Annmarie Sculpture Garden & Arts Center

Annmarie Sculpture Garden & Arts Center is pleased to present the exhibition 'Breaking Ground: Art about the Earth' in the Kay Daugherty Gallery. This exhibition will be open to the public from February 10 – April 23, 2023.

Annmarie After Hours Opening Reception - Friday, February 10, 5-7pm

Art has long been a partner of natural science to document our experiences. Imagination and vision are required when responding to the challenges of our ever-changing environment due to climate change in urban and rural ecosystems. Annmarie invites artists to engage in our mission to connect art and nature by creatively visualizing the impacts of sustainability on our Earth. This show will feature works highlighting the fragility, ferocity, beauty, transformation, and stark realities induced by human behavior.

"No matter how much one may love the world as a whole, one can live fully in it only by living responsibly in some small part of it.”

― Wendell Berry

Juror's Statement

“While not an artist myself but a scientist working in the field of public engagement, I have a great appreciation for art’s ability to engage the viewer and provoke internal and external dialogue on complex topics. The submitted works for this exhibit did not disappoint. I approached the task of selecting work for this exhibit by reading the artist’s statements and sorting through for thought-provoking and well-composed works. The pieces showed a great range of creativity and craftsmanship, and, overall, selecting from the pool of hundreds of submitted pieces was no easy feat.

In choosing pieces for the exhibit, I was struck by the breadth of environmental issues addressed by the submitted works: habitat destruction, invasive species, pollution, and the many detrimental effects of climate change, to name some. And while much of the artwork focused on the negative effects humans have had on nature, equally present was the positive influence of nature on humans: providing us with beauty, solace, and escape. It was clear from the works both the scale of our influence and the scale of our appreciation, from microscopic algae in a drop of water to sweeping landscapes. I appreciate that the art shared in this exhibit will not only engage viewers in pondering the great environmental challenges we face but also allow us to appreciate why it is worth taking action to restore and protect our environment.”

Anna Davis

Postdoctoral Fellow, Smithsonian Environmental Research Center. 

Juror's Award Recipients:

     
Vesselina Traptcheva, Gaze I & II, 2022 egg tempera on paper. 


     
Kariann Fuqua, Boundary of the Unknown Series, 2021 graphite, ink, and digital print on paper.

 

     
Laura Shape, Ripple Effect and We Are Made of Magic, 2022 invasive skins, leather, gold leaf, and dye.


 
  Jan Tomlinson Master, Watered Wood, 2018 alcohol ink and acrylic on dragon and myrtle wood, iron.

 
  Dorothy O'Connor, Procession, 2020 archival pigment print.

Stephanie Garon, Brae, 2023 steel and tree. 

Annmarie Sculpture Garden & Arts Center is pleased to present NARRATIVES: Works by Sharon Robinson, as part of our annual event, MLK Days. This exhibit will be open to the public in the Main Gallery from January 14 through February 26, 2023.

The Annmarie After Hours reception will be on February 10, 5-7pm. 

In addition to the gallery show, visitors are invited to join the artist for a community artmaking event on January 14 - 16, 2023 from 12 pm - 4 pm each day. This event will be free and open to all ages to participate. Reservations are encouraged. LEARN MORE HERE

ARTIST STATEMENT

My mission as an artist is to give a visual voice to issues that affect all of humanity. I use my work as a reminder of the myriad of ways we are connected, as well as to comment on both the ordinary and exceptional events that mold our day-to-day life and relationships. The body of work that I am currently pursuing addresses the ever-present issue of race from the perspective of the messages that are conveyed, whether explicit or subtle, and how discussion about race is framed. The collective trauma of our racial history continues to affect us at all levels, permeating our consciousness and becoming a filter through which we process our existence. While we have a particular history with race in the United States, these issues are universal, whether based on race, ethnicity, gender, religion, or other social delineation.

The question then becomes how do we “turn poison into medicine” and transform negative messaging into sources for growth and change. Similarly, how does our dialogue around race issues change, along with our ability to engage in constructive dialogue based on common understanding? How do we practice seeing others as individuals rather than a monolith? This is the work we must all do on an ongoing basis.

Presented by the Annmarie Gift Shop, the Ornament Show & Sale is a juried show that features hand-crafted ornaments by more than 25 regional artists.  This is the perfect place to find unique and affordable gifts for friends and family.  The ornaments are beautifully hung on trees displayed in the Main Gallery of the Arts Building.  Visitors shop off the trees and take their purchases to the Gift Shop.  The show kicks off before Thanksgiving and runs through early January.  During Garden In Lights, the show is open late! 

LINK TO APPLICATION