Every collaboration has a beginning, and for Jessica Fike and Collen DuBose, it started not in a studio—but in a furniture store.
While visiting Railey Design to explore whether her Deep Creek Lake and Garrett County photography might live as wall art, Fike was encouraged to think beyond the traditional photo canvas. The suggestion was simple but transformative: layer the work, bring in abstraction, and allow another medium to enter the conversation. That suggestion led her to DuBose—and to what would become Brush & Lens Fusion.
The project’s first piece emerged from an act of creative reclamation. A damaged photo canvas—scratched and deemed unusable—was reimagined when DuBose applied bold acrylic paint over a fog-softened Deep Creek Lake boat scene. Visible brushstrokes, expressive color, and texture transformed what might have been discarded into something entirely new. That moment set the tone for the collaboration: responsive, experimental, and rooted in possibility.
Since then, the pair has created nearly thirty collaborative works, hosted two art shows, completed custom commissions, and developed live painting events that invite audiences into the creative process. These events reflect a shared belief that art is not only about finished objects, but about connection—between artists, materials, and community. The current collection on view at the Garrett College Performing Arts Center brings together works from across that journey. The pieces reflect the shifting seasons, colors, and atmosphere of Deep Creek Lake and Garrett County—familiar landscapes interpreted through a layered dialogue of lens and brush. Photography provides the structure; paint adds movement, emotion, and interpretation.
Brush & Lens Fusion celebrates collaboration, sustainability, and local creative voices. It demonstrates how artists can build upon one another’s strengths, rethink materials, and create work that is both deeply rooted in place and open to experimentation. At its heart, Brush & Lens Fusion is about seeing differently—about what can happen when artists are encouraged to push beyond their medium, respond to their surroundings, and create together. What began as a conversation has become a vibrant example of how community, creativity, and shared vision can transform not only artwork but the way we experience it.
Written by Garrett County Arts Council.