ICOSA is excited to announce Window Dressing XLVI: Annie May Johnston “To Glow in the Dark” Exhibition Dates: June 23rd – 29th, 2025 (visible 24 hours/day) Artist Reception: Friday, June. 27, 7-9pm Drawing on the concept of “dustsceawung,” a contemplation of dust, my practice considers how matter persists rather than disappears. I imagine these compositions as cosmic artifacts—creations formed from elements that exist throughout our universe, bridging the gap between intimate human experience and vast astronomical phenomena. During a surgical recovery, I found unexpected connections to historical “Lover’s Eyes”—intimate portrait miniatures from 1785 Britain commissioned as tokens of devotion or remembrance. These historical objects provide context for exploring my altered perception and my interest in contemporary astronomical imagery from the Webb Telescope, which has been sending back imagery of Cosmic Dawn—that transformative period when the first luminous objects appeared in our universe. I am invested in our quest to see and understand the birth of the universe and while doing so, our human birth. For “To Glow in the Dark”, the presentation of these works on top of earthen craters and on molded shelves references both archaeological discovery and cosmic delivery while nodding to traditional jewelry displays. They serve as talismans that are lighthearted in their materials (children’s beads, Sculpey, glow-in-the-dark stars, and Shrinky Dinks) while also incorporating elements like real hair, ancient artifacts, and soil, in their attempt to consider both the bright and the dark. @artaustinorg #contemporaryart #windowshow #artcollective