Jessica Gardner; Sleep When the Baby Sleeps; slip-cast multiples, slip dip fabric; re-fired found objects, ceramic decals; 20”x18”x18”; photo courtesy of the Margaret W. & Joseph L. Fisher Gallery.
Opening Reception: Saturday, November 12 from 1pm to 3pm
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The Margaret W. & Joseph L. Fisher Art Gallery at the Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall and Arts Center at the Northern Virginia Community College Alexandria Campus will exhibit the works of one of its own this fall. Jessica Gardner’s art exhibit Raising: Motherhood in Modernity, will be on display from Friday, Nov. 4 to Sunday, Dec. 18 with an opening reception from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 12.
Gardner explained that since becoming a mother, her artistry and the way she approaches art has changed. Elements of motherhood and the good and bad of being a parent can be found in the ceramic pieces she created for the exhibit Raising: Motherhood in Modernity.
“My work has traditionally been a subtle reflection of the introspective nature and self-assessment that form the pillars of my personality. And then I had children. Suddenly, my tendency toward diplomacy in life and in my art gave way to exhaustion and turmoil,” Gardner said. “This body of work reflects the simultaneous elation and emotional erosion that coalesced into my experience of motherhood in modernity. I view my work as hopeful but also painfully honest.”
Gardner is an art professor at NOVA-Alexandria. She obtained a Master of Fine Arts at Georgia State University, a post baccalaureate certificate at the University of Florida and a bachelor’s degree from Alfred University. In the past, Gardner has held solo exhibitions across the country and has been included in publications such as 500 Teapots, Vol. 2, by Lark Books and Ceramics: Art and Perception.
Gallery Hours:
- Monday-Friday: 10am to 4pm
The Fisher Art Gallery is on the second level of Schlesinger Center, which is located at 4915 E Campus Drive, Alexandria, VA. For more information about art shows and concert hall events, call the Schlesinger Center at 703.845.6156.
