REST STOP, by Julia J. Wolfe
May 31 to August 16, 2025
Julia J. Wolfe is the second of two artists selected for the Emerging Artists program, a joint exhibition of the Schweinfurth Art Center and Cayuga Museum of History & Art. Her artwork will be on display in both institutions simultaneously, and visitors can purchase a discounted admission ticket for both locations.
An opening reception with light refreshments will be 4 to 6 p.m. Saturday, May 31. Wolfe will be giving an Artists’ Talk at 5:30 p.m. August 1. Both events are free and open to the public.
Artist’s statement
For any lengthy journey, it is natural and necessary for participants to take a break. As humans, we have the autonomy to choose when we can rest and set aside some time to revel in our alive-ness. That might look like laying in the grass on a sunny day, reading a book on a couch beside a warm cat or dog, or catching up with a friend while sharing a meal. It may even take the form of movement, such as a walk in the park or a pick-up game of soccer – resting can be static and solitary as well as active and in community.
There are periods when rest is not possible – even prohibited – especially in this contemporary capitalist landscape where there is always pressure, expectation, and requirement to remain unceasingly efficient in production and occupied in time. I find myself needing to exit [somewhat] from society: an escape-in-place to contemplate, or not. Here enters my art practice, which is a means of putting the swirling, sticky chaos inside my brain and bones onto something physical, outside my body. During this mode of reflection and response, I gather new perspectives and clarity, and then resume the modern rhythms of life with renewed aims of resisting numbness and silent complacency within my daily routines.
REST STOP is a visual narrative of the all-too-common struggle to practice true rest in an age where production and efficiency are the most valued human resources by the dominant systems in place. The rest stops we take along the way are often pivots when arriving at an unexpected obstacle, u-turns when it feels like we’re heading in the wrong direction, digressions from the most direct path, or pauses to assess the steps of those who came before. At these interruptions lies an opportunity to slow down and breathe, recalibrate our direction, and consider the trajectory forward. The rest stop is where we ask the questions, and the continuing on is the answer.
About the artist
Julia J. Wolfe is an interdisciplinary artist. She received her M.F.A. and M.A. from the University of Iowa and B.A. from Rhodes College, as well as a post-baccalaureate certificate from Brandeis University. Her work has been exhibited nationally and included in numerous art publications, such as New American Paintings and Studio Visit Magazine. Wolfe has completed residencies at Vermont Studio Center, Flower City Arts Center, Public Space One in Iowa City, and Burren College of Art in County Clare, Ireland. She currently lives in Rochester, NY, with her husband and their two cats, two dogs, and too many houseplants.