WAA artists share their passions before upcoming exhibition

NORTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. — From ceramics to photographs, selected juried artist members of the Wickford Arts Association are preparing to showcase pieces from their medium of choice in the Juried Artist Member Invitational exhibit.

Wickford Art Association Executive Director Maria Masse said the goal of the exhibition is to inspire both up-and-coming artists and non-artists alike with current pieces that represent a high level of proficiency. The Juried Artist Member Invitational exhibit will open tomorrow and runs through June 16.

“Juried artist members are the elevated tier of membership, representing a high level of proficiency in a single medium,” Masse said. “The Juried Artist Member Invitational exhibit is unlike all our other exhibits.”

Each of the juried artist members will be presenting four pieces each. The only limitation the artists face is that they must exhibit in the medium that they were juried into by the jury of current juried artist members, Masse said. Within their medium, there is no theme that they must follow.

“Our hope is [that] they will get exposure for the work they are currently producing,” Masse said.  “By highlighting four pieces of their work, they will be able to exhibit more than in other shows.”

For every Juried Artist Member Invitational exhibition Wickford Art Association has done over the years, specific artists are invited from a pool of juried artist members from a wide variety of artistic mediums.

“This exhibit is meant to highlight that variety by showcasing 2D and 3D artists producing in their medium of choice,” Masse said.

All of the artists being featured are in the select Wickford Artist group. After being a Wickford Art Association general artist for six months, artists have the ability to apply to become a juried artist member. To apply, an artist can submit their recent original works of arts for judging by a jury of three or more current juried members.

Six of the juried artist members shared their thoughts, inspirations and passions for their upcoming work.

Jane Rollins has been a Wickford juried artist member for about three years. The pieces she planned to submit are a mixed media featuring calligraphy. Her pieces are in an abstract nature, inspired by lyrics from a selection of her favorite Beatles songs. Her work was created with “gestural marks and incorporating minimal lettering.”

“I have been lettering for many years — began with a love of history and the written word,” she said. “I picked up a pen and became lost in the meditative practice.”

She hopes patrons will discover the power of calligraphy and how it can be used in art.

“I would like there to be a recognition that there is more to calligraphy than just ‘pretty writing,” Rollins said.

The artist who uses the art name AniArt will be presenting acrylic pieces in this exhibition. Although they have experience in other mediums, they have been experimenting with acrylics, as they have found oil-based paint tends to fade in the sunlight, therefore acrylics work better in outdoor art shows.

“My paintings always have a profound message, but are fun and I hope [they are] uplifting,” AniArt said.

After becoming a member of the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators, Susan Sward is looking forward to presenting pieces that combine textiles and entomology. Sward works almost exclusively in gouache — an opaque water-based paint — that is easy to work with.

“I really enjoyed studying the specimens I painted, looking at the detail on the legs, wings, and the beautiful patterning,” Sward said. “I hope viewers will see the natural beauty in each of these bugs.”

Fantasy, myth and nature are the key themes to ceramist Jillian Barber’s work. For this exhibition, she says she will be channeling those themes to make mythical masks, a ceramic animal and a jardiniere. She is inspired by her friends and family, as well. She shared that she recently “immortalized” two new faces in clay and hopes the castees will enjoy seeing themselves on the gallery wall.

“I have a degree in Ceramics from [Rhode Island School of Design] and being a ceramic sculptor is my life’s creative expression,” she said.

As a photographer, Jean Duffy said she is a “gatherer of moments.” Each photographer has its own story and theme. In this exhibition, her photos tell a story about tenderness between sisters, colorful nostalgia, an older century style painting to a moment in a dream state.

“I observe and create images that take the viewer on a journey,” Duffy said. “I tell a story and transport them to another place, time and feeling. Hopefully there will be an image for everyone to relate to and get excited and emotional about.”

With her alcohol ink pieces, Mary Wojciechowski will be showcasing a parity of subjects, including florals, landscapes and an abstract.

She discovered alcohol inks while researching other watercolorists who painted on Yupo, a non-porous synthetic paper. Wojciechowski was curious to see the new “vibrant fluid medium” that were using and — in that moment — realized she had to try it herself.

“I was intrigued with the inks’ unique characteristics in how they flowed across the surface, colors intermingling, then dried, leaving unexpected textures,” she said. “I immediately bought the materials, and, after a year of playful exploring, found my own path.”

After seeing the Juried Artist Member Invitational exhibit, Wojciechowski hopes that other artists will share the same curiosity she did. She urges artists to take the chance like she did.

“I think that patrons will enjoy the uniqueness of alcohol inks compared to other fluid mediums,” Wojciechowski said. “In looking at my work, I hope they will appreciate this, be curious about this new medium and perhaps take an introductory class.”

Wickford Art Association is located at 36 Beach St. North Kingstown, Rhode Island. For more information, visit https://wickfordart.org/