SLUTLIFe, a solo exhibit by Wendy Raisanen

SLUTLIFE Solo Exhibition by Wendy Raisanen June 7–30, 2024 Reception: Friday, June 7, 6pm-9pm Five15Arts @ Chartreuse 1301 NW Grand Ave Phoenix, AZ 85007 Gallery Hours: Fridays 6–9pm, Saturdays 6-9pm, Sundays 11am–2pm Or by appointment: wendy.raisanen@gmail.com‬ Five15Arts @ Chartreuse presents SLUTLIFE, a solo exhibition by new member Wendy Raisanen. Raisanen celebrates sensuality and sexuality in a series of vibrantly-colored and exquisitely-made quilts. “I am embracing the word SLUT,” Raisanen writes in her statement, “turning it around from a tool of shame to a statement of joy and enthusiasm. I’m a slut for chocolate. I’m a slut for art. A slut for pleasure. A slut for endorphins.” Raisanen expresses this liberation using traditional quilting techniques and fabrics, then introducing fringe, crystals, printed words, and subjects that contrast with that tradition. In one work, Portal II, the form of a black garter belt becomes an archway through which we see a patchwork bands of colors, quilted swirls, and an explosion of Swarovski crystals. Wendy Raisanen is a well-known artist and arts administrator, now serving as Curator of Collections and Exhibitions with Scottsdale Public Art. Her background includes earning a degree in sculpture, experience as a burlesque costume designer, and sewing her own clothing for many years SLUTLIFE opens to the public on First Friday, June 7 with a reception from 6–9 pm. This is Raisanen’s first solo show at Five15Arts, the collective gallery located on Historic Grand Avenue in the former Bragg’s Pie Factory building. Five15Arts @ Chartreuse 1301 NW Grand Ave, Phoenix www.five15arts.com Facebook & Instagram: five15arts