“I
knew this show would be very competitive and I wasn’t sure how the judges would view my fine arts’ images,” said Terry, a southeast born and raised photographer, who has been shooting eclectic images for almost 25 years. For Terry, displaying this side of her work—the landscape of the urban environment—as a fine arts photographer, has made her somewhat “curious to see how people will respond.” This is the second year she has been chosen. For the exhibit. “Honestly, I haven’t really had a chance to display this side of me; (or) this many of my fine arts’ images in one showing for this length of time,” she said, adding that seven pieces will be on display from Aug. 5 until Sept. 9, 2011. Joining Terry are Lark Catoe-Emerson, a 28-year-old photographer whose explorations in abstract photography focus on the intimacy of human skin; Jonathan Edwards, another 28-year-old who uses cartoon-style illustrations to explore themes of contemporary urban African-American experiences; Jon Malis, whose large scale prints are based on his research in the medical archives of St. Elizabeth’s Hospital; Marlon Norman, a 24-year-old, who first learned photography at Ward 8’s ARCH Training Center and who engages the natural world on a macro level; and 26-yearold poet and photographer Danielle Scruggs who explores self-image in text and image. Artists were selected by a panel of judges—Stephen Phillips, director of Fine Arts Programs at the Federal Reserve; Renee Stout, an acclaimed Washington, D.C., artist; and Susana Raab, a photographer at Smithsonian’s Anacostia Community Museum. The exhibit opened August 5 with a reception When Scruggs heard she was chosen, she almost fell out of her seat, “especially because it came on the heels of a rejection from another exhibit I applied for,” she said. ”It’s also an honor to know that such an esteemed jury responded to my work and decided to include me in a show with other talented artists.” For Catoe-Emerson, who was born in Taiwan and raised in the District since she was a toddler, this is her “first time being in a gallery,” and “it has been a defining moment for me to be accepted as a fine artist.” “My art has been a visual journal of my life thus far,” said Catoe-Emerson who lives Greenway Gardens in southeast. “It has been my best source of expression. Once I became a mother I noticed things happening to my body, from the time it grew a living being to breast feeding. Photography has always been a visual record of history and I love how photography can capture the fleeting moments of our lives, making them everlasting.” Out of 20 competing artists, the six were chosen, in addition to the overall artistic merit and quality of their artwork; and their ability to produce a cohesive small exhibition, for their connection to East of the River—whether through residency, teaching, social work, filming, or research, according to Honfleur Gallery’s Events Manager and ARCH vice president, Amy Cavanaugh Royce .
▲ Lark Catoe-Emerson is an artist in the 5th Annual East of the River Arts. Photo courtesy the artist. ▼ Danielle Scruggs is one of the artists featured in the 5th Annual Celebration of East of the River Arts.
CAPITALCOMMUNITYNEWS.COM ★ 33