Heather Lee Birdsong
Russo Lee Gallery presents A EYE — Curated by Artistic Intelligence, an exhibition guest-curated by acclaimed designer, architect, and art collector John Hoke III. Hoke will also appear as the featured speaker for PADA Talk, an ongoing series of conversations at the intersection of art, design, and ideas.
A EYE invites viewers to reconsider what A.I. can mean in the context of contemporary art—not as a replacement for the human hand, but as a means of sharpening a deep human point of view. Hoke’s curation is built on three guiding prompts—Artistic Inspiration, Artist Intention, and Artful Intersection—that he developed as a personal, human framework for selecting works that champion imagination, emotion, and craft. In his curatorial statement, Hoke writes: “Art keeps us human. Helping us to see, think, question and feel. This show invites us to rethink and redefine A.I. To go beyond artificiality and embrace the uniquely human experience of seeing, feeling and experiencing—human made art.”
Selected entirely from Russo Lee Gallery’s roster of artists, the artworks on view are Hoke’s own curation. The exhibition brings together artists whose work speaks to shared, universal truths of the human experience. It is a celebration of art as a vital way of staying connected to ideas, emotion, and beauty in an increasingly automated world.
Exhibiting Artists:
Jay Backstrand, Heather Lee Birdsong, Louis Bunce, Michael Brophy, Ka’ila Farrell-Smith, Dan Gluibizzi, Sally Haley, James Lee Hansen, Manuel Izquierdo, Lisa Jarrett, Hilda Morris, Lucinda Parker, Michele Russo, Dirk Staschke, Eric Stotik, Whiting Tennis, Samantha Yun Wall, Gina Wilson, and Sherrie Wolf.
About the Curator:
John Hoke III is an internationally recognized designer, architect, and art collector. He currently serves as Chairman of the Board for MillerKnoll, Board Director for Target, Inc. and as a Senior Advisor to Piaggio Fast Forward. Hoke spent 33 years at Nike, where he most recently served as the company’s first Chief Innovation Officer and first Chief Design Officer. He holds architecture degrees from Penn State and the University of Pennsylvania, and an SEP MBA from Stanford. Hoke serves on the Dean’s Circle of Advisors for Penn State’s College of Arts and Architecture. He lives between Portland and Bend, Oregon, with his wife and their corgi, June.
PADA Talk—An Evening with John Hoke III:
In conjunction with the exhibition, Hoke will speak as part of PADA Talk, sharing his visionary perspective on the power of art and the evolving dialogue between contemporary art, design, creative expression, and technology.
Please RSVP for this event by emailing gallery@russoleegallery.com.
