The Salisbury University Art Galleries (SUAG) opened a new exhibit in downtown Salisbury on Feb. 9 regarding the intriguing topics of nature and nurture.
Through the representation of realistic and abstract mediums, nationally-renowned professional artists explore ways in which the natural world has been shaped and transformed by humans, and how biology in turn impacts and influences the actions of mankind as a whole.
On March 9 at 5:30 p.m., featured exhibit artists will host an “Artist Talk” at the SU Art Galleries’ Downtown Campus to answer any questions and guide patrons through their chosen creative processes. A reception will follow.
The “Downtown Campus,” as referred to by the SU Art Gallery, consists of the fairly recent opening of the Gallery Building located on West Main Street, a property of the University, which is conveniently positioned within the thriving business district of downtown.
“Surprisingly, we have had decent turnout for this exhibit, which is odd due to numbers being averagely lower during the winter months,” said Christa Cox, one of the Gallery’s staffed receptionists.
Cox cites the increased interest in the exhibit as being due to the renaissance which is Salisbury’s downtown community.
“Third Fridays are very popular for the Gallery, and it is always great to see locals come out and support small home-run businesses and other industries,” Cox said.
The works of art compiled for the exhibit speak what words fail to express.
“The artworks in this exhibition remind us of the complexities of our material world, and encourage a more careful approach,” reads the assortment’s curatorial statement.
Included artists are Laura Ball, Judi Bommarito, Stephanie Garon, Darina Karpov, Anne Mondro and Onajide Shakaba.
The works featured throughout the showroom range from mediums including three-dimensional sculpture, photography and general illustrations such as watercolor and pencil.
Crafts of Anne Mondro (pictured) include wire-framed sculptures that represent the complexities of relationship between victims with memory loss and their caregivers.
The wires allude to armor, which serves as a metaphor for the armor needed to endure challenging times of life caused by poor heath and biological limitation.
On the other hand, artist Judi Bommarito makes brilliant use of symbolic portrayal through the lens of a camera.
Also featured is her piece of handwritten notes contained in a suspended tear-drop glass which reveal a more powerful and personal aspect of the traumas of mental illnesses and its entrapping characteristics.
Additional representations convey messages involving humans’ recreating of the natural world and such resulting effects.
The artworks will be displayed until downtown’s Third Friday, March 17, on which a final reception will be held from 5 to 8 p.m.
For questions or previews of the exhibition, please consult the Galleries’ website at www.suartgalleries.org, or by calling (410)-548-2547.
By SAWYER CORNELIUS
Staff writer
Featured photo: A prominent, suspended fixture of the exhibit illustrating the effects of time (Sawyer Cornelius images).