Celebrating the return of our in person gallery exhibitions, the Derryfield School Lyceum Gallery is thrilled to present (RE): Purpose, Pair, Pose. This exhibit features the imaginative assemblage, altered imagery, and mixed media works of New Hampshire artists Mike Durkee, Ree Katrak, Ashley Normal, and Deb Wheeler-Bean. As a collection, these works celebrate an interchange and experimentation of ideas and media. Individually, the contrasting works invite conversation, between the pieces and also with the viewer. Please join us on the evening of September 23rd between 5:00 - 6:00 PM to celebrate this exhibition and the return of the Lyceum Gallery!
Please scroll through our virtual gallery and learn about the work of our featured artists! If you have any interest in viewing this exhibition in person, please email lyceumgallery@derryfield.org to arrange a guided visit.
Durkish Delights
Durkish Delights is Mike Durkee: a muralist and graphic artist from New Hampshire. He currently resides in Alton with his wife and children. He also has two cats, one dog and an array of chickens and ducks. He has mixed feelings about the chickens and ducks.
Mike graduated from Chester College of New England with a Bachelors Degree in Fine Art. His technique for his art making involves combining hand drawn, vintage style text and cartoons with images sourced from vintage books. He is also know for his technique in which he zooms into Google Earth and collaborates with strangers to create his art.
Mike has worked with clients such as Comcast, Ovation TV, Noodz, The Rochester Museum of Fine Art and many more. He has been featured on various podcasts, radio shows and public speaking events.
To get to know more about Mike follow him on Instagram and on all other social platforms as @DurkishDelights
Ree Katrak
As an abstract artist, my work is an expression of thoughts and feelings. The process starts in a very spontaneous manner, progresses in a more considered way and finally resolves at the moment the work says “Ah Ha — Got It!”
Ashley Normal
Ashley Normal holds the understanding that everyone lives in their own reality. Working in various media she makes observations in what is already there, illuminating the bizarre and absurd in the familiar. In 2015, she received a MFA in Interdisciplinary Art from MassArt, and a BFA in Art Education from MassArt in 2007.
Her work was recently exhibited at the 85th Regional Exhibition at the Fitchburg Art Museum, Fitchburg, MA and the 2020 Biennial at the Center for Maine Contemporary Art (CMCA), Rockland, ME. Her work is represented by Chases Garage Gallery, York, ME and Nahcotta Gallery, Portsmouth, NH.
When she is not making work she can be found teaching, walking, practicing yoga, and enjoying time with her husband, son, and family in Southern New Hampshire.
Deb Wheeler-Bean
Deb Wheeler-Bean is a multimedia artist and teacher. She taught art in public schools for 16 years before shifting into full-time art making and private teaching at Art Up Front Street Gallery in Exeter. Her work focuses on the beauty in discarded things and layers text with objects, highlighting subtle ambiguities. Art making with meaning is a guiding principle in Deb’s process.
About the Lyceum Gallery
The Lyceum Gallery is an exhibition and educational space that features a range of artwork each year by regional and national artists. Our gallery also celebrates the creative expression of our students, whose work is featured throughout the school year. Exhibitions are often coordinated with classroom study, and frequently host visiting artists who offer master classes that enhance classroom curriculum and the overall student experience. The central location of the Lyceum Gallery creates an active art space, bringing a rich arts environment to those who pass through it on a daily basis. Visitors and members of the Derryfield Community are invited to attend Lyceum Gallery exhibits and receptions throughout the school year. An online gallery offers an alternative viewing opportunity for those who may not be able to attend in person. To learn more about the Lyceum Gallery or to join our mailing list, please email LyceumGallery@Derryfield.org.