Mirror in the Dark: Resiliency Through Art
July 2021
Curated by Juana Williams
ABOUT THE EXHIBIT
Mirror in the Dark explores how flexibility is often used as a tool of resilience as the ebb and flow of life’s challenges are navigated through. The exhibition also examines previous responses to unexpected circumstances and crises. How have challenges affected your life? In what ways did you respond and how have those previous challenges created long-term impacts on how you handle crises? A particularly relevant question when reflecting on these ideas is ‘do crises ever completely leave us?’
When considering a metaphorical mirror, there is a complicated understanding of one’s reflection because of the distance from previous encounters and how they differ from more current experiences. With an understanding of how identity shifts in response to external change, how does a reexamination of those adjustments impact future responses? This exhibition examines how we are forever impacted by unexpected events and how the tools of resiliency that we build and utilize continue to play a role when dealing with current and future crises. We are seeking work that explores, and perhaps even challenges, the notion of resilience.
NOTE FROM THE CURATOR
Initially, I was curious about how artists would interpret the theme. Sifting through the submissions, I was blown away by the wide array of interpretations and the great use of visual aesthetic to depict various forms of resiliency. In relation to the theme, artists examined a range of topics including immigration, familial expectations, ancestry, childhood trauma, dysphoria, and feelings of isolation due to the pandemic. I was honored to have the opportunity to view so many outstanding works of art and I made an conscious effort to select a plethora of voices to comment on topics of flexibility and remembering as tools of resilience.
— Juana Williams, Visual Arts Curator & Writer
FEATURED ARTISTS
Jamaal Barber, Rachel Le Roux , Erin Kendrick , Angelica Sistrunk , Liam Hayes , Kaylee Reynolds , Tokie Taylor , Amy Laskin , Lillian Aguinaga , Lance McBride , Stephanie Brown , Chelsea Markuson , Christopher Batten , Mia Anika , Liv Aanrud , Dáreece Walker , Rosy Petri , Jacqueline Diesing , Dana Southerland , Ashley Gardner , Siena Smith , Heather Drayzen , Rose Freeland , Maya Orchinik , Stacy Bogdonoff , Roberta March , Pam Douglas , Bridie Alvarez , Abhishek Tuiwala , Caitlin Cartwright , Lucy Shaiken , Anna Mogilevsky , Nirmal Raja , Kiara Aileen Machado
IMAGES FROM OUR VIRTUAL EXHIBIT 7/24 - 8/20
Thank you for visiting!
To inquire about any of the artwork featured in this exhibition, please contact the artists directly via their websites.