“What I did on my summer vacation…well, I had lumbar spinal fusion surgery in mid-May, which pretty much curtailed any vigorous physical activity,” explained Toulouse. “It gave me plenty of time to think and imagine. So what did I do? I made assemblages, lots of assemblages.

Toulouse, who calls on her education at Herron school of Art and Design, and her long career as collections manager at The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis in her work, chose assemblage as her primary means of expression because she loves telling stories with objects,  and because of the endless combination of materials and techniques it allows.

“I meander around thrift stores and collectibles shops, looking at other peoples’ cast-offs,” said Toulouse. “These objects hint to me of their past, and beckon me to give them new life, arranged in new compositions. I use them to tell stories, from my point of view.”

About the Full Circle Nine Gallery

The Full Circle Nine Gallery operates as an artist cooperative gallery, with each of the member artists and the board dividing gallery duties and artists roles. The artists will work together to help each other advance in skill and practice, as well as to bring success to the gallery. It is located at 1125 Brookside Ave., Indianapolis, IN, 46202, in the South Studios section of the Circle City Industrial Complex. For more information, or for artists interested in joining the Full Circle Nine, please visit www.fullcirclenine.com