Visit Smith House Galleries this month through Aug 28 for meticulously embroidered works; thoughtful paintings; ceramics, photography, video, and more in two featured exhibitions: “Family of Things” by Halley Conrad & “role” by Prusha Nor. Both shows kick off Aug 7, 5-7 pm, during an opening reception (which also features a special performance by Grace Altman, Christabell DeMichele, and Judith Hoffman of Eunoia Theatre).

Regular hours are Mon-Fri, 11 am-4 pm, with additional hours Second Saturday, Aug 8, 10 am-2 pm (including three more Eunoia performances at 11 am, noon, and 1 pm, as well as live plein air painting and time with the artists). Admission is free!

ABOUT THE ART:

“Family of Things” draws inspiration from the poem “Wild Geese” by Mary Oliver. Conrad shares that, through her art, she seeks to explore “the intricate, often invisible threads that bind lives across generations — threads of sacrifices, joy, and pain. I am in constant dialogue with the women around me and those who came before me: my grandmother, my mother, my sisters and the countless women whose experiences are woven into the fabric of who I am today. By understanding these generations of women through my work, I strive to better understand myself and the world around me. My most recent work has been predominantly in hand embroidery, embracing but also subverting the history of ‘women’s work’ and second-wave feminist art. My process of stitching is slow and thoughtful, creating space for quiet reflections.”

“role”: Of her work, Nor says, “The concept of moral dissonance threads contradictions through my flat layers, charcoal washes and muted tones against solid colors. The complexities of my Halabja heritage and Islamic upbringing appear in my work not as a fixed identity, but as a question formed by internal conflict. I confront cultural obligations and magnify micro‑rules that dictate how women should exist. These pieces express vulnerability, preservation, and instability through materials that resist, dissolve, and bind.”