Martha Gaustad & Michelle Arnold Paine
April 12 – June 29, 2019
The work of two rising area artists – luminous paintings, photo montage and ink drawings – that celebrate the female figure, her spirit and the space she inhabits.
The exhibit continues through June 29, 2019.
20 North Gallery and the artists will be welcoming friends and collectors at the free Public Reception for Divine Dimensions on Friday, April 12, from 6 – 9 p.m.
Click here to view the Divine Dimensions exhibition catalogue, containing art images of the full exhibit with artist information.


The paintings and photomontages by Martha Gaustad present a dialogue between a female figure and the circumstances of her surroundings, whether the actual, physical space, or symbolism for aspects of her life, and the response of this figure. The paintings and ink drawings of Michelle Arnold Paine tap into and reflect upon the concepts of memory and being, exploring an intersection between physical spaces and a connection to the divine.

Martha Gonter Gaustad received a B.S. in Education and English from D’Youville College in Buffalo, New York in 1969, followed by a M.S. in Special Education at Canisius College (Buffalo, New York) in 1970. She received a Ph.D in Educational Psychology and Measurements from the University of Nebraska (Lincoln, Nebraska) in 1976 and in 2011 continued her studies taking art courses at Bowling Green State University (Bowling Green, Ohio). In 2013, Gaustad studied art conservation and painting techniques at Studio Art Centers International in Florence, Italy. A native of Buffalo, New York, Martha “Marti” Gaustad has maintained a studio since 2016 in downtown Toledo, Ohio. Drawing influence and inspiration from painting masters and classical music and writing, Gaustad has an affinity for figurative and narrative work and for content that spans multiple mediums. Gaustad has exhibited in numerous regional, national, and international juried gallery and museum shows, including shows at Manifest Gallery (Cincinnati, Ohio), the University of North Carolina Asheville (Asheville, North Carolina) and at the National Midyear Exhibition at the Butler Institute of American Art (Youngstown, Ohio). Last fall, she enjoyed her first solo exhibition at the Marathon Center’s Fischer/Wall Gallery in Findlay, Ohio.

Michelle Arnold Paine received her B.A. from Gordon College (Wenham, Massachusetts) in 1999 majoring in English and Art History, with a Minor in Foreign Language. She received a M.F.A. in Painting in 2007 from the University of New Hampshire (Durham, New Hampshire). Paine’s artistic experience has been broadened by study in both Orvieto and at the Istituto Lorenzo de Medici in Florence, Italy. For seven years, Paine taught drawing, painting, and design courses at numerous colleges in the New England region. She continues to share her passion for art education by offering group lectures on art topics, as well as tours to discuss Christian artworks within public collections. Michelle Arnold Paine has exhibited her architectural, figurative and landscape paintings extensively across New England within commercial, community, non-profit and university spaces. Recently, Paine’s work has been shown at the International Marian Research Institute in Dayton, Ohio, Gordon College, Valparaiso University (Valparaiso, Indiana), the University of New Hampshire and at Sloane Merrill Gallery in Boston, Massachusetts. In 2018, Michelle Arnold Paine was awarded an Accelerator Grant from the Arts Commission of Toledo, Ohio, which is partially funding her figure series project.
For purchase inquiries, please contact 20 North Gallery:
419-241-2400 or info@20northgallery.com
Divine Dimensions Installation Images: