Exchange Gallery: April Featured Artists

April Exchange Gallery Featured Artists
opening reception: April 1st, 6-10pm

Brenda Brokke

I am fascinated with the idea of stacking images in my work.  I layer one image on another just as meaning and understanding is often revealed in layers. I follow the contemporary practice of mixing mediums. Collage and printmaking often enrich the layers. As subject matter, I remain intrigued with figurative pieces that address contemporary issues.  Much of my work is about the role of females in our society and others, especially China.

My work has been described as a mosaic of images. It uses mixed media, memories, and messages. They are meant to provoke thought.

When I am expressing ideas about females, I often use textiles as well as domestic and decorative patterns.

My work is also a conscious reaction to the prevailing trend of the non-aesthetic or anti aesthetic that permeates much of contemporary art. I make no apologies for being decorative in my work.

Eric Ennis

As an art form, hand beading goes back for centuries to the cultures of Asia, Egypt, India, Russia, Native Americans and the Victorian era–to name just a few–when the art of hand beading was most prominent. Eric Ennis, a bead artist in Raleigh, North Carolina, brings this art form back to life again by painting with beads. After a long career as an ornate dress designer, he has established a reputation as a beading artist. Each bead is sewn by hand, one bead at a time, forming unique pieces of art. Only crystal and glass beads, never plastic, are used on the selected fabric.

His work has drawn in customers from around the world as well as attention from Our State Magazine, The Tar Heel Traveler, WRAL Television Station, and a full page article in the News and Observer.

Elizabeth Laul Healey

I paint with bright vibrant colors about topics that are often considered dark, or perhaps even too taboo to talk about. I paint portraits of women surrounded by complex emotions & subject matter such as human rights, women's rights, race, equality, politics & mental illness. I also create work about how the art world & pop culture world affects us all, even those who think they are adverse to their power.  My work is often iconic and easily recognizable by my unique style of outlining my subjects both literally and figuratively.  The best way for me to bring up atopic that is important to me such as race or equality without offending people is for them to decipher my work on their own so they can be the judge of what they think is moral or not.  I want my work to be provocative and I'd rather someone have a viseral reaction to my work and at least remember it, than to confuse it with some other great artist they are indifferent to.

Brian Imfeld

Can we successfully analyze everything in our world? Will we know something completely if we record and measure every quality? Or are there important characteristics that are beyond measurement? To understand how the world works, we try to measure everything. Is it even possible to know what data should be collected when trying to define something that is as abstract as a thought or a feeling or an individual?

Compositionally my work is inspired by the visual language of graphs, charts and writing. When I plan and lay out my work, I incorporate grids, consider margins, and arrange elements in rows or columns to represent the structure we impose on the world as we try to measure and understand it. I replace the words, numbers, and data of the structure with shapes and patterns to redirect the focus away from the data but toward the way data is presented. The materials I choose and the textures I create, represent those unclear characteristics that cannot be defined or quantified. They spread over the entire surface revealing the presence of these non quantifiables everywhere.

Because in today’s world everything and everyone is subject to this probing examination, it is possible that qualities that connect with you are visible throughout these compositions. Are you an odd shape rising from the surface as texture, or are you the measurements from which other elements can grow? Do you stand on the grid where the data predicts you should be or do you contradict that assumption?

DJ Joynes

I, DJ, artist and operator of ArtZjewels, design one of a kind wearable art that reflects individual personality. My pieces contain elements of color, style, beauty and adventure which are solidly constructed of mostly buttons.

Allow me to describe one. This piece was designed for a little girl named Lily. Lily loves boots, hats, flowers, cupcakes and ice cream and her necklace bouquet contains all these elements. She is also affectionately called “Lily Bug” by her family so of course there are lady bug buttons. The title of this necklace is “It’s My Party, Cowboy!”. This necklace tells the story of how Lily puts on her cowgirl boots and hat, takes Teddy by the hand and off to the rodeo they go. Then tomorrow Teddy will go on his on adventure with his lady bug friends; maybe even have a cupcake party!

Another piece with a cameo, vintage buttons and splashes of color scattered about, might lead the viewer on a garden stroll with a Victorian lady in a sweeping sun dress. Talk is quiet, laughter soft, as they meander about though the shafts of warm sunshine peeping between the canopies above.

Each design is a statement piece and fun to wear. As an accessory, they make any outfit POP!

the beginning of everything

April 1 - 28, 2016
VAE is excited to showcase drawings in our the beginning of everything exhibition, but we also challenged artists to help expand the idea of drawing. the beginning of everything is, of course, an exhibition that features skillfully rendered drawings, but will also showcases work that makes viewers question their ideas about drawing. This means the exhibition also includes architectural drawing, cartoons, blueprints, printmaking, digital drawing, illustrations, installation works, and a video that all connect to the idea of drawing.

The Juror
Alicia Lange, Director, SPECTRE arts. SPECTRE arts is a contemporary visual and performing arts venue in Downtown Durham, North Carolina. Alicia founded the space in 2011, restoring a historic 1910 church that now houses some of the Triangle’s best exhibitions. SPECTRE is a valued part of Durham’s thriving arts community and exhibits work by local, regional, and national artists.

The Art
Catherine Altice, Dancing, Drawing, Making Pictures
Mary Ann Anderson, Tethered
Tedd Anderson, Rest Ruin
Tedd Anderson, Face Transplant
Marnie Blum, Self Image
Rachel Borgman, After Velazquez: Drawing Tool for St. Thomas Aquinas After Summa Theologica
Sarah Bradley, Fly Through My Window My Sugar Lump
Jeannette Brossart, Rough Sketch
Erin Canady, Build Me Up
Meredith Cantrell, Dreams Like These
xiaoyu che, The Big Bang Theory
Katie Christo, Forest #4
Katie Christo, Forest #5
Renee Cloud, What Have I Been Doing Lately?
Janet Coleman, head strong
Caroline Coven, Cruciform Series_Opened
Caroline Coven, Cruciform Series_Cradle
Maready Evergreen, Spirit Bubble-Purposeful Movement
Maready Evergreen, Spirit Bubble – Fancy Visitors
Elizabeth Flock, Doodle Compendium
Ross Ford, 05/23/15 3:10pm
Colleen Garibaldi, Untitled (how much to reveal/out of my skin)
Beth Grabowski, 306-311 Burns.
Anita Joice, Bird 2
jean LeCluyse, Marty’s Bees
jean LeCluyse, Underdevelopment at Obey Creek
Janet Link, migration, 2
Janet Link, migration, 3
Angela Lombardi Zappala, La Specola
Greg Lookerse, Dried Stones
Greg Lookerse, I Am Teaching a Stone to Talk Relic
Kristin Lozoya, A Mother’s Journal: A Tale of Two Odd Birds
Loren Marple, Nerves
William McSwain, Compound Roof System
Richard Paxson, The Duke
Janelle Piotrowski, Bee Calm
Lisa Pors, Pencil Dress
Alex L. Porter, Together as One
Nancy Raen-Mendez, Profit
Ben Rauscher, Vulture
Chuck Siler, MakeFor366: January
Richard Stickney, A Sounding Device
Lindsey Stimpson, Living Skyline
Laura Sussman-Randall, Protest
Chris Vitiello, bad decision
Chris Vitiello, marry it
Jake Weigel, Void
Aaron Zalonis, 8am

See all of the artwork to be exhibited in the beginning of everything HERE!

MEDIA

March 4-24, 2016
First Friday Reception: March 4, 6-10pm

The Exhibit
The purpose of MEDIA is to exhibit artwork from across the spectrum of artist’s materials. The exhibition has no theme, but strives to create conversations about the variations in a single medium and aesthetic between different media. The exhibition includes 48 pieces of artwork categorized by painting, drawing/printmaking, photography, video, mixed media, fiber/textile, digital media, and three-dimensional works.

The Artists
Jodi Aker, Beginnings
Bryan Allyn, Decay
Phil Ashe, Intuitive Impression
Phil Ashe, Deep Field
Morgan Benshoff, You’re Doing It All Wrong
Kelli Black, Don’t Worry Ladies, This Won’t Make You Big (After Jillian Michaels)
Chester Brewer, CREATURE PLAY
Jeannette Brossart, The Collector
Zac Buser, Bridal Veil
Jean Cauthen, Earthly Delights
laura (Yi Zhen) Chen, Barns with shadows
Rose Cleary, WEIRDSHAPES4
Renee Cloud, Memory Police, or, the Inability to Remember You Perfectly Twice
Janet Coleman, Preempt
Melinda Fine, The Showgirl
McArthur Freeman, Balloon Bump
Leif Gann-Matzen, Pelagic
Brian Gualillo, Blurred Concepts.
Rich Gurnsey, “I PICK YOU” BY THE AFFECTIONATES
Murry Handler, Daybreak=
Murry Handler, Glyphs#1, Sepia Rosetta
Kelley Hunter, It Started Out Grey
Leatha Koefler, Carolina Blue Lilly
Jana Lankford, Symphony
Elizabeth Laul Healey, On Edge
Elizabeth Laul Healey, Fallen Grace
Stephen Lindberg, Tectonics
Brandon Marshall, Untitled
Randy McNamara, FEELS LIKE TOMORROW
Bronwyn Merritt, Shamanic Medicine Cabinet
Cynthia Meyer, Vivid Color Memories
Luca Molnar, This Is Just to Say
Colin Murasko, Blue, Yellow-Green, Green
Frank Myers, Krispy Kreme Stripes
Constance Pappalardo, When words fail me
Jessica Parnell, Frost
Susan Piercecchi, Enigma
Alexis Price, “stuck in the crosshairs”
Cindy Pryor, “17 of 71 Blue”
Cindy Pryor, “My Father, My Son”
Robert Ringham, Feeding the light
Robert Ringham, Light Seeker
Tim Saguinsin, Critics (My Six Year Old Could Do That!)
Eric Saunders, Stick Castle No. 2
Richard Stickney, starlet
Anne Tello, #thinkdifferent
Richard Usanis, Abstract #156709
Aaron Zalonis, if you let those animals meditate they’ll kill us all

View all of the work exhibited in MEDIA here!

The Juror
Kathleen Rieder, Assistant Professor of Art +Design, North Carolina State University College of Design

About Kathleen Rieder
Kathleen Rieder has been a teaching faculty member in the Department of Art + Design since 1989. Her emphasis is in Design Studies. Kathleen Rieder has taught drawing, painting, color theory, mixed media, 2D Design and 3D Design, and the First Year Experience. She has taught a seminar in Contemporary Issues in Art + Design for juniors majoring in Art + Design for the past 13 years.

In addition to her teaching, she has actively exhibited her art. She has been selected three times to exhibit in the NC Artists Exhibition at the NC Museum of Art. In the past twelve years she has exhibited at the Hanes Art Center at UNC Chapel Hill; the Weatherspoon Art Museum at UNC-Greensboro; Meredith College; NC State College of Design; the Louise Wells Cameron Museum in Wilmington; and more recently at the Caldwell County Arts Council and the Mahler Gallery in Raleigh.

Questions? Email Brandon!

Contemporary South 2016

January 6 – February 25, 2016
First Friday Receptions: January 8, 6-10pm & February 5, 6-10pm

The Exhibit
The South is emerging as hub for creativity. Raleigh has adopted a vision to become the Southern Capital for Arts and Culture. To showcase the best artwork from the region here in Raleigh, Contemporary South highlights artwork from across the regional South. Since 2012 Contemporary South has been one of  VAE’s most popular exhibition, 2016’s exhibition will feature 77 pieces of artwork, made by 74 artists from 12 states across the region.

The Artists
Eric Adams, Self Service
Randy Akers, dawn sage
Mary Anderson, Looking Back
Amy Anderson, the lineup
Amy Anderson, The Wedges
Ashley Arakas, “Brevity and Bliss”
Peg Bachenheimer, Good Day Sunshine-Beatles
Devin Balara, Like A Rock
Brant Barrett, Rooster Time
Tamie Beldue, Bisect
Sarah Bielski, First and Ten; Do It Again
Jenny Blazing, Test of Time
William Breazeale, Across the Tracts (Durham CBD#6)
Zel Brook, Horseshoe Barn Roof
Michael Carlebach, Asheville, North Carolina
Micah Cash, Pickwick Landing, Downstream
Renee Cloud, You’re Obviously Not A Hood Girl
Peter Cotroneo, Sweat Sweater
Yvette Cummings Arendt, Voyeur Series
Dana Flynt, Fading Memories XI
McArthur Freeman, Pine App
John Gallagher, Portent
Laken Geiger, PRESENTPRESENCE
Callie Farmer Goss, Binding the Divergence
George Gregory, The Lovers
Jim Hallenbeck, Clothes on Line Along Huler’s Lawson Trek
Anthony Hamilton, Souvenirs #10
Alyson Hansen, Hidden Oak
Rebecca Jacobs, Erosion
Yalonda M James, Cypress Gardens 2
Kathryn Jill Johnson, Tower and Spire
Andrea Kainz, The Body Electric
Joyce Watkins King, Southern Ladies Must Cross Their Legs
Josiah King, Presence
Josiah King, Floor Advancing
Christin Kleinstreuer, Unraveling
Liss LaFleur, QUEEN
Lauren Lake, olate
Sam Lasris, See, Spot,….. Run
Elizabeth Laul Healey, Working Hard at Da Wash
Stephanie Leathers, walls
Gary James Lee, Blizzard
Cayce Lee, Akasha
Vivian Liddell, Swipes 2
Vivian Liddell, Swipes Video
M. Blair Ligon, While My Schoolroom Sleeps
Richard Lund, Broken Mirror
Sarah Martin, Foam Party
Rachel McClain, The Angelina Effect
Lambert McLaurin, “Motherwell’s Window” (abandoned mill)
Gary Mesa-Gaido, Unidentified Point of Departure #2
Rosalie Midyette, Lene
Julia Morrisroe, Your Eyes Proclaim Series #111913
Chieko Murasugi, Life’s Like That
Frank Myers, Fort Fischer Reenactors
Lake Newton, Clinton, Arkansas 2015
David Norcross, Color Conversation 1
Libby O’Daniel, The Tearing and the Torn: Them #2
Olivia Ouyang, Home
Jena Pendarvis, Terra Incognita #1
Nora Phillips, Voladores IV
Zack Rafuls, Difference & Repetition: For Sun Ra & Gilles Deleuze
Andrew Regan, Coat Check
Branch Richter, Through the Peephole
Kathleen Rieder, screen door
Robert Ringham, Little House on the Prairie
William Ruller, Stone Fist
Eric Saunders, Faces At The Fair
Bryce Speed, Yellow Bark
Caren Stansell, Circulation
Teresa Stephens, Four Sided Pyramid
Sterling Stevens, Home Sweet Home
Megan Sullivan, Open
Kulsum Tasnif, Journey to The Good Life
Daryl Thetford, The Search for Balance
Carrie Tomberlin, Pow Wow Contestant, Cherokee, NC
Jenny Williams, Café

View all of the works exhibited in Contemporary South 2016 here!

The Juror
Kristin Fleischmann Brewer, Manager of Programs @ Pulitzer Arts Foundation

About Kristin Fleischmann Brewer
Kristin Fleischmann Brewer is the Manager of Programs at Pulitzer Arts Foundation, where she has worked since 2011. Over the past 3 years Brewer has mounted over 100 programs; founded a grants program that awarded $60,000 to local and national artists to implement community projects. Brewer is also the co-founder and former director of Enamel Art Space in ST. Louis, which exhibited work of local and national visual artists. Brewer received her MFA in painting from Washington University in St. Louis in 2011 where she was the recipient of the Mr. and Mrs. Spencer T. Olin Fellowship for Women.

About Pulitzer Arts Foundation
Mission – Through engaging exhibitions, programs, and partnerships with artists, curators, and innovators across disciplines, Pulitzer Arts Foundation strives to inspire both the St. Louis community and international arts audiences to think differently about creativity in daily life.

The Pulitzer Arts Foundation presents a wide range of exhibitions, including those of Old Masters, Buddhist art, important modern and contemporary artists and group exhibitions that explore a diverse array of themes and ideas. In addition to its curatorial platform, the Pulitzer offers a robust roster of programs that bring together leading figures from fields such as art, architecture, design, urban planning, social work, technology, and science. Established by curator, philanthropist, and arts patron Emily Rauh Pulitzer, Pulitzer Arts Foundation promotes the significance of art in everyday life and its impact on the health and success of a community.

Questions? Email Brandon!