Artist reception to be held Thursday, Jan. 29, at UCA’s Baum Gallery
The University of Central Arkansas’s Baum Gallery of Art will host two Artists in Residence this spring with coordinating exhibitions and events planned. Alice Aida Ayers will present “ANCESTRAL SPIRITS: STITCHING THE PAST TO THE PRESENT,” and Kat Wilson will present “THE UNITED STATES OF SELFIES: A #SELFIETHRONE for the People, A 250-Year American Portrait.”
The exhibitions will open with a free, public reception Thursday, Jan. 29, from 4-7 p.m. and run through Friday, March 6.
“ANCESTRAL SPIRITS: STITCHING THE PAST TO THE PRESENT” by Ayers will include a broad range of mixed-media fiber and quilted artworks that incorporate ethnic, hand-dyed and repurposed fabrics, as well as found objects, to create textured and layered pieces. The pieces center storytelling around African and African American rituals and culture.
“THE UNITED STATES OF SELFIES: A #SELFIETHRONE for the People, A 250-Year American Portrait” by Wilson invites every visitor to claim their place in the story of America. By sitting on the #SELFIETHRONE and sharing their image through #250YEARAMERICANPORTRAIT, participants will add their presence to a collective portrait two and a half centuries in the making. This installation celebrates the truth that all belong here, and that the portrait of a nation is completed only when every face has a chance to be seen.
In addition to the reception, both artists will host other public events.
Ayers will lecture on her work Thursday, Jan. 22, from 6-7:15 p.m. in McCastlain Hall, room 143.
Wilson will present an artist talk about her #SELFIETHRONE Thursday, Jan. 29, from 1:40-2:30 p.m. in Gallery III of the Baum Gallery. Wilson will also debut a mini interactive #SELFIETHRONE that she will create with UCA Art & Design Students at the Conway Art Walk downtown Friday, March 6, from 5-8 p.m.
Support for these exhibitions comes from the UCA Artists in Residence Program and Visit Conway.
The Baum Gallery, located in room 145 of McCastlain Hall on the UCA campus in Conway, is open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visitor parking is located next door in front of and behind Wingo Hall. Additional information about these exhibitions and events is available by contacting Dr. Rachel Trusty at rtrusty1@uca.edu.
The Baum Gallery is an educational art museum for UCA students, faculty and staff, and the Central Arkansas community. The Director and Faculty Exhibitions Committee select national and international touring exhibitions, sponsor juried student shows, and cooperate across disciplines to curate original exhibits distinctly suited to an academic environment. The gallery develops exhibitions and events that invite interaction and encourage dialogue about visual art: the creators, studio process, history, criticism, curation and cultural contexts. More information is available at uca.edu/art/baum.
The UCA Artists in Residence program is funded by the Fine and Performing Arts Fee paid by all students, with additional support from Engage Management and Pyramid Art, Books, and Custom Framing. More information about the Artists in Residence program is available at uca.edu/go/artistsinresidence or by contacting Dr. Gayle Seymour, associate dean of the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences, at gayles@uca.edu.