NOVEMBER BARN DOOR GALLERY 2026

The Art of Surviving

Danielle Parent

November 4 - November 21

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Opening Reception on Arts Night Out

Art has always been an important part of who I am. Long before cancer entered my life, creativity was one of the ways I made sense of my emotions, experiences, and the world around me. I have always been drawn to the freedom of creative expression- the ability to communicate something deeply personal without necessarily having to put it into words.

My work is rooted in emotion, experience, and transformation. Throughout my life, I have experienced trauma, endured racism, and carried feelings that have sometimes been difficult to process or express. As a woman of color and a person that identifies with the LGBTQ+ community, art has become a place where I can give all experiences a form. The canvas allows me to release what I carry, explore emotions that may not have language, and transform difficult experiences into something tangible.

My experience with cancer and surviving Non-Hodgkins T-cell Lymphoma twice, including two stem cell transplants and an experience that brought me to the point of spending a week on a ventilator, profoundly changed my relationship with my own body, my emotions, and my understanding of survival. But cancer did not create my relationship with art. It became another chapter in a much larger story.

My paintings are not intended to tell one specific story or provide one predetermined meaning. Instead, they are expressions of movement, emotion, struggle, healing, resilience and the constant process of becoming. Layers, marks, color, texture and movement allow me to explore both the things I have survived and the parts of myself that continue to evolve.

For me abstract art creates freedom. There are no rules requiring an emotion to look a certain way or an experience to make sense. I began with an intention and allow the painting to change as I work. Sometimes the process feels chaotic; sometimes it feels peaceful. Often, it's both. No I create because I need a place for all those feelings to go.

My art is a record of that process-a visual language built from everything I have experienced, everything I have survived, and everything I am still learning about myself. It is about what I choose to create from it.

• Danielle Parent

  Danielle (she/her) is a determined, thoughtful, and multidisciplinary artist whose abstract practice explores resilience, transformation, identity, and the emotional landscapes shaped by lived experience. Through expressive color, layered texture, movement, and symbolism, her work examines the tension between vulnerability and strength, often transforming complex emotions and personal histories into visual narratives. Her practice is rooted in an ongoing exploration of healing, release, and self-discovery, inviting viewers to find their own meaning within the ambiguity of abstraction. Parent’s work reflects a belief in art as both a form of creative expression and a powerful vehicle for connection, reflection, and transformation.

NOVEMBER SPLIT LEVEL GALLERY 2026

The Tree Tarot: Into the Grove

Jacqueline Gallo

November 4 - November 21

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Opening Reception on Arts Night Out & November 14th

The Tree Tarot: Into the Grove is a visual journey into the unseen wisdom of trees, weaving together their historical, mythological, and sacred symbolism across cultures. This exhibition showcases all 78 prints from The Tree Tarot deck, each pairing a tree species with a tarot archetype through traditional and digital techniques. The works invite viewers to connect with nature’s hidden messages and mystical guidance.

Growing up in the rural forests of New England, the woods have always been my sanctuary—a place of reverence akin to a cathedral. This lifelong connection has fueled my passion for exploring the hidden wisdom and folklore of trees through tarot imagery. The Tree Tarot embodies this devotion, blending storytelling with the deep‐rooted magic of trees while bridging the past and present through folklore and history.

Created using both traditional and digital techniques, The Tree Tarot is a visual journey into the unseen wisdom of trees and their folklore, weaving together their historical, mythological, and sacred symbolism across cultures. This exhibition showcases the full set of 78 tarot prints, inviting viewers to connect with nature’s hidden messages and mystical guidance.

Each artwork blends traditional and modern techniques, combining tree symbolism with tarot meanings to evoke the cycles and mysteries of nature. Accompanying texts provide folklore and historical insights for each card, encouraging viewers to reflect on their deeper meanings.

Beyond an artistic exploration, this project serves a larger purpose: advocating for forest conservation. A portion of proceeds from print and deck sales directly supports organizations dedicated to protecting natural spaces. Through this work, I aim to inspire curiosity, deepen connections with the natural world, and foster a collective appreciation for the beauty and wisdom of forests.

*This exhibition is supported in part by a grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.

F O R T H E F O R E S T S

Jackie gives a portion of her studio deck sales to organizations that protect forests, including the Old‐Growth Forest Network, the Arbor Day Foundation, and The Nature Conservancy.

• Jacqueline Gelfuso Gallo

  Jacqueline (she/her) explores the interconnectivity of the natural world, the spiritual world, and the human world by combining traditional and modern techniques of image‐making. Inspired by ancient folklore, New England heritage, and the branching, growing, layered gifts of the Earth, her work seeks to stimulate curiosity and inspire a deeper connection to the natural beauty and wonder around us. She holds a BFA and an MFA in Drawing and Painting and an M.A.Ed in Art Education, and works as an art educator alongside her home studio practice. Growing up in the rural forests of New England, the woods became her sanctuary, a place of reverence akin to a cathedral. This lifelong connection fueled a five‐year journey to create The Tree Tarot, a 78‐card deck and companion guidebook published by Red Feather, an imprint of Schiffer Publishing. Her work has been exhibited in New England, New York, and Italy. Passionate about nature, she can almost always be found in the forest on a trail.

  “I strive to stimulate curiosity and inspire a deeper connection to the natural beauty and wonder around us.”

  IG@autumnhallows

  www.jackiegallo.com