Work of St. Charles artist part of special inauguration exhibit

The work of a St. Charles artist who drew her inspiration from the windmills of Batavia, and the sunsets at Fermilab, is part of a special exhibit commemorating the inauguration of Barack Obama. Carrie Auwaerter's work, "Hope on the Horizon," a 16 x 20-inch acrylic on panel painting, was included in the Manifest Hope exhibit at the Irvine Contemporary Art Gallery in Washington, D.C.

Auwaerter said she is very excited about her work being included in the exhibit.

"I have always voted, but this past year I became politically active for the first time in my life," said Auwaerter, 47. "I was canvassing and making calls for both Congressman Bill Foster and Barack Obama. I don't think that art and science have been valued much for the last eight years. My hope is that they will be under the new administration."

Auwaerter always carries a camera with her, and she took photos of the windmills in Batavia, and of the sunsets at Fermilab in Batavia. Her work is a painting of the blending of the two images.

"I toiled over getting the right imagery," Auwaerter said. "The sunset reminded me of Kansas, the home state of Obama's grandparents. The windmill represents green, sustainable energy. It's tying a nostalgic image with a need for the future."

Auwaerter has been painting for 20 years. She had completed the work for an Obama fundraiser last fall, but it didn't sell. She was invited to be part of the exhibit through MoveOn.org, and learned only a week ago that the work was selected.

"I won't be at the inauguration, but a piece of me will be there," she said. "It's very emotional for me. It's not just about selling a painting. It's about going to the epicenter of what I have been working for."