Materials, Thoughts, and Studies – Fayetteville Technical Community College

   Materials, Thoughts, and Studies has concluded is exhibition run at The Art Gallery on the campus of Fayetteville Technical Community College.

What started as a routine, exhibition opportunity came full circle with an unique experience in my exhibiting history.

In the midst of Fayetteville, North Carolina is the Fayetteville Technical Community College.  I was approached by current FTCC Gallery Director and printmaking instructor, Callie Goss, who asked if I was interested in showing work in the campus gallery.  Of course I said yes and I was excite to show some new works on paper I’ve been working on for the first time and some pieces only previous shown once before.

The exhibition had samplings from 4 series of works on paper: a series of blue pencil portrait drawings, a series of collaged mixed media “in-betweeners” paper works, a series of color drawings for islands, and some abstract collage mixed media family portrait pieces.

The Art Gallery at FTCC is unique, in my gallery experience. It’s an open interior room in the General Classroom Building with three monitors installed one monitor on each of the main walls. The monitors are all synced to a computer/lecture station at the head of the space.  During the reception each monitor showed my website briefly – and I was able to refer back to older work that paved the way for the framed work in the show. I was also able to play some video documentations of some work and some studio experiments involving video and sound.  I love this aspect of the space.

The closing reception was on Friday, October 27, 2017 from 4-6pm and I was able to be present in the gallery space to meet and give a brief artist talk about the work and my studio practice.  I met a lot of people (students, community members, FTCC faculty, and more). I was humbled by the experience as people were so open and honest with me about their reactions and thoughts on the work. It was a very wonderful experience.

The major take away from this experience is the amount of support Fayetteville Technical Community College implements in their exhibiting artists.  Not only was the show promoted widely in the Fayetteville area, FTCC journalist, Alicia Banks, reached out and wrote a interview blog featured on the school website. The FTCC faculty and students were actively  engaged in the work and my artist talk. Thank you Alicia for your questions and your writing!

You can read the blog feature here: From Thoughts to Paper

Thank you to the FTCC faculty and affilliated artists – who invited me, hosted me, and facilitated the reception/art talk and more!  Callie Goss, Kari Hooten, Robin C. Teas, Katey Morrill and Dexter Morrill – you all are the best! Click on their names to see their work

During the reception, I met a Fayetteville community member, Noreda.  Noreda approached me in the gallery and explained that she was on the FTCC mailing list and received the show card and made note to come to the reception. Noreda also explained that she was in the possession of some Oceanic wood works that she wanted to know if I was interested in.  After the reception we met at her home before I returned to the gallery to take my  work down. Noreda presented 4 wood pieces and handed me a piece of paper with some information about the previous owner.  The man is from Chuuk, one of the island nations in Micronesia.  The pieces were beautiful and she gifted them to me.  I promised to send her work in exchange for these!

I also was able to visit the studio of FTCC Faculty member and Bradley University Alum, Kari Hooten.  Her cut and assembled ceramic wares are beautiful and I was excited to have been able to see her studio space and speak with her about her work. Kari also took me a Ramen place for dinner and it was delicious.

Bonus: I sold to pieces!  Here are the two great people who purchased work!

Jerry with the purchasers of two show pieces – Robin Teas (left) and Kari Hooten (Right).