VAL NEWS: Denise, congratulations on winning Fresh Ideas 2024 with your artwork, St. Xavier’s Signature Box. It is an accomplishment to not only be juried into this exhibition but to win First Place. We received 300+ submissions and of those submissions 80+ were accepted.
For those unfamiliar with the annual juried exhibition, the first-place winner receives a $1000 prize AND a solo exhibition in the Main Gallery at the Lewisville Grand Theater the following year.
VN: You are a prolific artist who has been creating artwork for decades. Are you showcasing pieces from your existing collection or introducing new artworks in this exhibition?
Lindgren: “All 41 works in the show were created recently—between 2023 and 2025. Only two have been exhibited before.”
VN: What is the theme, and will you share the significance?
Lindgren: “The title of my show is Meaning through Memory and explores two ideas. First, that our memories—both personal and collective—help shape our understanding of ourselves in ways that can guide us into the future. Second, that meaning in art doesn’t exist solely in the work itself; it lives first in the artist during the act of creation, and then again in the viewer during the act of looking. At times, my work is deeply personal—yet deliberately ambiguous—inviting each viewer to construct their own meaning.”
VN: Describe the style of artwork that will be on exhibition.
Lindgren: “This exhibition brings together collages and assemblages composed entirely of original vintage materials I’ve gathered over the years. No part of the work is computer generated or reproduced. These pieces include dice, dominos, piano parts, yardsticks, board game pieces, postcards, play money, marbles, photographs, bed rails, human hair, and even a death announcement.”
VN: Can you tell us more about one of the pieces of art that will be on exhibition.
Lindgren: “Time out for Two is an 18-inch square assemblage on panel. From a distance, the piece appears straightforward, presenting as a grid of five rows and five columns. As you approach, you’ll see that square cuttings from three different dictionaries have been stacked concentrically beneath Scrabble tiles—one stack per letter. Upon closer inspection, you’ll notice that the letters ‘A’ and ‘I’ are missing.
There are layers of meaning and memory at play here. As a child, I often played Scrabble with my family, and one strictly enforced rule was that dictionaries were forbidden. As the youngest player—and probably the worst speller—I was at a significant disadvantage; a dictionary would have helped me immensely. That memory now resonates with today’s growing dependence on AI and our collective struggle to find balance in how we use technology. The absence of ‘A’ and ‘I’ in this work presents questions about what is lost when we rely too heavily on external tools. I’ve also long been interested in poetry, and as I was cutting the dictionary pages, I composed a poem using the first word from each square-mirroring the structure of the assemblage. Below are a few lines:
quit qualification queue
rare rattle receptive
sensible serve sacrifice
take teach test
understand umpire union”
VN: You are planning an art talk for your exhibition. Please share more details about this special event.
Lindgren: “Sunday, July 20 at 3 pm I will speak and take questions concerning my artwork at the Lewisville Grand Theater Gallery at 100 N. Charles Street in Lewisville, Texas. It is free and open to the public.”
VN: How do we follow you and stay informed on your latest work?
Lindgren: “You can follow me @DeniseLindgren_Art on Instagram and my website DeniseLindgren.com“