moved out of the family’s home and she needed to find a creative outlet. Although she had no training in visual art, she has a keen sense for color and uses her profound love of farming and healthy eating as a platform to both express herself and educate others about the benefits of eating organic fruits and vegetables.“Healthy eating,” says Chambers, “has become a recognized value in the ‘life change’ of adults and a ‘way of life’ for growing children today. What better reinforcement of these ‘values’ than through art!” Recognizing the power art can have on educating children about the value of a diet rich in plant-based items, she even created a coloring book to teach children about the healthy “colorful plate.”
Karla Chambers, "The Colors of Nutrition" (2013), acrylic. Photo credit: Emily Hall.
