Judith Bank I AJ Fletcher

Judith Bank

AJ Fletcher
May - November

The Protest Purse

THE PROTEST PURSE

by Kulsum Tasnif
photography by Caroline Cockrell

Exhibition: May 4 - June 16, 2018
Artist Talk: May 5th, 4-6pm
First Friday: May 4th, 6-10pm & June 1st, 6-10pm

Project Statement
For the past months I immersed myself in stories of Muslim women, learning what inspires us to resist and to exist in these times of national chaos, global catastrophes, and day to day struggles. My resistance purses are portraits of contemporary human struggles and triumphs. They are empowering, bold, and collaborative, fueled by our collective passions; they serve as a documentation of an era in which voices are silenced, yet, remaining silent is not an option. This is an ongoing project that seeks to re-contextualize how we view protest, and allows insight into the hearts and minds of a diverse community of women. And I couldn't have thought of a better partner than photographer-friend Caroline Cockrell to join me on this journey called The Protest Purse.

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THE LAB is sponsored by Allen Tate Realtors

CANstruction 2018

CANstruction 2018
Light Rail by Summit Design and Engineering with Monteith Construction and students from Wake Tech

April 6-26
Competition Build Day: Friday, April 6th
First Friday Reception & CANstruction scavenger hunt: Friday, April 6th, 6-9pm

CANstruction is a nonprofit organization that holds annual design/build competitions to construct giant sized structures made entirely out of canned food. The goal of CANstruction, in addition to providing thousands of pounds of food for hunger relief assistance, is to put a spotlight on the design and construction industry giving back to the communities they help to design and build. Architects, engineers, designers and/or contractors participate either by entering competing teams from their firms or by mentoring teams of students, local businesses, clubs or civic organizations. The theme for this year’s event is Save our Planet.

Summit Design and Engineering, a local architecture and engineering firm has teamed up with Monteith Construction and students from Wake Tech to build their entry Light Rail, using 3293 cans of food. The team will compete against other firms in the all-day event to help with hunger relief. Once the event is over the cans will go to the Food Bank of Central and Eastern Carolina. Come by and see how things turn out!

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THE LAB is sponsored by Allen Tate Realtors

Jane Cheek / United Arts Council

Jane Cheek

United Arts Council
November

BIO

Jane Cheek is a mixed media artist who works in an abstract expressionist style. She enjoys working with bright colors, metallic accents, and texture to create art that plays with whimsy and elegance. Jane is interested in using the balance of artistic opposites to represent the balance of emotions she has as a survivor of child abuse with a happy life as an adult. She finds joy and inspiration in nature, her three exuberant children, her amazing husband, and the wonderfully supportive and loving people in her life. When you look at Jane's work you might notice the unmixed colors of Fauvists like van Gogh paired with the simplistic playful shapes of expressionists such as Miró and Kandinsky. In her works with craft and sculptural elements, you may see influences of Janet Echleman and Juame Plensa. Jane's work is a daily practice of seeking and creating joy.

Jane attended North Carolina State University where she received a BA in Visual Arts Applications. After graduating, Jane taught art for five years at a K-8 charter school in Durham while working in her home studio and began selling work at local art fairs. She took a few years off while her children were newborns and then resumed work in her home studio. Jane’s work is currently on display at Read With Me, Emily & Co, and Lavish. When she isn't working on art, she and her family can be found living the unschooling life at local parks, and museums, and traveling as often as possible.

ARTIST STATEMENT

In this collection I am exploring contradictory artistic elements. I am working with the relationships between opacity and translucency; two dimensions and three; structure and complete abstraction; whimsy and elegance. I have used these elements to explore the contradictions between my own past as an abused child and my present as a happy mother, wife, and artist. I used bright colors and metallic accents to create happy expressionist work because I have chosen to seek and create joy in my life.

Cathy Foreman / Aloft Raleigh

Cathy Foreman

Aloft Raleigh
October - December

ARTIST BIO

Cathy is not, nor does she proclaim to be, a music connoisseur but what she will say is she appreciates a good groove and if it offers up a funky bass-line, then all the better. It is that very groove that guides her along in the process by which she creates her Art. 

At the base of each piece of Art is her photography. The majority of Cathy’s work stems from photographs she has captured at live music events. And on occasion she has been so moved and inspired that she captures a screenshot from her television and proceeds to turn that into a piece of Art.

In 2011, Reflections by Cathy Foreman was created and she hasn’t looked back. Currently a resident of Raleigh, NC, by way of Tillery, NC, Cathy has carved out her own space in which she comfortably sits – but it didn’t happen overnight. In what she says seems like a long and arduous road, she started simply by shooting small get-togethers with her girlfriends and high school classmates. After that, she started going on “shoot-abouts” and capturing the people and things in her surroundings. In 2012, a connection to a local non-profit focused her talents as she slowly integrated texture into her work. She was cautious as she was unsure how it would be accepted, but in 2014, she realized she has always beat to a different drum, and firmly planted her feet in what she now calls “Photography to Art”.

Through music, Cathy has found that the animation of Artists, affords her a unique opportunity to interpret their performance and energy, it has helped to mold her creative style. Once she narrowed the area of which she wanted to concentrate, she delved further into the manipulation of the photograph thus creating these photographic works of art.

Today, Cathy primarily photographs live music events, but she continues to hone her craft by staying true to her grassroots and doing shoot-abouts in whichever city or town she happens to be. Her heart lies with creating Art and it is those artistic pieces you will often see.

Sleight of Hand

SLEIGHT of HAND
a collaboration

Addison Brown | Brooke Caudle | Heidi Kirkpatrick | Tobia Makover | Lori Vrba

Exhibition: October 6-26, 2017
Opening Reception: October 6, 6-10pm

Project Statement

An exhibition of photo-based object works where each piece requires a physical action from the viewer to be fully experienced.  This art is made to be touched.  The exhibition features the one-of-a-kind assemblage and installation pieces by Addison Brown, Brooke Caudle, Heidi Kirkpatrick, Tobia Makover, and Lori Vrba.