|
|
Bold Statements
|
Exhibitions Dates: April 3rd - May 27th, 2023. at the Art Center Cooperative Gallery Downtown Jacksonville. 320 East Adams St, Jacksonville, Fl 32202
Theme: SO, YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY NOW IS THE TIME. WORK WORDS INTO YOUR COMPOSITION, MAKE IT MEANINGFUL, ENTHUSIASTIC, COULD BE CONTROVERSIAL, SUBTLE. MAKE YOUR STATEMENT BY ENTERING THE “BOLD STATEMENT” EXHIBITION. Reception and Award Ceremony: April 23rd,2023 - SUNDAY FROM 2-4 P.M. The Art Center Cooperative, Inc will be hosting the reception both at our Downtown Gallery and online. The exhibition will be highlighted on our website with both an online gallery and an exhibition store with all artwork available for online purchase. |
|
Bold Statements Gallery
Click on any item below to find out more about it. All pieces are for sale online.
The awards will be presented on April 16th at the Opening Reception 2pm-4pm
The winners will also be listed on our website below.
The winners will also be listed on our website below.
About the Show
JUROR - NOFA DIXON
Nofa Farha Dixon, assistant professor emerita at the University of North Florida, has been an art educator, a professional artist and an active member of the Jacksonville Community for several decades. She served as Curator of Education at the Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville for twelve years prior to becoming a faculty member in the Department of Art and Design at UNF where she taught drawing, painting and design classes. She served as an Artist-in-Residence for Duval County Schools, 1997–1999, and in 1998 was awarded the Art Educator of the Year by the Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville. Her hand-constructed clay forms undergo multiple glaze firings and are finished with a mixed media surface treatment resulting in a unique signature style. Her work is included in major corporate and private collections. A few years ago she completed three major commissions for the Art in Public Places Program funded by the Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville, Baptist South Hospital and the Women’s Center of Jacksonville. Her sculptures and clay vessels are included in many private and corporate collections and have been on display in galleries throughout the United States. |
Dixon earned her BFA with an emphasis in Fine Arts and Art History from St. Andrews Presbyterian College, Laurinburg, North Carolina, and her MFA in painting and drawing from Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia. In 1993, she began teaching as an adjunct while being a productive studio artist exhibiting her art throughout the United States. In 2001, she was promoted to a Visiting Professor and to an Instructor in 2004. Later in 2006, she was promoted to an Assistant Professor and in 2009 to an Associate Professor. Dixon teaches drawing, painting, design and special project classes (Art-in-Public Place or site specific art). She has taught eight such classes, which have created nine mosaics and murals, all of which have been installed at the University of North Florida campus. These projects have impacted the campus and the students in many positive ways. The students have a better understanding of what is involved in the creation of large, site-specific artwork — while learning to work by collaborating and making decisions concerning each project.
|
Best in Show - Mary Atwood's "The Measure of Inhumanity"
This installation epitomizes the theme of the exhibition, “Bold Statement.” The composition is simple, direct, and very organized. Only three elements are present: the flag, bullets, and a high-powered assault weapon. No doubt, this presentation requires a reaction from the viewer. The reaction will be very personal and call on the viewer to decide whether these items are the answer or part of the problem. The content of this installation can go in either direction. The flag represents our democracy, order, and law. The assault rifle and the bullets could represent order, protection, and self-defense or they could represent violence, conflict, and aggression. This is why this installation is so powerful. Congratulations, Ms. Atwood.
Second Place - Cookie Davis “The Men Said No More War and the
Women Said ‘Amen’.“
This painting contains a grouping of six women who happen to be looking for guidance from the bright, white figure, which could represent the men who are no longer in favor of war. The bright figure is located in the forefront to the left of the six women. The figures are stylized and painterly. They fill almost the entire space of the canvas. Cookie’s color pallet is warm with earth tones contrasted with the brightness of the seventh figure. I have much respect for Ms Davis’ figurative work. Her interpretation of the figure, whether presented in a two-dimensional or a three-dimensional format, is as unique as it is consistent. Most of us welcome peace and possibly hope to live without perpetually being involved in war or on the other hand, we hope that one day we could experience a prolonged period of peace. Cookie’s painting is truly a bold statement.
Third Place - Paula Foster’s “French Market”
This painting happens to be one of the most intriguing paradoxical works of art included in this exhibition. Using a white chicken and a white-haired female figure with some distance between them would normally indicate that this painting has two subjects rather than one. The paradox, which is created, allows personal interpretation and an individual narration for each viewer. The chicken and the figure do not compete but rather complement each other to create a very interesting juxtaposition. The relationship is neither negative nor sinister. There is, however, a charming reason for these two to be included within the same space. I wish that I could talk with Paula to get a sense of how the figure and the chicken were ever conceived.
Honorable Mention 1 - William Garcia’s “The Chief of the Tribe.”
The style of painting includes elements of primitive, early modern, and expressionism. The chief is prominently presented in the center of the painting, reminding me of early Christian, Egyptian, and/or primitive art. The chief is the largest and the most bright and colorful figure in the painting. There are other faces, some of which appear to be either figures or faces of animals. A sinister figure appears in the background to the right of the chief. This figure may be a foe or a competitor. Definitely this painting is a narration of some sort. I believe that Mr. Garcia has been perfecting this style of painting and that he has found his signature style of using overlapping forms, expressive strokes and a specific pallet of earth tones. Personally, I would love to see him working on a larger scale.
Honorable Mention 2 - Julie Feldman’s “Red, White, and Blue”
The subject of her painting is of a pensive young woman who is introspective and who is maybe considering her past or anticipating her future. The palette is the light complexion of the woman, the blue shadow under her eyes, and the redhead cover, all of which represent one of two ways the artist references the title of the painting. The second way is her use of small torn fragments of the American flag fused on the woman’s forehead. Here is a person who can’t take what the flag represents for granted. The title of this painting is red, white, and blue, which refers to both the pallet of the painting and the fragments of the flag. Obviously, the flag’s reference makes this painting fulfill the exhibition's theme.
