Mirror in the Dark: Resiliency Through Art, July 2021
WELCOME TO OUR GROUP EXHIBITION!
CURATED BY JUANA WILLIAMS
VISUAL ARTS CURATOR & WRITER
FEATURING ARTISTS:
Jamaal Barber, Rachel Le Roux , Erin Kendrick , Angelica Sistrunk , Liam Hayes , Kaylee Reynolds , Tokie Taylor , Amy Laskin , Lillian Aguinaga , Lance McBride , Stephanie Brown , Chelsea Markuson , Christopher Batten , Mia Anika , Liv Aanrud , Dáreece Walker , Rosy Petri , Jacqueline Diesing , Dana Southerland , Ashley Gardner , Siena Smith , Heather Drayzen , Rose Freeland , Maya Orchinik , Stacy Bogdonoff , Roberta March , Pam Douglas , Bridie Alvarez , Abhishek Tuiwala , Caitlin Cartwright , Lucy Shaiken , Anna Mogilevsky , Nirmal Raja , Kiara Aileen Machado
ABOUT THE EXHIBIT
Mirror in the Dark explores how flexibility is often used as a tool of resilience as the ebb and flow of life’s challenges are navigated through. The exhibition also examines previous responses to unexpected circumstances and crises. How have challenges affected your life? In what ways did you respond and how have those previous challenges created long-term impacts on how you handle crises? A particularly relevant question when reflecting on these ideas is ‘do crises ever completely leave us?’
When considering a metaphorical mirror, there is a complicated understanding of one’s reflection because of the distance from previous encounters and how they differ from more current experiences. With an understanding of how identity shifts in response to external change, how does a reexamination of those adjustments impact future responses? This exhibition examines how we are forever impacted by unexpected events and how the tools of resiliency that we build and utilize continue to play a role when dealing with current and future crises. We are seeking work that explores, and perhaps even challenges, the notion of resilience.
NOTE FROM THE CURATOR
Initially, I was curious about how artists would interpret the theme. Sifting through the submissions, I was blown away by the wide array of interpretations and the great use of visual aesthetic to depict various forms of resiliency. In relation to the theme, artists examined a range of topics including immigration, familial expectations, ancestry, childhood trauma, dysphoria, and feelings of isolation due to the pandemic. I was honored to have the opportunity to view so many outstanding works of art and I made an conscious effort to select a plethora of voices to comment on topics of flexibility and remembering as tools of resilience.
— Juana Williams, Visual Arts Curator & Writer
IMAGES FROM OUR VIRTUAL EXHIBITION 7/24 - 8/20
Caitlin Cartwright. Capsized. Mixed media on wooden board.
Erin Kendrick. O. Mixed media on paper.
Anna Mogilevsky. Allegory of Drawing. Graphite on paper.
Angelica Sistrunk. La Divina Comedia: Inferno. Ballpoint pen & turmeric tea.
Kaylee Reynolds, Heavenly Bodies. Acrylic on canvas.
Tokie Taylor. Reflection of Self. Pigment print on cotton rag.
Lillian Aguinaga. Threshold. Acrylic on wood.
Lance McBride. Don’t Tread On Me. Pencil on paper.
Stephanie Brown. Give Her Flowers. Photography.
Christopher Batten. Young Warrior in Repose. Oil and aerosol on canvas.
Liv Aanrud. Afternoon Swoon. Flannel, burlap & acrylic.
Dáreece Walker. Black Fathers Matter, series III, Untitled #1. Charcoal & chalk pastel on cardboard.
Rosy Petri. Scribe. Cotton and thread.
Jacqueline Diesing. William Livingstone. Micron ink and soft pastels.
Ashley Gardner. Black Mothers in The United States Die at Three to Four Times the Rate of White Mothers. Oil on linen.
Heather Drayzen. A Room of My Own. Oil on canvas.
Jamaal Barber. A Place For Me (After Bearden). Mixed media on wood panel.
Stacy Bogdonoff. 18 Houses. Linen, cotton, silk & burlap.
Roberta March. Fluidity II. Acrylic & ink triptych on birch panel.
Pam Douglas. All That Matters. Charcoal, twine & burlap on raw linen.
Abhishek Tuiwala. The Golden Identity. Wood, brass rods & stack of papers.
Lucy Shaiken. Self Portrait—Mirror 5. Acrylic on canvas.
Thank you for visiting!
Rachel Le Roux. When the Sunlight Paints You Gold. Oil on linen.
Caitlin Cartwright. Undertow. Mixed media on wooden board.
Anna Mogilevsky. Veiling Unveiling. Graphite on paper.
Erin Kendrick. Ra. Mixed media on paper.
Liam Jäger. Untitled #4. Photography.
Tokie Taylor. A Consideration of Wealth and Worth. Pigment print on cotton rag.
Amy Laskin. Coral and Floral Collaborate. Oil on linen.
Lillian Aguinaga. Sustain. Acrylic on wood.
Lance McBride. Necromancer. Pencil, pen & ink on paper.
Chelsea Markuson. How to Release Stigma. Installation View. Mixed media.
Mia Anika. The Mood Swings (Cartography XIII). Acrylic, ink & pastel on canvas.
Liv Aanrud. Water Watcher. Yarn & monks cloth.
Dáreece Walker. Black Fathers Matter series III, Untitled #2. Charcoal & chalk pastel on cardboard.
Jacqueline Diesing. Michigan Central Station. Micron ink & soft pastels.
Dana Southerland. Elephant of Empty. Digital photography.
Siena Smith. Three. Jacquard woven.
Rose Freeland. Self After the Storm. Acrylic on canvas.
Maya Orchinik. Dysphoria. Colored pencil & watercolor on paper.
Roberta March. Fluidity I. Acrylic & ink triptych on birch panel.
Bridie Alvarez. They Said We'd Have a Lot in Common. Oil paint & collaged paper on panel.
Bridie Alvarez. Tuning In/Tuning Out. Oil paint & collaged paper on panel.
Nirmal Raja. Feeble Barriers #42. Hand embroidery of text messages from healthcare workers on cotton organdy, machine sewing of masks.
Click here to view the full installation video.
Kiara Aileen Machado. Regalitos de Mamá. Oil on canvas.