Debi West: Layers of Life

Local artist and longtime art educator Debi West brings Layers of Life to the Art League Gallery this April. Showcasing more than forty years of creative exploration, the exhibition revisits and transforms works from her personal archive, turning past canvases, photographs, and surfaces into renewed expressions. Emphasizing curiosity, reflection, and the evolving nature of art, Layers of Life encourages viewers to engage with each piece as part of a living process where meaning grows and shifts over time.

"Layers of Life is a conversation between who I was, who I am, and who I am still becoming. It is both a personal archive and a shared experience," says West. "Rather than leaving earlier pieces behind, I return to them--recycling, reworking, and reimagining them--so that nothing is erased and each layer carries traces of what came before, reflecting how meaning accumulates through experience, reflection, and time."

With more than four decades in the visual arts, West has built a career shaped by both studio practice and art education. She spent 25 years teaching in Gwinnett County, Georgia--including 10 years as Fine Arts Department Chair at North Gwinnett High School--before transitioning into educational consulting and graduate instruction, where she continues to mentor educators through her writing and teaching.

A nationally recognized artist and retired art educator, West has exhibited her work nationwide. She was named National Elementary Art Educator, National Southeastern Secondary Art Educator, and Distinguished Fellow of the National Art Education Association, and has authored more than 200 articles and several books.

With Layers of Life, West invites visitors to engage directly with the work. "As an art educator, I have always believed that art is most powerful when it invites participation," she says. Visitors are invited to contribute images, marks, and ideas, collectively building a piece that will shift and metamorphosize throughout the course of the exhibition.

The exhibit runs April 14-May 15, 2026. An opening reception will be held on Wednesday, April 15, from 5–7 p.m., and the Artist Demo is scheduled for Wednesday, April 15, at 1 p.m. The exhibit, reception, and demo are free and open to the public.