Shared Canvases: Judy Bowman and Friends brings together artists across generations in a spirit of collaboration modeled after jazz itself. Curated by Judy Bowman and the Saginaw Art Museum, the exhibition grew from Bowman’s long history of working alongside other artists, musicians, and communities, where shared authorship becomes a source of energy rather than constraint.
In this project, collage, painting, and abstraction unfold through real-time exchange. Artists respond visually to one another, layering gesture, color, rhythm, and memory in ways that echo jazz improvisation. Each collaborator represents the differing motifs of jazz and lived experience, creating a dialogue that bridges generations while honoring the music’s cultural roots and enduring influence.
These works reveal processes. The final product is musical, notes can be exchanged and rhythm and tempo are felt. The canvases show how meaning is built through listening, responding, and trust. Individual voices remain distinct, yet the results move beyond any single hand.
Shared Canvases is both homage and experiment: an invitation to see collaboration not as compromise, but as momentum. Like jazz, the work swings forward, transforming memory into motion and community into form.
You are invited to the opening celebration for this exhibition on June 2, 2026 5:30pm. Registration is requested but not required