A collaborative, multi-disciplinary group exhibit titled Surface and Undercurrents: Influences from Iceland, the Arctic & the Anthropocene will open at Dare Arts in downtown Manteo at 6pm on Friday, August 2.
Surface and Undercurrents will feature work by North Carolina artists Christina Lorena Weisner, Christopher Proto, Emily Holmes, Wendy Allen, Scott Solter, Ashley Paskov, and Lisa LeMair.
“We developed the themes for this exhibit during our retreat in Iceland last year, and it is so gratifying to see those amorphous ideas, which started as pieces of paper on the floor, being realized in this space,” said artist Lisa LeMair. “We have created a very immersive experience for the viewers, with works that are thought-provoking, highly-crafted, beautiful, and, I hope, convey some sense of the power and beauty of Iceland and the Arctic, and our interconnectedness. In my own pieces, I gave myself a lot of freedom to work in new ways and create new bodies of work, which was a goal of my Artist Support Grant-funded sabbatical and artist retreat in Iceland last year.”
The exhibit focuses on issues related to human-caused climate change and environmental responsibility, including the rise of invasive species, the toll of polluting industries, the melting of the glaciers and sea level rise, technology, and the impact of tourism, overfishing, and overconsumption.
“Each artist has unique perspectives and thoughts on the key themes of the exhibit, and I hope that visiting the show will provide visitors with food for thought about how we experience and interact with the rapidly changing environment that we all live in,” said artist Emily Holmes. “During our retreat in Iceland, there were a few locations we visited and things we saw that made a strong impression on me and left lasting mental images after the trip ended. My work in this show takes those impressions and combines them with found objects and concepts from Dare County to form pieces that capture the essence, beauty, and fragility of both coastal environments.”
Sculptural objects in a range of disciplines, original acrylic monoprints and collages, stained glass objects, functional ceramics and metal items, fiber art as well as sound and video installations will be included in the group exhibition.
“Our group took several day trips to various destinations of indescribable beauty and drama in Iceland; emerald lakes in dormant volcanoes, 300’ vertical canyon walls, gargantuan waterfalls, long quiet roads gently tracing the vast arctic ocean, and on and on,” said audio engineer, producer and mixer Scott Solter. “The idea was simple; take the captured audio of the sounds, sights, rhythms and flows of one of these excursions and shape it into a soundtrack. It could really go on forever.”
Surface and Undercurrents will open in Dare Arts’ Courtroom Gallery during August First Friday in downtown Manteo. The opening reception is free and open to the public, and visitors will be able to meet the exhibiting artists at the reception.
Dare Arts also has Hatteras Island artist Pamela Lassiter’s porcelain exhibit, Sea and Sand, opening in the Vault Gallery on Friday, August 2.
Pamela’s work is influenced by life and patterns found on the beach and in the ocean.
“Hatteras Island has inspired me to observe the sea, sand, and all living creatures within daily,” said artist Pamela Lassiter. “Sand patterns created by the sea are integrated into my forms, surface design, and glazes, producing a sense of movement. The invitation to exhibit has motivated me to expand the boundaries of this concept, experimenting with new porcelain forms, barnacle and sand pattern wall sculptures, large thrown vessels, and new sea urchin vessels. Dare Arts provides the perfect vehicle to showcase my work in this vibrant community.”
Both exhibits will be on display at Dare Arts August 2-31, 2024.
For more information on these exhibits, please call 252 473 5558.
Artist Support Grants are supported by the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.
Dare Arts is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts organization dedicated to encouraging the arts in Dare County through advocacy, enrichment and opportunity.
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