Featured image: Michael, Pfleghaar, Forest Meets Water, 2024, acrylic, flashe, and spray paint on canvas, 42 x 72 in. Image courtesy of the artist.
submitted
Solo Exhibition at Keeler Gallery/Lounge, Fountain Street Church
March 9 – April 27, 2025
Grand Rapids, Michigan – West Michigan artist Michael Pfleghaar invites viewers to step into an immersive world where boundaries between interior and exterior spaces blur, and perspective is key. His solo exhibition, Through and Through, will be on display at the Keeler Lounge in Fountain Street Church from March 9 through April 27, 2025.
This fresh body of work invites visitors to explore themes of transition, memory, and the profound interplay of color, light, and form in both the natural landscape and constructed worlds.
Through and Through celebrates the idea that spaces—whether inside a home, within a landscape, or between light and shadow—are never static. They shape our emotional and sensory experiences and offer a constantly shifting, layered view of the world around us.
Drawing on his fascination with mid-century modern design and organic forms, Pfleghaar’s work evokes the seamless connection between the outside world and the curated interiors that define personal spaces.
Exhibition Themes & Visual Elements
In this exhibition, Pfleghaar uses a distinctive visual language to explore how perception shifts depending on one’s vantage point. Through the dissolution of boundaries between interior and exterior spaces, he creates a visual narrative that feels at once intimate and expansive. The artist’s use of vibrant, yet subtle color palettes—rich greens, royal blues, bright oranges, against muted colors—embodies the harmony between nature and human-made environments.
Light plays a central role in his compositions, whether depicting the warm glow of sunlight spilling through a window, the light over the local landscapes, or the soft glow of mid-century lamps in a domestic interior. These luminous moments create a sense of transition and time, as each piece suggests a different time of day and a new perspective on familiar spaces.
The tactile nature of Pfleghaar’s work, with its focus on textures like woodgrain tables, smooth glass surfaces, and lush greenery, further emphasizes the sensory experience of being in a particular place. His exploration of mid-century modern design motifs—such as organic furniture, angular objects, and patterned rugs—blends seamlessly with the organic, flowing forms of nature, creating a unique balance between the man-made and the natural.
Immersive Experience & Interactive Layer
The exhibition is designed to engage visitors not just visually but also physically. As they move through the gallery, they will experience a transition between “interior” and “exterior” spaces, reflecting the artist’s thematic exploration of how our surroundings shape and inform our sense of self. Each painting serves as a moment in time—a snapshot of light and shadow, a view from a window, a glimpse into a room, or an interaction between nature and design.
Pfleghaar’s work is not only about what is seen but also about what is felt. The title of the show, Through and Through, invites visitors to reconsider their own relationships with the spaces they inhabit. Where do we feel most at home? Where do we find peace? These are some of the questions embedded in the exhibition’s visual and narrative layers.
Public Events and Engagement
The exhibition will be accompanied by two receptions. An opening reception, Sunday, March 9, from noon to 1:30 p.m. and An Evening with the Artist reception with informal remarks on Thursday, March 27, from 5 – 7 p.m, where Pfleghaar will discuss the enduring appeal modern aesthetics and and similar approaches to interiors and the landscape. Visitors will have the opportunity to explore the connections between art, architecture, and design, and learn more about how these elements inform the broader theme of transition in Through and Through.
About Michael Pfleghaar
Michael Pfleghaar is an artist residing and working in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He earned his MFA in visual arts from Lesley University College of Art and Design in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 2011. Pfleghaar often portrays botanicals and still lifes, infusing them with abstract elements and flattened space to generate new perspectives. His compositions reflect influences from mid-century modern design, evident in the clean lines, balance, and use of organic materials.
In 2023, Pfleghaar was chosen as one of four artists to have their work permanently installed as terrazzo floor designs at the Gerald R Ford International Airport. He also received The Best of Show in the 2021 Festival of the Arts and the West Michigan Area Show at the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts in Kalamazoo in 2020.
Pfleghaar’s artwork has been featured in Architectural Digest, Arcadia Magazine, Studio Visit, Metropolitan Home, Solace, and American Craft. Organizations such as the Gilmore Piano Festival 2024, Apple, HBO, CBS, ForeSee, Hayworth, and Urban Institute Exhibition Details
Key Dates
Exhibition Run March 9 – April 27, 2025
Opening Reception: March 9, 2025, noon to 1:30 p.m.
Evening with the Artist: March 27, 5 – 7 p.m.
Keeler Gallery/Lounge, Fountain Street Church
24 Fountain St NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49503
Monday though Thursday, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
https://fountainstreet.org/
For more information or to schedule an interview with Michael Pfleghaar, please contact:
Michael Pfleghaar
mpfleghaar@gmail.com
616-307-5377
http://www.pfleghaar.com