CANTON, OH.- A thought-provoking exhibition "Three Voices: Conversations on Life and Conflict" is on view at the Canton Museum of Art from September 1 through October 30.

Three Voices is an all-Ohio exhibit featuring artists Judith Brandon of Cleveland, Leslie Shiels of Cincinnati, and Carol Snyder of Columbus. With defining voices in both images and words, these artists bring their thoughts, concerns, and life experiences to our attention through watercolor, oil, and porcelain creations. The conversations inspired by these women and their art focus on life and conflict. They are looking for visual threads to sew eras, cultures and people together; to tie our lives with our natural world – creating a life experience for audiences to reflect upon. As all of us face the world today and attempt to work through the controversy in our environment both cultural and global, their work, as only art can do, will have a conversation with us that is envisioning and contemplative in numerous ways. This exhibition is presented in part by the Volunteer Angels of the Canton Museum of Art.

Judith graduated from the Cleveland Institute of Art in 1987 with degrees in drawing and enameling. Enameling techniques along with layering opaque colors were the foundation of her paintings. Brandon has had several solo shows and have been invited to participate in shows all across the country from California to New York. Her current work are abstract landscapes that explore environmental issues, particularly concerning the changes in weather. Oceans, rain, mist and ice, water in all of it's forms and locations are an endless source of inspiration for her. The tides of the ocean, the power of a tsunami or hurricane, the calm of a wetland - each event and waterscape is an opportunity for her to explore the earth's beauty and fragility.

Leslie Shiels grew up in Cincinnati and has been painting for most of her life. She received her training from the University of Cincinnati’s College of Design, Art, Architecture, and Planning. She earned a BFA from the University in 1974. She has exhibited her work in galleries and museums throughout the United States. Her work has become a part of numerous corporate and private collections, most of which are located in Cincinnati. Art critics have described her paintings as lush, powerful, and skillful works of art. She has used her painting as a vehicle to solve problems as they relate to life experiences. She has traveled and painted in many locations, some of her favorite spots being France, Colorado, and Connecticut. The artist currently works out of her studio in the West End.

Carol Snyder currently lives and works in Columbus. She uses porcelain for its unique qualities as a clay body - Its whiteness and translucency can give the sense of texture and patterning without the addition of glaze color. Her minimal approach allows for light to become part of the pieces. All her sculptures are wheel thrown and hand carved. The patterns and textures used within her work resemble nature and are abstracted to become one with the form. She puts a great emphasis on the craftsmanship of each work and believes that through this, the true beauty of form is revealed. Overall her work is created to express a sense-of quiet, of balance, of ties with the natural world.