2021 Illuminate Art Walk
Join us for the second annual Illuminate Art Walk! We’ve partnered up with our friends at the Downtown Raleigh Alliance again for this year’s festival of installation, light, and video art! These works will only be on view during the month of December so be sure to bundle up and head out to check out some really incredible work from across the country.
ILLUMINATE ART WALK
December 3, 2021 - January 9, 2022
VAE Pop-up Space
120 S Wilmington St
Join us for the second annual Illuminate Art Walk! We’ve partnered up with our friends at the Downtown Raleigh Alliance again for this year’s festival of installation, light, and video art! These works will only be on view during the month of December so be sure to bundle up and head out to check out some really incredible work from across the country.
Learn more about Illuminate Art Walk!
ARTISTS
Sabine Gruffat, North Carolina
@mi55hi55
Amarillo Ramp, w/ Bill Brown
This experimental Super-16mm film documents Smithson's final earthwork, 'Amarillo Ramp,' located in the Panhandle of northwest Texas.
Mountain
A video switches between multiple sources of feedback-generated computer animations that are transformed by electronic oscillators.
Milk and Honey, Arkansas
@MindofMilkandhoney @ashkaye8 @islapgordon
There’s Nothing Quite Like Home Cooking
A flesh-centric collaboration between Isla P. Gordon and Ashley Kaye, Milk and Honey explores and lampoons pop culture, partnership and the body. Milk and Honey takes its name from the biblical phrase , and inspiration from its use in the modern day to describe, among other things, The United States of America, a 1984 album by John Lennon &Yoko Ono, and an ancient form of corporal punishment.
Milk and Honey’s oeuvre draws on the creators’ experiences as a trans woman and a gender non-conforming person. Utilizing an array of props, custom designed and printed textiles and bodysuits, their live performances, videos and installations that provided visibility to both the transgender and queer domestic experience and visualizes our ongoing process of learning and unlearning as we redefine our ideas of domesticity and marriage.
CALL FOR ART : BLACK FOLKTALES + STORYTELLING
In support of VAE’s inaugural Collaborative Curatorial Fellowship, we are seeking mixed media submissions to be included in an exhibition focused on African American folktales and family storytelling. Ranging from the well known story of Anansi the Spider, to the more personal tale from an uncle, we aim to highlight what are often oral histories in a visual format.
We are seeking submissions by artists using any medium; including but not limited too: photography, painting, drawing, fibers, etc.
Call Open: December 6, 2021 - January 11, 2022
In support of VAE’s inaugural Collaborative Curatorial Fellowship, we are seeking mixed media submissions to be included in an exhibition focused on African American folktales and family storytelling. Ranging from the well known story of Anansi the Spider, to the more personal tale from an uncle, we aim to highlight what are often oral histories in a visual format.
We are seeking submissions by artists using any medium; including but not limited too: photography, painting, drawing, fibers, etc.
Entry Information:
To use the online form to submit information about and images of your work, please review these instructions for naming your files.
All files should be named like so: 01_LASTNAME_TITLE.jpg, 02_LASTNAME_TITLE.jpg.
Still images should be sent as jpegs should be at least 1000px at their widest dimension, not to exceed 2MB per image. 2D artists may submit one JPEG per entry. 3D artists may submit two JPEGS (one full shot and one detail) per entry. Follow the filename format for works as indicated above.
Video samples should be edited to no longer than 2-minute excerpts. It is strongly preferred that video & audio artists submit their work online through clips or URL addresses to online sharing formats like Hulu, Vimeo, Youtube, or Dropbox. Videos submitted as uploaded files should be no larger than 10MB (as that is the largest file eligible for upload on our entry software). Video pieces will only be accepted for exhibition if they are captioned, either with open captioning, that is integrated into the video or closed captioning that can be turned on when needed. Read info about captioning videos on Youtube, with iMovie, or Quicktime! Please only submit video art or video documentation of an art piece that requires video to be fully experienced. Do not send video walk-throughs of static exhibitions or video slideshows.
Audio: Audio should be submitted as separate MP3 files. Each track should be no longer than 2 minutes. Follow the filename format for works as indicated above.
Web-based: Web-based work should be submitted as a URL listed in the work sample list. Please only submit web-based projects. A portfolio website that features audio/video art and still images will not be considered.
Eligibility
VAE calls are open to any living artist. A maximum of 2 works in any medium, per artist may be submitted. Two- and three-dimensional entries will be accepted. Work must be original and completed in the last 2 years. VAE Raleigh reserves the right to exclude work due to size or special requirements. Entries must be hand-delivered to the gallery or mailed in a returnable container.
We will not exhibit or financially support work that co-opts the story of a community without representation from that community acting in a decision making role.
Accessibility
VAE’s gallery entrance, lobby, and exhibition space are all located on the ground floor with accessible paths of travel. The space has flexible seating, accessible water fountains, and restrooms. Our aim is to make entering our exhibitions accessible to everyone. If you need any additional information or accommodations in order to enter this exhibition please email Ant Lobo-Ladd (ant@vaeraleigh.org) or call 919.828.7834 and leave a message.
Visit our accessibility page for more information.
Sales
VAE Raleigh will retain a commission of 25% for all works sold during the run of the exhibition. If a work is not for sale, please enter "NFS" in the "Price for Entry" field in the entry form. An insurance value is still required for artworks that are not for sale.
Liability
All entries will be handled with the utmost care and respect. VAE is not liable for artwork during transportation to or from the gallery but does carry a blanket inland marine policy that covers most fine artworks and craft items up to $5,000. VAE reserves the right to refuse coverage to artwork with inherent vices, high values, or that is deemed unstable.
Questions? Email Alyssa
CALL FOR ART : SELF-PORTRAITURE
VAE Raleigh is looking for submissions to be included in an exhibition of self-portraiture to be on view at Dock 1053 from mid December 2021 - April 2022. (Exact dates to be determined).
We are seeking self-portrait submissions by artists using any medium; including but not limited to: photography, painting, drawing, fibers, etc. Unfortunately we cannot accommodate video pieces at this venue.
CALL FOR ART : SELF PORTRAITURE
Call Open from October 27 - November 29.
VAE Raleigh is looking for submissions to be included in an exhibition of self-portraiture to be on view at Dock 1053 from mid December 2021 - April 2022. (Exact dates to be determined).
We are seeking self-portrait submissions by artists using any medium; including but not limited to: photography, painting, drawing, fibers, etc. Unfortunately we cannot accommodate video pieces at this venue.
Entry Information:
To use the online form to submit information about and images of your work, please review these instructions for naming your files.
All files should be named like so: 01_LASTNAME_TITLE.jpg, 02_LASTNAME_TITLE.jpg.
Still images should be sent as jpegs should be at least 1000px at their widest dimension, not to exceed 2MB per image. 2D artists may submit one JPEG per entry. 3D artists may submit two JPEGS (one full shot and one detail) per entry. Follow the filename format for works as indicated above),
Eligibility
The call for art is open to any living artist. A maximum of 2 works of any medium, per artist may be submitted. Two- and three-dimensional entries will be accepted. Work must be original and completed in the last 2 years. VAE Raleigh reserves the right to exclude work due to size or special requirements. Entries must be hand-delivered to the gallery or mailed in a returnable container.
We will not exhibit or financially support work that co-opts the story of a community without representation from that community acting in a decision making role.
Accessibility
VAE’s gallery entrance, lobby, and exhibition space are all located on the ground floor with accessible paths of travel. The space has flexible seating and restrooms. Our aim is to make entering our exhibitions accessible to everyone. If you need any additional information or accommodations in order to enter this exhibition please email Ant Lobo-Ladd (ant@vaeraleigh.org) or call 919.828.7834 and leave a message.
Visit our accessibility page for more information.
Shipping Artwork
Ship artwork using sturdy, reusable packing materials. Do not include pre-paid return postage in case the artwork sells during the run of the exhibition. Following the exhibition, each artist who shipped their work will be contacted by the Director of Exhibitions so that the piece may be returned.
Ship To:
VAE Raleigh
c/o Ant Lobo-Ladd
410 Glenwood Avenue #170
Raleigh, NC 27603
Sales
VAE Raleigh will retain a commission of 25% for all works sold during the run of the exhibition. If a work is not for sale, please enter "NFS" in the "Price for Entry" field in the entry form. An insurance value is still required for artworks that are not for sale.
Liability
All entries will be handled with the utmost care and respect. VAE is not liable for artwork during transportation to or from the gallery but does carry a blanket inland marine policy that covers most fine artworks and craft items up to $5,000. VAE reserves the right to refuse coverage to artwork with inherent vices, high values, or that is deemed unstable.
Questions? Email Ant! (they/them)
KITSCH, CAMP
As a part of the Click! 2021 Photography Festival, VAE presents: KITSCH, CAMP [and all of the other words now one actually knows the definitions for].
KITSCH, CAMP is a group exhibition that evinces world building through camp performance, kitsch styling, and the photographic process. Each artist brings their own self-rendered photographic portals to our reality, allowing viewers to gaze into fantastical worlds of the artists’ own creation that defy the corporeal expectations of the “real.”
In her seminal essay, Notes on Camp, Susan Sontag describes camp as, “...a sensibility that revels in artifice, stylization, theatricalization, irony, playfulness, and exaggeration rather than content...” Using Sontag’s analysis of camp, the exhibition encourages viewers to think beyond the frame, literally and metaphorically, to see the unseen in their lives and toy with the veiled to create dynamic space where irreverent play is centered as a means of self-exploratory departure from the mundane and banal procedures of the everyday.
LOCATION
120 S Wilmington St
Raleigh NC 27602
DATES
October - November 28, 2021
ARTISTS
Benjy Russell - Tennessee
Murrie Rosenfeld - New York
Yi Hsuan Lai - New York
Benjy Russell
Murrie Rosenfeld
Yi Hsuan Lai
NC SCULPTURE
Group Exhibition of North Carolina Sculpture
AUGUST 13 - DECEMBER 12, 2021
DOCK 1053
1053 E. WHITAKER MILL RD. RALEIGH NC, 27604
ARTISTS
Conner Calhoun, Greensboro
Conner Calhoun is currently a MFA Candidate at UNCG in Studio Art. They received their BFA in Visual and Critical Studies at the School of Visual Arts (NY) in 2015. They are a queer artist and curator based in North Carolina. Their most recent curatorial project is SLUG (Chapel Hill, NC), a project space by and for queer people of the South. They worked as a Projects Coordinator at LUMP gallery (Raleigh NC) from 2017-2020. Their studio practice uses the tools of paintings, drawing and sculpture in order to create images and visual narratives that explore the fantastical qualities of queer space, existence and resistance. In 2016 they were the artist in residence at Leipzig International Artist Residency (DEU). In 2019 They were the artist in residence at Obracadobra (Oax, MX). Their most recent solo exhibition was Whispers From Wizard Mountain, LUMP gallery (Raleigh NC) in 2018. Their work was recently featured in CAVE HOMO, a celebration to queer spirit distilled into print form. They are dedicated to the creative forces of the queer south and beyond.
kiki nicole, Charlotte
kiki nicole is a poet and artist who works to archive Very Black Feelings. They are the co-founder of the new media/film archival project and screening series, the first and the last, specializing in uplifting work by Black trans/queer artists often overlooked in art spaces. They are currently a poetry editor at Muzzle Magazine and the recipient of a publishingfellowship with Graywolf Press. kiki is 1⁄5 of the NCbased art collective, SaltWater Sojourn—a guest project with Toshi Reagon. They live in Charlotte, NC.
Mia Kaplan, Penland
Mia Kaplan is an artist who works primarily in jewelry and metalsmithing. She received a BA in Studio Art at Earlham College in 2018. Mia worked as an intern Liberty Arts Sculpture Studio & Foundry in Durham, NC in 2016. She was also an intern at Brooklyn Metal Works through the New York Arts Program in 2017. Mia currently is in the Core Fellowship at the Penland School of Craft and works and lives in Penland, NC as a part of the Core program. She has most recently shown work through Secret Identity Projects with their show Amend and in A Curious Year at the Penland Gallery in NC.
Sarah Howes Whitney, Raleigh
Sarah Howes Whitney was raised in New York, went to school at Ohio State University for Fine Arts, moved to the West Coast where she lived in San Diego, San Francisco and Los Angeles, before moving to Raleigh NC, where she is currently an Artist, Museum educator and High School Art Teacher.
Lakeshia Ried @ Shaw University
Lakeshia Reid at Shaw University Library
August - December 2021
LOCATION
Shaw University James E Cheek Learning Resources Center
118 E South St, Raleigh, NC 27601
Saturday 12–5PM
Sunday 12–8PM
HOURS
Monday - Thursday 8AM–10PM
Friday 8AM–5PM
ABOUT LAKESHIA T. REID
Lakeshia T. Reid is a self-taught artist who lives and works in North Carolina. She received a B.S. in Graphic Design in 2011 and worked as a Graphic and Web Designer until she began painting portraits in 2017. Her background as a designer helps her create works that nod to the fantastical while offering interpretations of #BlackGirlMagic – a phrase/movement that celebrates positive messages and images of black women. She is currently a full-time artist and owner of 311 Gallery in Raleigh, NC.
We Wondered If We Could Reach Its End , Jane Cheek, 2021
Growing up in the South as a bisexual woman, I didn’t always accept my orientation with pride. Once I did, I found creating rainbows was a way to embrace myself and celebrate the queer community. I hope that being surrounded by this Pride Flag inspired installation feels as joyful for you as it does for me.
Installation. Acrylic paint, polyester film, and brass findings.
LOCATION
VAE Raleigh @ the Hub
410 Glenwood Ave #170
Raleigh NC 27603
EXHIBITION DATES
August 15 - November 28
ARTIST STATEMENT
Growing up in the South as a bisexual woman, I didn’t always accept my orientation with pride. Once I did, I found creating rainbows was a way to embrace myself and celebrate the queer community. I hope that being surrounded by this Pride Flag inspired installation feels as joyful for you as it does for me.
(Photo by Sarah Ford Photography)
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Jane Cheek grew up in North Carolina and graduated from NC State in 2005 with a degree in Art Studies. She has exhibited her work throughout the Triangle including 311 Gallery, VAE, and the Durham Art Guild, and has a public studio at Artspace in downtown Raleigh. Her recent work includes a large scale kinetic Progressive Pride flag installation for the Downtown Raleigh Alliance’s Pride Month Celebration , as well as art inspired by the Philly Pride flag for the Together Raleigh Project where artists create work for public transit shelters. You can learn more about Jane’s work on her website: janecheek.com, on Instagram @jane.the.artist, or by scanning the QR code below.
Please take as many photos as you want!
We’d love it if you use the hashtag #kineticrainbow on all of your social media posts so we can see them and share them.
You can also tag @jane.the.artist and @vaeraleigh in your posts.
COSO 2021 BIENNIAL CALL FOR ART
VAE is looking for submissions of 2D, 3D, video, and installation art for the COSO* 2021 Biennial. COSO’s goal is to explore what artists and makers in the regional South are currently thinking, discussing, and making work about. VAE firmly believes that art and exhibitions have the power to create social change, and COSO is an extension of our core values, vision, and mission to produce, fund, and exhibit socially-engaged art through community collaboration. The words “contemporary” or “south” do not refer to any particular aesthetic or subject matter.
*Contemporary South
To be considered, artists must be currently working in one of the following 11 states: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, and West Virginia.
LOCATION
VAE Raleigh @ the Hub
410 Glenwood Ave #170
Raleigh NC 27603
IMPORTANT SUBMISSION DATES
Application Opens: 6/29/2021
Application Closes: 8/20/2021
Notification (acceptance only): 9/8/2021
EXHIBITION DATES
October 5 2021 - January 28 2022
COSO 2021 Artists
Andres Risquez - Florida
Angelica Fields - North Carolina
Dasean Ultra - North Carolina
Davis Choun - North Carolina
Doris Kapner - North Carolina
Emma Dickson - North Carolina
Erin Ethridge - North Carolina
Isabel Lu - North Carolina
JP Jermaine Powell - North Carolina
Jenny Eggleston - North Carolina
Joseph Campbell - North Carolina
Justin Morgan Kennedy - North Carolina
Kayla Reische - North Carolina
Kimberly English- North Carolina
Kyle Kogut - Virginia
Larissa Miller - Gerogia
Michael Webster - South Carolina
Natalia Torres del Valle - North Carolina
Peri Law - North Carolina
Renzo Ortega - North Carolina
Ryan Price - Florida
VAE is looking for submissions of 2D, 3D, video, and installation art for the COSO* 2021 Biennial. COSO’s goal is to explore what artists and makers in the regional South are currently thinking, discussing, and making work about. VAE firmly believes that art and exhibitions have the power to create social change, and COSO is an extension of our core values, vision, and mission to produce, fund, and exhibit socially-engaged art through community collaboration. The words “contemporary” or “south” do not refer to any particular aesthetic or subject matter.
*Contemporary South
To be considered, artists must be currently working in one of the following 11 states: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, and West Virginia.
COSO 2021 is FREE to enter! That’s right, no submission fees!
Prizes will be awarded by the jurors and given out at the opening reception in October. The artist who is awarded first prize will receive a solo exhibition at our community exhibition partner Dock 1053!
JURORS
Death Nurse is an interdisciplinary artist based out of Nashville, TN with a background in printmaking and illustration who is currently deep in a tattoo apprenticeship. She looks forward to exploring the bounds of tattooing within her practice and how it combats notions of high and low brow art.
Karena “Kidd” Graves is an artist and sculptor from Greensboro, NC. They received a BFA in Sculpture from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 2019 and is a current MFA candidate in sculpture at East Carolina University. With their degree they gained more experience in metal fabrication, ceramics, woodworking, and carving. Their artwork consists mostly of found - repurposed materials from junk yards and the streets of North Carolina. The found objects they collect and bring to the studio become assemblages based on movement, form, and color in context of their research at the time. Their current research is based on their family and African American dream symbolism. Along with creating sculpture, they participate in collaborative public art projects.
Entry Information:
To use the online form to submit information about and images of your work, please review these instructions for naming your files.
All files should be named like so: 01_LASTNAME_TITLE.jpg, 02_LASTNAME_TITLE.jpg.
Still images should be sent as jpegs should be at least 1000px at their widest dimension, not to exceed 2MB per image. 2D artists may submit one JPEG per entry. 3D artists may submit two JPEGS (one full shot and one detail) per entry. Follow the filename format for works as indicated above.
Video samples should be edited to no longer than 2-minute excerpts. It is strongly preferred that video & audio artists submit their work online through clips or URL addresses to online sharing formats like Hulu, Vimeo, Youtube, or Dropbox. Videos submitted as uploaded files should be no larger than 10MB (as that is the largest file eligible for upload on our entry software). Video pieces will only be accepted for exhibition if they are captioned, either with open captioning, that is integrated into the video or closed captioning that can be turned on when needed. Read info about captioning videos on Youtube, with iMovie, or Quicktime! Please only submit video art or video documentation of an art piece that requires video to be fully experienced. Do not send video walk-throughs of static exhibitions or video slideshows.
Audio: Audio should be submitted as separate MP3 files. Each track should be no longer than 2 minutes. Follow the filename format for works as indicated above.
Web-based: Web-based work should be submitted as a URL listed in the work sample list. Please only submit web-based projects. A portfolio website that features audio/video art and still images will not be considered.
Eligibility
COSO 2021 is open to any living artist. A maximum of 2 works of any medium, per artist may be submitted. Two- and three-dimensional entries will be accepted. Work must be original and completed in the last 2 years. VAE Raleigh reserves the right to exclude work due to size or special requirements. Entries must be hand-delivered to the gallery or mailed in a returnable container.
We will not exhibit or financially support work that co-opts the story of a community without representation from that community acting in a decision making role.
Accessibility
VAE’s gallery entrance, lobby, and exhibition space are all located on the ground floor with accessible paths of travel. The space has flexible seating, accessible water fountains, and restrooms. Our aim is to make entering our exhibitions accessible to everyone. If you need any additional information or accommodations in order to enter this exhibition please email Ant Lobo (ant@vaeraleigh.org) or call 919.828.7834 and leave a message.
Visit our accessibility page for more information.
Shipping Artwork
Ship artwork using sturdy, reusable packing materials. Do not include pre-paid return postage in case the artwork sells during the run of the exhibition. Following the exhibition, each artist who shipped their work should generate a FedEx/UPS label or USPS postage and email it to our Director of Exhibitions so the piece may be returned.
Ship To:
VAE Raleigh
c/o Ant Lobo
410 Glenwood Avenue #170
Raleigh, NC 27603
Sales
VAE Raleigh will retain a commission of 25% for all works sold during the run of the exhibition. If a work is not for sale, please enter "NFS" in the "Price for Entry" field in the entry form. An insurance value is still required for artworks that are not for sale.
Liability
All entries will be handled with the utmost care and respect. VAE is not liable for artwork during transportation to or from the gallery but does carry a blanket inland marine policy that covers most fine artworks and craft items up to $5,000. VAE reserves the right to refuse coverage to artwork with inherent vices, high values, or that is deemed unstable.
Questions? Email Ant! (they/them)
APPROACHING MAXIMUM: THE CLIMATE CRISIS NOW
CLICK THE IMAGE BELOW TO EXPLORE THE EXHIBITION WEBPAGE
Midtown Banner Art Contest
The MRA and Capital Bank are sponsoring the First Annual Midtown Banner Art Contest. The MRA currently places banners in 26 locations of Midtown along St. Albans Road, Wake Forest Road and Six Forks Road. Our current design is a simple graphic with the words Midtown Raleigh diagonally across a multi-colored background. Upon the completion of the Banner Art Contest, the winning design will be printed on banners and hung in place of the current banners. The contest winner will be awarded a cash prize of $1000. (This same type of banner art contest was done about 10 years ago along Blount Street by the Downtown Raleigh Alliance.) Online information can be found here.
PURPOSE
The Midtown Raleigh Alliance (MRA), like many other non-profits, is working to alleviate the economic stress many are experiencing in our community. 2020 was a year like no other and has left many in financial hardship. MRA along with our sponsor Merz Aesthetics, and with support from the City of Raleigh, seek to engage local artists, while fulfilling our mission of enhancing Midtown’s visual community appeal.
The MRA and Merz Aesthetics are sponsoring the Second Annual Midtown Banner Art Contest. The MRA currently places banners in 26 locations of Midtown along St. Albans Road, Wake Forest Road and Six Forks Road. This year we are excited to be able to award two (2) artists with cash prize awards and a full year of public display of the selected winnings designs.
CONTEST DETAILS:
Interested artists will submit up to five (5) portfolio samples that show their style.
The Contest Project Team will review submissions and then select five (5) finalists.
Each finalist will be provided a stipend of $150 to produce a final design.
The final design will reflect the theme of “Wish You Were Here” and utilize the framing aspect which characterized the WYWH program (details below.)
Each finalist will submit their design.
The Project Team will review the final designs, and also establish a community engagement/voting system to obtain community sentiment.
Two (2) winning designs will be selected and the artists awarded a cash prize of $1000.
Social media print media and local news will feature articles/stories featuring winning designs and contest outcomes.
SUBMITTAL INSTRUCTIONS
Banner art, because of viewing distances lends itself to large-scale colorful designs easily decipherable and free from too much/small detail. We are asking for artists’ samples that will show the use of these types of designs. When submitting examples artists should consider that reviewers will be looking for samples of work that would adapt well to visibility from a 13’ high pole. These banners will never be seen ‘UP CLOSE’.
We are asking artists to submit no more than five (5) samples that reflect the artist’s style and/or range. Graphic file types accepted: jpg, pdf. png., (no ai files please) Please email samples files to Emily Holton at eholton@midtownraleighalliance.org Include your name, address, and a good contact number. (Wake County residents only.)
The sample submission deadline is January 26, 2021. Finalists will be notified by February 3, 2021. Selected finalists will submit their contest entry by February 17, 2021. Community support/voting will commence Friday 19, 2021, and conclude on Friday, February 26, 2021. Winning designs will be selected, and artists notified on Tuesday, March 2nd. The target date for banner installation is the second week of April.
SPECS
The banners are produced on heavy-duty vinyl with a slightly shiny surface. Each banner will be printed double-sided. As per Duke Power requirements for wind-load, there will be four (4) half-moon shaped slits in the banner itself. The Banners that hang have 29” x 60” total visible space. Additional specs will be provided to finalists and will include framing details/tool and additional measurements.
Lauren Collins, Mary Ann Anderson, Jessica Dupuis at Dock 1053
October 2, 2020 - February 26, 2021
Location: DOCK 1053
1053 E Whitaker Mill Road
Raleigh, NC 27604
Lauren Collins
Artist Statement
a vision
a meditation
an urge
a gut feeling
I now believe that these are direct communications through worlds — veils are broken in order for this conversation of speaking and listening and channeling.
Sometimes in the form of words, sometimes shapes, sometimes just a texture or feeling.
Created from light + love — dissolving fears and uplifting dreams.
Sometimes it is only a whisper, so faint that everything else must completely disappear from sight and sound in order for it to live with me in solitude for a moment.
And only just for that moment.
And then it is gone.
Other times it is so loud and blinding that it is all i know to be real — like i have to know; i have to feel it and communicate it to the world, or else it will fill me from the inside out, all the way, expanding from my bones to the thin veil of my skin.
They live in the shadows and begin to shuffle into the light in order to speak their language to the world;
and i am only their translator.
Mary Ann Anderson
Artist Statement
My paintings are informed by philosophy and art, especially:
- Chinese and Japanese art – transcending time and space
- Kandinsky’s conceptual premise that painting can help us to a greater consciousness
- American abstract expressionist art and conceptual art
These mixed media pieces are made using graphite, acrylic varnish and acrylic paint on synthetic paper (Yupo).
Artist Biography
Mary Ann Anderson has presented solo exhibitions at Visual Art Exchange and Artspace in Raleigh, at Duke University, the Durham Art Guild and GoldenBelt in Durham; at the Ackland Museum Store and Chapel Hill Library in Chapel Hill; and The ArtsCenter in Carrboro, NC. Her art studies have included classes at Ox-Bow, a program of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and Penland School of Craft in North Carolina.
Jessica Dupuis
Artist Statement
Invisible and visible boxes surround us every day, from standards of society and institutions to houses, studios, and offices. Within these structures, individual perceptions and senses vary, just as our memories and attachment to objects differ from one person to another. For me, the physical form of sculpture functions as a journal; architectural spaces that are open for the viewer to explore.
My work evolves from a process in which I use a combination of clay slip and discarded materials such as newspaper, cardboard, and furniture and transform them into art objects.
Artist Biography
Jessica Dupuis was born in Buffalo, New York and grew up in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. She received her MFA from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and her BFA with a concentration in ceramics and print media from Alfred University. Dupuis exhibits her work regionally and nationally. She has been a resident artist at the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft and Women's Studio Workshop as well as a recipient of the International Sculpture Center's Outstanding Student Achievement in Contemporary Sculpture Award and an Ella Fountain Pratt Emerging Artists Grant from the Durham Arts Council. She is an Assistant Professor of Art in Ceramics at the University of North Carolina-Pembroke and lives in Raleigh, North Carolina.