Katherine Akey, Coliseum, 2015, digital print, 20 x 24 inches. Courtesy of VisArts..
Opening Reception and Artist Talk: Friday, July 22 from 7pm to 9pm
.
Nicole Mueller, Cacophony, 2016, mixed media on canvas, 60 x 72 inches. Courtesy of VisArts.Nicole Mueller
First Cut
July 15 – August 21, 2016
Gibbs Street Gallery, VisArts (1st floor)
Opening Reception and Artist Talk: Friday, July 22, 7 – 9 PM
VisArts presents First Cut, a solo exhibition of new abstract mixed media paintings by Nicole Mueller. First Cut explores collage and painting as mediums and metaphors for potential. Mueller investigates the earliest stages of process where nothing is fixed and there is a sense of anticipation surrounding the initial marks or cuts that are made. First Cut also refers to the part of the process in film editing that establishes the structure and flow of a narrative, where the scenes are roughly organized though open to change. With colliding colors and shapes, Mueller’s paintings depict a world of continuous convergence, dissipating boundaries, and paradoxical relationships.
About the Artist
Nicole Mueller (b. 1989) currently lives and works in Baltimore, Maryland as an artist and painter. She has been an artist in residence at the Vermont Studio Center in Johnson, Vermont, Proyecto ‘ace in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and at Creative Paradox in Annapolis, Maryland. Her work has been exhibited in Maryland and New York. She received her B.F.A. from the Maryland Institute College of Art, where she studied painting and illustration. www.nicolemariemueller.com
Eric Celarier, , 2015, mixed media, trash, 30 x 20 x 14 inches. Courtesy of VisArts.Eric Celarier
Trash
July 15 – August 21, 2016
Common Ground Gallery, VisArts (2nd floor)
Opening Reception: Friday, July 22, 7 – 9 PM
Workshop: Garbage Art, Sunday July 31, 2 PM, $5.00, RSVP
“Trash does not lie,” says Eric Celarier. “It can tell us, without passion or prejudice, what is ultimately important to us,” he concludes. In his solo exhibition at VisArts, Celarier explores the testimonial qualities of garbage to portray what humans actually do and to describe biological evolution in the wake of human existence. Crafting a swarm of creatures and environments from refuse, he lends form to the idea that all future flora and fauna can be seen as byproducts of our existence. His creatures generate a whimsical, but cautionary environment.
On July 31 at VisArts the artist will lead a workshop where participants can make their own creation out of trash and consider other artists who use discarded materials.
About the Artist
Eric Celarier was born, lives, and works in the Washington Area. He received his B.A. from the University of Maryland in 1991 and his M.A. in Fine Arts from the University of Cincinnati in 1997. Winning top honors in Nassau Community College’s “Borders: Visible & Invisible” show, juried by Samantha Rippner, Associate Curator of Drawings and Prints at Metropolitan Museum of Art, (2011), Celarier has been included in many shows around the country. https://www.ericcelarier.com
Katherine Akey, Coliseum, 2015, digital print, 20 x 24 inches. Courtesy of VisArts.Gen-Y 3.0
July 22 – August 28
Kaplan Gallery, VisArts
Opening Reception: Friday, July 22, 7 – 9 PM
VisArts presents a juried exhibition of artists ages 17 – 27 in the Kaplan Gallery from July 22 – August 28, 2016. The annual Gen-Y exhibition offers young artists an opportunity to bring their artwork to the public and to experience the process of exhibiting in a professional gallery. Though there are many labels aimed at describing the current generation of 17 to 27 year olds, such as Screenagers, Millennials, and Echo Boomers, VisArts is maintaining the Gen-Y name for its annual juried group exhibition of aspiring artists in this age group. Drawing, photography, fiber, ceramics, painting, video, sculpture, and interactivity fill the Kaplan Gallery reflecting a variety of approaches to a wide range of content within the context of the digital age.
The 2016 Gen-Y 3.0 artists include: Sobia Ahmad, Katherine Akey, Susie Bae, Amy Berbert, Abbie Fundling, Jared Green, Ashley Ja’nae, Kern Lee, Emmanuel Mones, Richard Munaba, Angelique Nagovskaya, Raheel Raad, Yoon Sun Shin, Qin Tan, and Vivien Wise.
The annual Gen-Y exhibition offers young artists an opportunity to bring their artwork to the public and to experience the process of exhibiting in a gallery. The exhibition was developed to address this demographic of artists who are seriously making art and have little to no experience exhibiting their work in a professional gallery. Many are uncertain about how to proceed with a career in art or what it takes to be an artist. Many are under financial, social and educational pressures that might preclude further study in art. Others are committed to a non-art career track yet are passionate about making art. Most are working under the art world radar of the region.
A dedicated team of gallery interns and volunteers plan and realize the annual juried exhibition with guidance from the VisArts gallery staff. “From the call for entry to the preparation and installation of the artwork, the entire process is a learning experience- for the first time exhibitors as well as the organizers of the exhibition,” says Main. “Watching this exhibition take shape is inspiring. The interns embrace the vision to seek out the undiscovered young artists in our community. They are passionate about bringing their peers’ artwork into the public light.”
An opening reception for the exhibition will be held on Friday, July 22 from 7 to 9 PM in the Kaplan Gallery. The reception and exhibition are free to the public.
VisArts Gallery Hours:
- Wednesday & Thursday: 12 – 4pm
- Friday: 12 – 8pm
- Saturday & Sunday: 12 – 4pm
Exhibitions are always free and open to the public.
VisArts at Rockville is located three blocks from the Rockville Metro station at 155 Gibbs Street, Rockville, MD. For information, please visit www.visartscenter.org or contact Susan Main at (301) 315-8200 ext. 110 or smain@visartscenter.org.
