Celebrate and investigate the human spirit in the act of creating in the upcoming exhibition Lift Your Spirits: Nurturing the Human Spirit Through Creativity, on display at William King Museum of Art.
This group exhibition celebrates the cathartic effect and the power that creativity can have on us when we engage in it and allow ourselves to be creative. It has been proven that engaging in creative activities nourishes the human spirit; this varies from artist to artist and is also applied to collectors. This exhibition investigates the questions: why do we create? Why are we drawn to art enough to construct it and collect it? In what ways does art aid us in our own catharsis?
Surrounded by thousands of hand cut butterflies, visitors will experience the fully immersive and calming installation of Christina Laurel’s work Refugium. A refugium is a specific environment in which a species can survive, whereas outside this environment it cannot. Laurel notes, “Key to our survival is refuge within an oasis of calm, a counterbalance to the sensory bombardment of our daily lives.” Refugium is intended to be such an oasis.
Charles Clary also uses hand cut paper to explore emotion by channeling grief into conceptual, and meticulous, works of art. His elegantly framed works entice the viewer with childhood memories of walls adorned with family photos, and yet the sculptural worlds that emerge and recede in each frame, tell a different story.
One collector’s acquisition of Haitian Drapo Art Flags honors the spirits and beliefs of the individual artists themselves, all the while instilling a sense of hope, protection, and esoteric divinity. The narratives within each beaded flag offer a coalescence of religious tradition and contemporary art practice.
Deeply inspired by the masters, Demond Melacon works solely with needle and thread to sew glass beads onto canvas. He has developed a contemporary art practice using the same beading techniques he’s applied over the past 28 years as a Black Masker. Melancon’s work is used as a tool to mine topics such as stereotypical representations of Black identity. His work reflects his interest in storytelling and redefining the notions of portraiture.
Art has the power to connect us, inspire us, and heal us, whether you make it, enjoy it, or collect it. Art can offer moments of respite, aid us in confronting trauma, give us a sense of hope, and provide us an avenue for catharsis.
This exhibition is made possible in part by the McGlothlin Exhibition Series.
Want a closer look at the exhibition? Join us for Tours at Two, a FREE curator led tour of the exhibition, on Sunday March 20, at 2:00PM. Call Anna Buchanan at (276) 628-5005 ext.106 to reserve your spot. Learn more about upcoming exhibitions online at williamkingmuseum.org or call (276) 628-5005.
Questions? Call (276) 628-5005 x106.
Presented by the McGlothlin Exhibition Series at William King Museum of Art with additional support provided by A Likely Yarn, Appalachian Tea and Botanicals, C. Webb Consulting, Clearview Consulting, Greeko’s Grill & Cafe, The Polished Diamond, Signature Environments, INC, Sparkles Car Wash, and the Virginia Highlands Festival.
