Celeste Contreras - Nocturnal Sunshine
Opening Friday, September 25, 2026 from 5-9 pm and viewable during Doors Open Milwaukee, September 26-27th, 10-5 both days.
Artist Celeste Contreras is pairing up with Grove Gallery to unveil a collection of carvings and relief prints. This body of work began in 2021 and explores the idea of “nocturnal sunshine,” a moment when night itself provides inspiration for an individual spirit’s creativity to grow. The collection of relief prints will encompass wood, linoleum and rubber and raw unprinted wood cuts.
An eagerness to wade through the long, unknown darkness of night in exchange for an awakening belies the artist’s creative process. When Contreras carves away the black ink from the woodblock, it is a physical embodiment of exposing the starlight of the nocturnal sunshine. When nocturnal darkness transforms into visionary light, anything becomes possible.
“I have complete loyalty to the solitude of night for fostering ideas and dreams into matter,” said Contreras. “These are drawings made through carving different, specific points of my printing journey that share nocturnal sunshine.”
Opens on Friday, September 25, 2026 from 5-9 pm, part of Doors Open Milwaukee, September 26-27, both days. 10-5 both days.
Also open for Gallery Night, October 16 (5-9 pm) and 17 (12-5)
Closes Saturday October 24, 12-4 pm
Celeste Contreras is a Xicana-Indigenous artist who shares stories through print, book arts, fiber arts and animation. Contreras is a lecturer at UW-Milwaukee’s Peck School of the Arts where she earned a Master of Fine Art (MFA). She has served as Artist-in-Resident with the Milwaukee Public Library, been Community Ambassador for the Milwaukee Women’s Art Library (MWAL), and serves as board member at Anchor Press, Paper and Print and The CR8TV House. Currently, Contreras is a resident artist at The House of RAD, and manages Studio Tlacuilo + Library, an artist’s book library.