Rhinelander ArtStart will display works of Jessica Christy and Sonia Peterson in a dual exhibition opening Thursday, Dec. 1. Christy’s work is an installation of some 150 boxes representative of her life experiences as a woman living in the Bakken Oil Patch in North Dakota, and Peterson will exhibit works in cut paper.

 An opening reception featuring Christy will be held Saturday, Dec. 3, at 5 p.m. and will be followed by a family-oriented “Arty Party” featuring the works of children who have participated in the joint ArtStart/Old School Arts & Learning Center TGI ArtFridays art classes.

 Christy’s installation, entitled “Through the Window: My Experience as a Woman Living in ‘The Boom,'” reflects her two years of living among those attracted to the oil boom in the Bakken Oil Patch. The boom attracted an influx of workers, predominantly men, and Christy collected stories and artifacts from the period that explore gender roles, environmental impact, and the overall human condition.

Peterson, who works in cut paper and has named her exhibit “Diminishing Returns,” produces works ranging from small collages to sculpture and large scale paper cuts. She illustrates ideas with motifs of common plants and animals, underground roots, spider webs, and vine-like growths. “Presently,” she says, “I am interested in plants and items that were collected and traded as a form of currency. Trade is what connected all sides of the world.”

ArtStart is located at 68 S. Stevens St. in Rhinelander. Winter gallery hours are Thursday through Saturday, 11a.m. to 5 p.m.