Tracee Vetting Wolf: Art Everyday, Everyday Art

People’s Food Co-op

Exhibition Website

May 1 2017 - Jul 16 2017

Bio/Statement: Tracee Vetting Wolf is an artist and mother who has an extensive background in design and architecture. Her art practice consists of 30 minutes of art making every morning, resulting in a finished piece each day. Her disciplined art practice was borne in 2011 when her son entered kindergarten. She began tucking a small piece of art (with a message on the back) in with his lunches each day. Her art targets the interests of her young son and evolves as he gets older and her practice matures. To date, she has made over 1,000 pieces of small format art. Many recent pieces feature animals, reflections on life, whimsical story bits and invented portraits, but will often shift from day to day in unplanned ways. She also participates in the local Rochester artist community.

Food + Art: Eating is such a social thing, unless you can’t eat what everyone else is eating. Our son has never eaten a school lunch; we also bring food for him to birthday parties and gatherings. He is allergic to peanuts, dairy and eggs. Schools usually have a ‘nuts’ table where people with allergies can go to safely eat by themselves. As social as eating is, it can also be isolating. When Max started kindergarten, it was emotionally challenging for him, and yes, for me too. The first day of school, I packed his lunch and and thought about his eating experience later that day. I wanted him to feel cared for and thought of. A few days earlier I had watercolored some hearts for no particular reason. I grabbed one, wrote a message on the back and stuck it in his lunch. For the rest of the week, I used up the hearts and when they were gone, I couldn’t stop. Six years later, we’re still going. Max’s lunchnotes not only let him know he is loved, but it has also provided a social context for his friends. His friends all know he gets lunchnotes every day and Max will often share them with his friends. It makes me feel good that they enjoy lunch together, and they enjoy art together. 

Credit: Exhibition overview from museum website 

  • American
  • Contemporary
  • Tracee Vetting Wolf

Exhibition Venues & Dates