Our mission at Visionary Art Collective is to uplift artists & educators through magazine features, exhibitions, podcast interviews, and our mentorship program.
VISIT OUR WEBSITE www.visionaryartcollective.com
FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM @visionaryartcollective @ newvisionarymag
FIND US ON FACEBOOK www.facebook.com/VisionaryArtCollective
EMAIL info@visionaryartcollective.com
SUBMIT TO OUR PLATFORM www.visionaryartcollective.com/submit
LEARN MORE OR SUBSCRIBE www.visionaryartcollective.com/magazine
We post all submission opportunities to our website and social media pages.
And just like that, summer is in full bloom once again! New York City becomes a little bit quieter this time of year, as many residents find respite from the heat outside of the city walls. I encourage artists to think of the summer as a time of creative growth and abundance – an opportunity to explore new ideas and embrace experimentation.
For this issue of New Visionary, we had the pleasure of partnering up with Alicia Puig, writer, curator, & co-founder of PxP Contemporary. We are so proud to share this beautifully curated issue with you, and hope you find inspiration as you turn each page.
Xo Victoria
Victoria J. Fry is a New York City-based painter, educator, curator, and the founder of Visionary Art Collective and New Visionary Magazine. Fry’s mission is to uplift artists through magazine features, exhibitions, podcast interviews, and mentorship. She earned her MAT from Maine College of Art & Design and her BFA from the School of Visual Arts.
victoriajfry.com
victoriajfry
Blair Beusman is a writer and editor living in Brooklyn. She graduated from Wesleyan University with a degree in literary theory. She has worked for a variety of cultural publications and organizations, including The New Yorker, Literary Hub, and PEN America.
blairharr.tumblr.com
blair.beu
Valerie Auersperg is a self-taught artist, illustrator and designer living in Auckland, New Zealand. She describes her work as a dose of optimism with a sprinkle of escapism. When she is not painting on canvases or walls she works as a graphic designer and illustrator for companies in New Zealand, Switzerland, Austria and the U.S.
valerism.com
iamvalerism
Erika b Hess is a painter, curator, writer, and host of the I Like Your Work art podcast. Hess’s work has been exhibited nationally and featured in numerous publications. She lectures at various colleges and institutions while teaching at The Works, I Like Your Work’s professional practice membership.
www.erikabhess.com erikabhess
Rebecca Potts Aguirre is an artist/ educator exploring memory and healing. She earned her MFA from the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts at Washington University in St. Louis, and exhibited throughout the U.S. and internationally. She founded Teaching Artist Podcast and is a K-12 Curriculum Designer for The Art of Education University.
www.rebeccapotts.com pottsart
Chunbum Park, also known as Chun, is an artist/writer, who received their MFA in Fine Arts Studio from the Rochester Institute of Technology in 2022. Park’s main area of interest or focus lies within figurative painting, but they are also enthusiastic about all types of art, including performance and photography. Park wishes to promote emerging and mid-career artists who pioneer strong, original visions and ideas.
www.chunbumpark.com chun.park.7
Suso Barciela, an art historian and critic, specializes in curating and coordinating exhibitions. He was trained at the University of Seville and the NODE Center in Berlin. His expertise in art criticism and cultural dissemination is reflected in his collaborations with national and international magazines. He has worked with international artists and is renowned for his blog “El Espacio Aparte” where he analyzes art and exhibitions in Seville and Madrid.
elespacioaparte.com
forms.follow.function
Veronica Petty is a PR professional and art advisor in NY. With a decade of marketing experience, she’s managed successful campaigns for AAF, PULSE Art Fair, Create!, KUNSTRAUM, VAC, and many individual artists and exhibitions. Veronica champions Latinx artists through Domingo Comms; featured in artnet, House Beautiful, and more. She’s currently VAC’s Director of Media Partnerships.
domingocomms.com domingocomms
The New Visionary Magazine Team works together to bring you valuable resources for your art career.
As part of our ongoing interview series, we chat with artists, curators, entrepreneurs, authors, and educators. Through these interviews we can gain a deeper understanding of the contemporary art world.
in conversation with Victoria J. Fry
hopeandfaith.art hopeandfaith.art
How did your childhood experiences impact the work you create today?
We had to grow up really fast. We were taught how to cook at seven years old, and that was around the time when our housing situation changed. Suddenly, we were kids taking care of our home and disabled mother, us three surviving life together. We learned to handle financial matters, clean, cook and cater family events, all while facing housing insecurity and mental health challenges. We found a home in art around age 11, utilizing creativity as an outlet for our voices, expression, and play. At 17, we experienced the biggest heartbreak when our mother passed from Sarcoidosis during our senior year of high school.
We always had each other, and that continues to influence the imagery and storytelling in our work. We actively work towards healing our trauma and bloodline by creating these massive, larger-than-life stories about resiliency and triumphing over the pain embedded in the Black experience.
What led you to merge your creative paths and begin making art together?
2020 was a really tough year with COVID and being displaced from our study-abroad locations; Hope was in Abu Dhabi, Faith was in Ghana, and we were unable to return to New York. During this time everyone realized how precious time and loved ones are, as well as what space means. We felt like we were forced to engage in serious introspection and soul-searching, which ultimately led us back to our hometown of Hyattsville, Maryland, literally in the same apartment complex that we were raised in from birth to age seven! As our remote senior year of college began, we realized that we had similar visions yet different perspectives on growing up and events we experienced, with these thoughts and
Sadie’s Home, acrylic paint, vellum, graphite, iridescent cellophane, decorative paper, photo, etching, rice pearls, thyme, lemons, sage, bonnet, felt, ginger snaps bag, sugar, earring, acetate, magnet, grits, jiffy cornbread box, and magic on self-constructed canvas scroll, 72x84in
feelings culminating as a result of reliving our childhood home. We decided to unite our individual disciplines, collaborating to explore experience, investigate our lives, and heal our inner child.
How has your artistic collaboration impacted you both personally and creatively?
Our artistic collaboration has been such a beautiful, spiritual process of healing and understanding one another.
We have been growing to love more, supporting each other and our community, and discovering and understanding how important space and healing are. Since we began collaborating we have learned more about ourselves and our personal relationships to create, exploring more outlets of expression like performance and writing. Our relationship as sisters has evolved as well, with us giving each other the space to grow in our individual interests and practices. Hope has been expressing healing, the divine feminine, and power through the performance of movement while Faith has been studying music creation and curating immersive experiences focusing on transformation and the power of words. Our collaboration has opened many doors for us to thrive collectively and individually.
Through your work, you visually narrate Black stories—including your own. What do you hope to impart on the viewer?
Through our work, we hope to immerse all viewers into the stories we unfold, highlighting the spiritual practices and rituals that are one with the Black experience. These practices, intentional or not, have helped our community build togetherness and resiliency through times of hurt. Hair, dance, soul food, cookouts, and plenty more have contributed to how we speak and move as a community. We immortalize these rituals and archetypes by breaking down materials and creating something new, building stories that our community can find a home in.
We created the scroll concept to allude to the fact that the story never ends, and there’s always more to uncover in our work and the Black experience. Each piece is
created with deep intention, love, light, and with faith that our work can open up discussion for healing and connection in our community. We hope that when experiencing our work, our community can draw and reflect on their own relationships to the stories that are manifested.
What inspired you to focus on mixed media and collage to bring your ideas to life?
Mixed media and collage are forms of creating that allow us to play and explore. When we formed our collective we had our individual disciplines that we knew we wanted to merge in some way. To bring our visions to fruition, we really wanted to deconstruct our individual thoughts and ways of creating to have a newfound understanding expressed in our artwork. For example, Hope is usually “the painter” but Faith wanted to be able to explore doing that, so we teach each other the skills that we know to further our connection to the piece. Tearing, cutting, painting, and drawing are just a few things that we do to reconstruct the stories we want to tell, essentially assembling puzzle pieces to portray a bigger picture.
Our work is quite literally multidimensional, creating pieces that exist as elevations of the layered, textured reality we experience as spiritual Black vessels.
Do you have any exciting projects coming up in 2023? If so, we’d love to hear about it!
Yesss we do!!! Our first creative project in Baltimore is coming up later this year! WATCH YOUR STEP will open October 7th and run through December 2nd, featuring an exhibition, performances, series of programming, and community discussions and activities. Faith also has a curatorial project with the DC Arts Center coming up well, they’ll be curating their own exhibition, and Hope has a burlesque performance with Essential Tease at Creative Alliance on October 27th. We also have our first publication, LUCK! with Art + Type Mag on sale now, and our first podcast feature on The Truth in this Art with Rob Lee. We have so many more exciting projects and events coming up, you can follow us on Instagram @hopeandfaith.art and Facebook @Hope and Faith Creations.
in
mayowanwadike.com
6th.kl
As a child, you lived in Nigeria. Would you say the Nigerian artwork and culture you were surrounded by impacts the work you create today?
Yes, the Nigerian artwork and culture that I was surrounded by as a child undeniably influences and shapes the work I create today. The rich artistic heritage and cultural traditions of Nigeria have left an indelible mark on my artistic practice, particularly in the realm of challenging societal norms and incorporating African symbolism into my works. Nigeria is a country with a diverse range of ethnic groups, each with its distinct artistic traditions, symbols, and storytelling techniques. From the intricate beadwork of the Yoruba people to the vibrant masks and sculptures of the Igbo and Benin Kingdoms, Nigerian art is steeped in symbolism and narrative.
Despite its vastness, I also grew up recognizing the cultural limitations. Although we are a developing country and making strides to improve every day, I have noticed that there is a reluctance to these changes. My surroundings put me in the middle of two worlds; I witnessed firsthand how moving forward meant leaving some traditions behind, and I also saw and heard the displeasure of the generation that felt like it was being left behind. Through my art, I tie the past and the present together to share the stories that I grew up living. My artwork embraces the beauty in these traditions while also pushing back on the limitations and the flaws.
Ultimately, the Nigerian artwork and culture I experienced as a child have become an integral part of my artistic DNA. They continue to inspire me, providing a foundation of artistic expression, cultural pride, and a desire to challenge the idea of identity and beauty.
Why do you find that portraiture is the most effective way for you to communicate with your audience? Does portraiture allow you to take on toxic masculinity more directly?
Throughout my career, I have explored different forms of art. From photography, videography, to abstraction, and many other “ism(s)” - I find portraiture to be the most natural and relatable way to convey the stories I tell. Portraits have a long history of capturing the essence of an individual and conveying their unique qualities. By depicting a person’s physical appearance, facial expressions, and body language, portraiture provides a direct and intimate connection between the subject and the viewer. With the subjects of my work, I try to capture their emotions in a manner that enables my audience to resonate with these stories. I take the African symbolisms and turn them into a universal expression so that the viewer is still able to connect with the work regardless of where they are from.
I believe portraits allow me to explore and convey the complexity of human emotions, experiences, and identities. Through careful composition, lighting, and attention to detail, I can communicate a range of emotions, such as joy, sadness, vulnerability, or strength. This emotional connection can be a powerful tool for artists like me to engage the audience and evoke empathy or reflection. When it comes to addressing toxic masculinity, portraiture offers a means to challenge and subvert traditional notions of gender roles and expectations. By portraying individuals who defy stereotypical masculine norms, I urge the viewer to question and critique toxic masculinity directly. I share these stories visually to foster empathy, understanding, and dialogue around the subject, inviting viewers to reflect on their own experiences and contribute to positive change.
You are also a self-taught artist. How has that influenced your work and do you think it’s allowed you to take more risks when creating?
Being a self-taught artist had a profound impact on my artistic development. I have the freedom to explore various styles, techniques, and mediums without the
constraints or expectations imposed by formal art education. This freedom allows me to experiment and develop my artistic voice. It enables me to take an unconventional approach to creating art with many trials and errors. I was not bound by preconceived notions of what is “correct” or “acceptable” in art which lead to innovative approaches - some worked wonderfully and some were colossal failures. But either way, it has given me the room to take risks and be my authentic self as an artist.
I am constantly seeking new sources of inspiration, exploring different techniques, and adapting the approach based on my own experiences and feedback from others. Working alongside different artists and curators has also helped me polish my techniques. By exchanging ideas on different projects, we develop and discover fresh perspectives on approaching our craft. This mindset of continuous learning contributes to my artistic growth and evolution. Because the art world is so diverse, there are many paths to bring the vision we have to life. I believe being self-taught has allowed me to learn at my own pace and take risks to push the boundaries of my work.
You have exhibited your work in galleries and museums throughout the United States, as well as in London. What would you say you are most proud of in your art career so far?
I am grateful for every opportunity that I have had to share my passion with the world. While specific shows and exhibitions hold significance, the true source of pride lies in the connection formed between my artwork and its audience. Art is a deeply personal and expressive form of communication for me. When I create a piece, I pour my emotions, ideas, and perspectives into it, hoping to convey something meaningful. The most rewarding aspect of my art career has been witnessing how my work resonates with people and evokes a response within them.
Receiving feedback from viewers allows me to understand the impact my art has on others. It provides valuable insights into how my work is interpreted, understood, and appreciated by different individuals. Positive feedback affirms that my artistic intentions
are effectively conveyed, while constructive criticism challenges me to grow and refine my craft. Through my artwork, I aim to explore universal themes and emotions that transcend individual experiences. When viewers engage with my pieces, I feel a profound sense of fulfillment knowing that I have touched a part of their lives, even if only for a moment. It motivates me to continue sharing my artistic journey, continuously seeking new ways to express my ideas and touch the hearts and minds of those who engage with my work.
Now that you live in New York City, how would you describe your experience as an artist?
Moving from Nigeria to New York has been an incredibly enriching and transformative experience. New York City is renowned for its vibrant and diverse art scene, which provides countless opportunities for growth, exposure, and artistic exploration. The dynamic mix of cultures that converge here fuels my creativity and broadens my artistic horizons. The wonderful thing about this city is that everyone has a story and these stories enable me to have a fresh perspective when creating my work. However, navigating the art scene in a city as vast and competitive as New York has also been challenging. The sheer volume of talented artists and the fastpaced nature of the art world can be both daunting and motivating. Despite this, I have been fortunate enough to interact with many veterans in the industry that share my passion for art. From conversations to studio visits, these people provided guidance and companionship in navigating this art scene.
Overall, my experience as an artist in New York City has been incredibly fulfilling. The city’s cultural richness, artistic vibrancy, and the opportunities it provides have shaped and influenced my artistic practice in profound ways. It continues to fuel my passion, push me to explore new avenues, and contribute to the ever-evolving dialogue within the art community.
I recently completed an art piece that was very dear to me. Tragically, the canvas tore while I was putting the finishing touches to the work. This deeply saddened me and I instantly went into “I need to fix this” mode. While doing so, I stopped midway and took a moment to reflect on the importance of not chasing perfection. I realized that the work is beautiful as is and although it could be repaired, it did not need to be “fixed”. The realization hit me hard that we were always trying to change and fix others, instead of accepting and embracing them for who they are. This was a turning point for me and was the inspiration for my current project.
The new project I am working on, “In Love We Grow,” delves into the topics of sexuality and identity with a focus on promoting inclusivity within African society. Through this series of artworks, I aim to shed light on the diverse range of sexual orientations and gender identities that exist within African communities and challenge the norms that may perpetuate discrimination. The title itself, “In Love We Grow,” encapsulates the essence of the project. It emphasizes the importance of love, acceptance, and growth in fostering a more inclusive society. By depicting individuals who exist beyond the binary notions of gender, I aim to showcase their resilience, strength, and inherent worth.
I want to challenge preconceived notions and prejudices, encouraging viewers to question the limitations placed on sexuality and identity within their own cultural context. This series aims to serve as a catalyst for change, challenging existing societal structures and promoting a more inclusive and accepting society. Through the power of art, I hope to ignite conversations, broaden perspectives, and contribute to the ongoing movement for equal rights and the recognition of diverse identities within African communities.
hannahlafolletteryan
Hannah La Follette Ryan is a Brooklyn-based photographer who is best known for her Instagram project @subwayhands, which captures the condition of urban living through portraits of anonymous commuters’ hands. The resulting images are sometimes humorous and often poignant; her photographs document fleeting moments of romance and boredom, of tenderness and anxiety, of vulnerability and compassion. She primarily shoots with an iPhone, and her images provide a tantalizing glimpse into other lives, granting viewers a brief moment of illumination and connection. Ryan teaches at the International Center of Photography, and her work has been featured in the New York Times, the New Yorker, and Die Zeit, among other publications.
Tell me about the genesis of your Subway Hands project. What do you think hands can reveal about a person?
I started Subway Hands soon after moving to New York City in 2015. I was spending hours on the subway every week, traveling to my day job as a nanny in Manhattan. To pass the time, I would avidly people-watch, guessing about a stranger’s life with the limited clues available. During peak rush hour, I watched New Yorkers retreat behind the same neutral facial expression, a mask of bored disinterest and a dead end for my curiosity. Hands were the tell. It’s as if all of that displaced emotion was funneled into the hands: anxiety made visible in self-soothing gestures or impatience in the intensity of a grip. Hands are highly reactive to our surroundings which makes them our most honest feature. Hands reveal what faces sometimes conceal in public: our interiority.
In this project and in your larger body of work, there is a really interesting relationship between voyeurism and intimacy. What are you hoping to capture of the individuals you photograph?
My drive to photograph strangers is motivated by a deep curiosity. I’m drawn to the enigma of strangers, the combination of familiar and unfamiliar characteristics. In my Subway Hands portraits, I strive to capture the texture and details of other lives. By photographing hands and not faces, I can capture a level of intimacy while preserving anonymity. An unintended consequence is that, without clearly identifiable faces, viewers of my Instagram account will sometimes mistakenly believe I’ve photographed them. It’s beautiful that people recognize themselves in a photo of someone who is ultimately a stranger.
You describe photography as a mnemonic device, but narrative plays a strong role in your images as well. What is it that draws your eye to a particular moment?
I scan for detail: often the mundane and surface-level. I’m interested in how we personalize our experience. For instance, someone’s decision to match the shade of their manicure to their phone case or an adult with a kid’s bandaid. Details are humanizing and create narrative. Public transit offers fleeting glimpses into the lives of others where everyone is a worthy subject.
What is the relationship between photographer and subject for you?
It’s an unequal power dynamic by definition, and I try to navigate it with respect and humility. If someone sees me photographing them, I explain my project and offer to share the photo. As a photographer, I have to remember that I’m intruding on a scene and rarely have the full context.
Are there other subjects or symbols that have drawn your attention in the same way as hands? Are there other projects you’re currently working on?
Subway Hands is as much about hands as it is about the social contract in public space. How people navigate shared spaces like public transit, libraries and parks will always interest me. At the moment, I’m working on a series called Nosebleeds. I recently inherited my grandfather’s stash of binoculars and opera glasses. I’ve been buying nosebleed tickets to the ballet, Broadway, sports games, etc. and photographing the action through the binocular lens with my iPhone. I’m having fun pushing the inherent voyeurism of photography in a playful direction.
You’re an educator as well as an artist. What is the most important lesson you hope to convey to your students?
I tell them that the more you learn the more artistic choices you can make, which only strengthens the work.
In this section we invite contributing writers to share their perspectives on contemporary art, education, and other notes of interest related to visual arts.
written by Erika b Hess
In today’s world, we are bombarded with ideas on how to fix our weaknesses. Whether it’s becoming a morning person, improving our skills in various areas, or constantly striving for self-improvement, we are taught to focus on our flaws and work tirelessly to overcome them. While self-improvement is important, we often neglect to recognize and embrace our strengths.
As an artist, I have encountered numerous individuals who downplay their strengths or shy away from leaning into them. They may dream of leaving their day job, starting their own art business, becoming an art writer, or want to approach a gallery. However, they are hesitant to begin the journey and focus on their shortcomings halting any progress toward their goal. We can become trapped in endless cycles of improvement online. There will always be another opinion on what we can fix.
It is essential to distinguish between education and learning vs. “fixing.” Education is defined as” the acquisition of knowledge or skills through experience, study, or by being taught” and should be a lifelong pursuit of an artist. Fixing is repairing or mending something. While it’s important to acknowledge areas that need improvement, constantly tearing ourselves apart and focusing solely on our weaknesses can become toxic and damaging. We also need to take time to recognize and cultivate our strengths. Perhaps there are talents or passions that we have neglected or never pursued because we were too focused on what we could improve. It’s time to make peace with our strengths, to acknowledge and appreciate them.
I encourage you to take some time to reflect on what strengths you possess. For those who may be unsure of their strengths, seek input from trusted friends, relatives, partners, fellow artists, therapists, or colleagues - those who truly see and understand you. Embracing your inner strengths can open up new opportunities and pathways for growth in your creative journey. It’s time to shift our mindset from constantly fixing ourselves to embracing and utilizing our strengths to thrive in our creative pursuits.
written by Rebecca Potts Aguirre
Hello artists! This is part six of a series of journaling prompts focused on navigating dual careers as an artist and educator (or artist and _______________ [insert your other career]).
If you’ve been following along, setting aside a bit of time with each issue to reflect on your careers, pull out those lists of tasks and responsibilities from before. If you’re diving in now, start by thinking through the many things you do in each role or check out past issues for more detailed prompts. What do you do? In each role, what are your jobs and responsibilities?
We’ve taken time in each issue to dig into these lists.
First, we looked at where the dual careers overlap. Where can you do double duty? How do these two careers feed each other? Next, we found room, joy, and rest within those sometimes overwhelming lists of tasks. I asked:
Where is there room?
Often juggling dual careers results in feeling a lack of time, energy, space, or resources (or maybe all of the above!). Where is there room within teaching (or another career) for being an artist?
Where is there joy?
Which tasks on your lists bring you joy? How can you prioritize those and delegate or automate some of the less joyful responsibilities?
When do you rest?
Where is there time for rests in your lists? What does rest look like for you? How can you make time for rest?
We ended some of these issues with helpful self-talk. Let’s pause before moving on to organizational tips and strategies.
I deserve joy. I prioritize rest. I give myself permission to NOT be 100% artist or 100% educator (or insert other career).
Yes! You’ve got this. This last prompt focuses on organization to pull all the pieces together. This sprang from sharing a few tips and tools that have helped me juggle teaching and art-making. I’ve separated these into categories based on how/where you might use these tips and tools: tangible offline tools and online tools. As you review these lists, make note of anything that sparks your interest. A longer list with notes and links is available at bit.ly/get-organized-artists.
– Journal/sketchbook
– Lesson binder/grade book - maybe this is also a journal/ sketchbook so it’s with you at school
– Centers in the classroom - organize materials to cut down on prep time
– Materials in the studio - keep frequently used materials in stock and ready to be used
– Packaging station with boxes, bubble wrap, tape, etc.
– Finished work vs. in progress work in separate areas
– Inspiration around home: art, textiles, color, plants, scents, books
– Family Calendar
– Whiteboard - notes, pep talks, to-dos, etc.
– Google Keep - synced to-do lists, grocery lists, notes, sketches
– Google Drive - keep folders of headshots, available work, bio & statement, and proposal writing
– Google Calendar & reminders - block out your calendar by scheduling studio time and rest time!
– Calendly for scheduling meetings, syncs with your calendar
- Set up an event for booking studio visits
– Doodle for scheduling group meetings/events
– Gmail scheduling - set up emails to go out whenever you want them to
– Airtable - for tracking artwork, submissions, contacts, and so much more - I created this base to get you started: bit.ly/art-base
– ClickUp - task manager with automations
– Social Media Schedulers: Plann, Hootsuite, Later (there are others as well)
– Milanote - for planning events/exhibits
– Slack - for communication
– Canva - for designing graphics or presentations
– Instagram - “save to collection” - set up an “opportunities” collection
These are not exhaustive lists, so what did I miss? Do you already have tools or tips that have been game-changers in staying organized?
What tools do you currently use for organization (offline or online)?
WHICH TOOLS WOULD YOU LIKE TO TRY?
Make a plan for implementing a new tool:
I will try ________________ for 1 month starting ________ .
After giving a new tool a try, come back to assess the experience. Was it helpful? How can you tell? Did it save you time or energy? What else can you try?
written by Chunbum Park
Sara Jimenez, a Filipinx-Canadian artist who has studied “the cave complexes, ancient maritime trade routes, and celestial navigation in the Philippines” in the past year, harbors in her work questions of identity of a diasporic body, as well as its history and ancestors, and the spiritualism of hybrid convergence of religions.
Jimenez’s current solo exhibition was on view at the Rachel Uffner Gallery’s Upstairs Gallery from May 6th to June 17th, 2023, and it appears to serve as both a shrine for the spirits, a monument to the contemporary struggles of the Filipinx people and diaspora, and a mirror for the artist’s own identity as a woman of color through the examination of the diasporic body. The artist utilizes the recycling and re-using of found objects and objects already in the artist’s possession as part of her practice, which contributes to an environmentalist statement and to the directness of her works in terms of their political and/or personal meaning.
For this exhibition, Jimenez constructs a visual spectacle of what appears to be a cave with green and pink seaweed hanging from the ceiling and moss formations on rocks. Transparent jewelry or pendants in the shape of a star hang from the ceiling as well, representing the constellations of the night sky that the seafaring people relied on for navigation around the Philippines. On the scene are also shiny metallic objects such as rings and chains that may reference both ancient maritime trade in the area and the current bondage or subjugation of the Third World by the First World. Around the center of the installation, large concrete blocks with square concavities are stacked and painted in blue, serving as something like a display stand or a bookshelf, containing various artifacts and ornaments. It is also important to note that the sculptural pieces often conform to the shape or dimension of Jimenez’s body such as her legs, face, and hair. She describes her body as diasporic and “not in one place, but in many all at once”, which explains why her body is fragmented and in many places simultaneously.
What does it mean for a body to be in multiple places at the same time? Does this metaphor relate to the artist’s own personal situation, where she must go back and forth between multiple regions of the world, to maintain her career? Or does it relate to the illegal trade of body parts in the medical industry? Or is the artist’s body fragmented into parts and merged with the decorative elements, due to the synthetic and ornamental nature of her body and identity in the Western eye (per ideas of Ornamentalism by Anne Anlin Cheng)? Or is the artist’s body a symbol for the Filipinx diaspora, with the diasporic bodies becoming the same body undergoing the shared experiences that is the diaspora? As the diaspora is a struggle and a process of undergoing marginalization and erasure, it must inscribe the same class of events on the surface of the body, forming a shared identity of victimhood and resistance among its people. For Jimenez, the recycled use of found objects in her creation process equally becomes a memoir of marginalization and resistance, as she recalls her father finding “new” things from the neighbors’ trash.
In fact, in her work, Jimenez makes a direct link between the capitalist exploitation of the people of Third World countries, the diaspora of those people, and the destruction of the environment. The diaspora of the Filipinx people is made necessary by the capitalist and Neocolonial exploitation of the Third World by the First World, which seeks cheap labor and access to resources. The same economic forces also cause
many ills for the Earth, including the Climate Change crisis and the overabundance of plastic in the oceans. And then the same entities, whether they are the companies wanting to “invest” in overseas production or promote the use “cheap” plastic, de-sensitize the public from the evils of their manifold activities and policies. Instead of seeking to increase the rate of recycling plastic through government fiat, the companies behind plastic manufacturing brainwash the public into believing that recycling is not feasible because it is not profitable. Rather than accepting the international scientific consensus around the consequences of increased global temperatures, the fossil fuel industry has put out propaganda that the issue of climate change is a political issue and a left-wing agenda. And, lastly, the West rejects the option of fully compensating the people of the countries that they had formerly colonized and exploited for hundreds of years. The environmental problems for the Earth and the socioeconomic misfortunes of the people of the Third World are just merely the way things are. We are told to accept the way things are, no matter how unfortunate they are. It is as if we are the passersby who ignore the homeless person’s pleas for water or change.
Going back to her father’s example, the very act of finding new use in objects abandoned by other people is akin to alchemy or sublimation. Alchemy is the magical process of turning non-gold objects into gold, while sublimation discussed by Sigmund Freud is the process transforming
sexual drive into a creative drive to express oneself. Jimenez also utilizes a similar transformational process to turn trash and objects that would be otherwise discarded, into works of art. The recycling aspect may also reference the bartering system of the indigenous people in the Philippines, who must have traded with each other and re-used “new” items, without any Consumerist notion of distinguishing between brand-new items and used items.
For the installation, the artist constructs what may be a spiritual shrine inside a cave with references to her ancestors, including the bowls, jewelry, and beads, as well as the marine life and structures that may contain the reincarnated spirits of the ancestors. The art objects inside the cave may have fantastical colors and appearances upon initial examination; yet the vision of the cave is not an accident of fantasy but a contact with spirituality. The colors inside the cave deviate from what is earthen and every day, entering the realm of dreams and the spiritual. The indigenous people of the Philippines held the Animist belief that “people have twin souls… The first twin [soul]… resides in the stomach… [affecting] the physical body and is treated through herbs, remedies, and antidotes. The second twin…, the astral soul, resides in the head… and normally detaches from [the first twin soul] during sleep
to travel to the spirit world (creating dreams).” It is quite possible to imagine that the artist may have had a dream about the caves that she studied in the Philippines, in which she was seeking answers from her ancestors.
What kind of answer did Jimenez find in her study of the caves in the Philippines? Her art, which is open to interpretation, conveys this answer with the visions of beauty and wonders of the natural world, the spiritual world, and her people who are embodied in her own bodily images. The answer may be that there is a need to appreciate the beautiful people and things in this world and to listen to one’s heart and protect, not exploit them. Jimenez’s installation suggests that a lack of money is not necessarily a lack, while the abundance of capital is not necessarily a true form of abundance. Just as the people who live in affluent cities in the First World have traded star lights for city lights in the nighttime, there is always a tradeoff to our decisions. What Jimenez’s cave installation appears to be showing is a natural state of existence prior to the capitalist takeover of the world, its people, and resources. Even as money and greed rule this world in the status quo, Jimenez’s art shows the dream of an alternative mode of existence, economy, and society, in which love, beauty, and co-existence prevail.
On an increasingly interconnected planet, abstract art has become a powerful tool for addressing cultural diversity and exploring important themes in our current society, such as identity, immigration, sexuality, and gender, among others.
Artists are now constantly evolving, blending traditional techniques with abstract methods in order to reflect the realities and experiences of different societies around the world, creating a fusion that deeply connects with cultural identity and provides a platform for underrepresented voices. Abstract art plays an important role in social justice movements and cultural activism, as abstraction is the ideal breeding ground for conveying messages of equality, inclusion, and empowerment that can challenge established social and political norms, using formal resources and experimental colors and textures. It tackles pressing issues of racial discrimination, human rights, and gender diversity, stimulating necessary and urgent conversations, establishing a language that surpasses linguistic and cultural barriers by utilizing a universal visual language. Unlike traditional art, which generally has its roots in a specific cultural background, abstract art can be embraced by people from different cultures and backgrounds, promoting more open and global communication and mutual understanding that embraces all social diversity. Contemporary art has found its place in public and community spaces, thus promoting social cohesion and integration, seeking its position in festivals, street fairs, and participatory programs that allow the community to interact and celebrate their cultural
differences; these initiatives promote collaboration between artists and diverse audiences, intensifying mutual understanding and respect, inviting us to rethink who we are and to value and respect essential aspects such as skin color, sexual identity, and gender issues. We must challenge established norms and promote change, and abstract art contributes to a more inclusive society, showcasing its capacity for a universal visual language that transcends cultural and linguistic barriers, fostering communication and understanding.
Let us promote abstract art as a tool to promote cultural diversity and build a more inclusive world where all voices are heard and celebrated. May it continue to be a beacon of hope and the ultimate meeting point for mutual understanding and respect in our globalized society.
Despite all of the growing opportunities for artists, the art world is still predominantly white and male. A 2019 study conducted at Williams College found that 85.4% of the works in the collections of all major US museums belong to white artists, and 87.4% are by men. Women of Color are the most underrepresented artists in the US, making up just 1% of artists in major collections, despite accounting for about 20% of the population.
For aspiring artists with an underrepresented or mixed identity, it can be difficult to figure out where, or if, you belong at all. Of course the answer to this question should always be “YES!” Art is for everyone. But when you struggle to find anyone else like you in the spaces where you want to be, the message it sends is, “You don’t belong here.” Diversifying your books and podcasts is a great way to reinforce the belief that there is more than enough room for everyone’s story to be told. Since these are often free and readily available (through public libraries, apps on your phone, etc), it’s a quick and easy place to start. Resources like this will help you find inspiration, expand your ideas of what’s possible, and normalize seeing and hearing people you relate to in positions of leadership and career success.
In addition to observing media created by and for BIPOC/ marginalized folks, look to join community spaces where you can actively participate. Working as an artist can be a solitary, at times even isolating, practice. This is why the encouragement, recognition, and support found in community is so valuable. If you’re having trouble getting started, remember that no one can find you if you don’t make yourself visible.
Make a note of the people whose stories resonated with you while listening to podcasts or reading articles, and see what other publications or organizations they’ve collaborated with. Follow them on social media, sign up for their newsletters, and send them a brief but polite DM/email sharing how you found their work and what you appreciated about the interview you heard or read. You may not hear back from everyone directly, but you’ll be surprised what can happen when you open yourself up to new opportunities and introductions.
The fact that most of the art world doesn’t already look or sound like you is exactly why your unique voice and viewpoint is needed! Think about how tired most people are of seeing reboots and remakes of the same movies, and then think about how many incredible stories live within your ancestors, your relatives, your friends, your homeland. Now think about how many incredible stories live within you, that only you can tell. Keep in mind that your story doesn’t have to be groundbreaking or harrowing to be “worthy” of being told, it just has to be authentic to you and your experience. You’ll likely find that the more you’re able to communicate personal stories through your art, the more your art will resonate with others. This is because the very act of communicating your story is what connects your art to others, and what connects other artists and their work to you. In other words, focus your attention on the feeling you get during the creative process. You “belong” because you’re an artist with a story to tell and voice to share, not because of the subject of your work or the results your work produces.
Victoria J. Fry will provide you with targeted support in key areas of your art career, foster meaningful connections with fellow artists, and build a strong foundation from which you can reach your goals.
The program includes:
10 group sessions with Victoria in a supportive environment, 90 min each
Proven tools and strategies to increase visibility & sell your work
Opportunities to share your work and receive specific feedback
Private Facebook group to ask questions and receive additional support
Email support in between sessions
Victoria will focus on strategies and tools to grow your collector base, increase sales, exhibit your work, and move through creative blocks
SPOTS ARE LIMITED!
FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO SIGN UP GO TO visionaryartcollective.com
This is What I Know About Art
by Kimberly DrewAmerican Like Me: Reflections on Life Between Cultures
edited by America FerreraGirl Gurl Grrrl: On Womanhood and Belonging in the Age of Black Girl Magic
by Kenya Hunt
Mixed/Other
by Natalie MorrisTrick Mirror by
Jia TolentinoCrying in H Mart
by Michelle ZaunerIt’s About Damn Time: How to Turn Being Underestimated Into Your Greatest Advantage
by Arlan HamiltonLead from the Outside by
Stacy AbramsIn the Company of Women: Inspiration and Advice from over 100 Makers, Artists, and Entrepreneurs
by Grace BonneyThe Complete Smartist Guide
by Alicia Puig and Ekaterina PopovaAngela Davis Keynote lecture at the Oakland Museum 2016 (on art and social activism)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqC6T4oooCE
Jodi-Ann Burey Ted Talk
Why You Should Not Bring Your Authentic Self to Work (on dispelling “imposter syndrome” for BIPOC)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRi-jpzBiGo
The Mash-Up Americans by Amy Choi and Rebecca Lehrer
Lola’s Ink podcast by Jenna Hachard
Financial Feminist by Tori
DunlapThe Closeted Artist Podcast by Hallie
TorrisThe Create! Podcast by Ekaterina Popova
Black Frasier by Phoebe Robinson
Call Your Girlfriend by Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman
Design Matters with Debbie Millman
Now available on iTunes, Spotify, and anywhere podcast episodes are streamed. To hear inspiring conversations with artists and creative entrepreneurs, give it a listen!
New Visionary Podcast is hosted by Victoria J. Fry, artist & founder of VAC. Based in New York City, Victoria interviews creative individuals from around the world in our new podcast series.
This issue of New Visionary Magazine is curated by Alicia Puig of PXP Contemporary
Alicia Puig is the curator & co-founder of PxP Contemporary, an online gallery selling affordable artwork by emerging artists. After working in various roles within the arts industry for a decade, she launched PxP in May 2019 to better serve artists and new collectors. She is also the Director of Business Operations for Create! Magazine, an arts writer, the regular guest host of The Create! Podcast, and coauthor of The Complete Smartist Guide and The Creative Business Handbook. Her writing has been featured in publications including Create! Magazine, All She Makes, Beautiful Bizarre Magazine, Art She Says, and Artspiel, among others. Additionally, she has served as a guest curator for Hastings College, All She Makes, Create! Magazine, Rise Art, SHOWFIELDS, Visionary Art Collective, and Arts to Hearts Project.
www.jenniferagricolamojica.com
jenniferagricolamojica
Jennifer Agricola Mojica’s fragmented, figurative paintings are both monotonous and disruptive. The viewer is immersed in a world of repeating shapes and stark planes, creating a disordered sense of time and place. The overwhelming disorder gives way to a sense of stillness; the parts sublimate into a cohesive whole as Agricola Mojica “weaves concepts and elements together,” a process she describes as “calm and meditative.”
The paintings are influenced by Agricola Mojica’s journey as an artist and mother, experiences that can both overwhelm and inspire. Ultimately, she hopes her work offers “a quiet place to rest amongst the chaos.” Agricola Mojica is an artist and art professor who has exhibited across the U.S. and internationally. Her work can be found in private collections and has been featured in multiple publications.
From a young age, Evi Antonio was fascinated with the natural world, but she didn’t have many opportunities to encounter it growing up in London. Instead, she explored the biodiversity of the larger world through natural history books; she went on to study scientific illustration and pursue a career as a watercolor artist, creating images for the very publications that had fueled her childhood inspiration. Her current practice synthesizes urban and natural environments, as well as scientific and aesthetic appreciation. Antonio creates highly detailed digital
paintings, working directly from sourced specimens and her own photography, that set forensically observed creatures against the gritty texture of London. She finishes each work with traditional oil glazing techniques, adding a human element to the carefully replicated patterns and symmetry she’s faithfully captured. Her paintings transcend notions of beauty and ugliness, evoking both flourishing and decay. Antonio is an award-winning artist who has exhibited as a solo artist and in group shows across the U.K.
www.andreacaldarise.com
caldarise
Andrea Bartine Caldarise’s landscape paintings exist in the nexus between place and memory, overlaying what we see with what we feel and remember. Through her considerations of natural environments, she strives to capture the moment between an experience and the impression it forms—“when you blink and your perspective shifts,” she says. “I aspire to situate my work in that transitional moment.” The result is impressionistic,
a portrait of unfiltered perception; her present emotions emerge as a feature of the landscape, flattening the boundary between painter and subject. Caldarise is an award-winning artist who has exhibited extensively across the U.S. and internationally. She has worked in collaboration with a dance company and a theater group, creating unique artworks, sets, and props for their productions.
Melanie Berardicelli’s work draws from history and personal experience to explore love, sorrow, and faith. After the untimely death of her older brother in 2020, she was plunged into grief and uncertainty. Then she came across Paul Koudounaris’s photographs of the “catacomb saints”—the remains of Christian martyrs, ornately dressed and encrusted in jewels, that were sent to Catholic churches throughout Europe. In them, Berardicelli saw an answer to her question of how to adequately honor the dead and the promise of a richer existence beyond our corporeal one. Through her renditions of the martyrs’ skeletons, she explores her
feelings about mortality and the inevitability of loss, venerating the beloved figures in her life. Emulating the devotion of the nuns who clothed and bejeweled the martyrs, she creates twenty-four inch skeletal sculptures, which she then dresses in ornate costumes she has hand tailored, embroidered, and beaded. Her paintings, which also incorporate embroidery, re-imagine the saints as her own loved ones. Berardicelli is an artist and arts educator whose work has been exhibited in solo and group shows throughout New York state. She is also the president and exhibition catalog chair of Audubon Artists, Inc., and a children’s book illustrator.
www.agathebouton.com
agathebouton
Agathe Bouton’s boundary-pushing printmaking and paper works are influenced by the cities across the world where she has lived, including Paris, London, Rangoon, Dakar, and Istanbul. Her oeuvre encompasses monotypes, prints, installations, artist books, paper clothing, and paintings; her work draws on engraving and etching techniques, using washes of color that vary in density and translucence. Her often fragile works celebrate ephemeral beauty, embracing decay and giving form to Bouton’s experiences and memories. Her series
Burmese Days pays homage to the years she spent in Myanmar, and specifically to the textiles she observed while living there. Through woodcut prints, she recreates the silhouette of the pleated skirts common there when laid flat or flared out in a full spin. The pieces honor the women who wear such garments, which carry vestiges of lived experience through their endless fraying and mending. Bouton has exhibited across the world and received numerous awards in France and the U.S.
www.valeriecbrowne.com
valeriecbrowne
Through her paintings, Valerie C. Browne considers social isolation, making the experience of introversion apparent. Her current series is a combination of still lifes—a party’s accoutrements, garishly colored and shining, presented in isolation—and portraits—muted, thoughtful subjects set against loud and vibrant backgrounds. Her images are both inviting and overwhelming, conveying the ambivalence of wanting to join an environment that also overloads the senses and emotions. “The core of my work is derived from my own struggles of attempting to
exert a colorful, outgoing, and flashy persona yet feeling oversaturated by social and emotional anxieties,” Browne says. As an artist, Browne is inspired by Baroque and Rococo painters; she designs and assembles some of the garments she depicts, which are comprised of discarded party materials and inspired by the costumes of those periods. She works primarily with oil paint, using the layering techniques of the Old Masters, but incorporates materials like gold leaf and glitter as well. Browne received a B.F.A. from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
www.billieraebusby.com
br_busby
Billie Rae Busby’s deconstructed landscapes strip Canada’s terrain down to its most basic elements: lines and color. She defamiliarizes nature to the point of abstraction, at once celebrating and confounding its beauty. Her paintings, renditions of photographs she takes as she moves through the world, are characterized by hard edges and fluorescent hues, formal elements that are more frequently associated with cities. Busby’s work is inspired by her appreciation of both types of
environments—natural and man-made—and through the sharp strokes that slice across her canvases, she evokes them simultaneously. Through her vibrant reinterpretations, she hopes to transform ordinary locales and make the mundane seem otherworldly. Busby is an award-winning artist whose works have been exhibited in various galleries and exhibitions across Canada and acquired by several collections.
www.debcookshapiro.com
debcookshapiro
Debra Cook Shapiro’s paintings explore the nature of feeling and memory. Her impressionist images capture the experience of emoting; in them, specific forms melt towards abstracted, vibrant sensation. While drawn from reality—photographs, movie scenes, or her own staged photo shoots—her work feels more evocative than purely representational. Shapiro’s process is reminiscent of memory itself: she scrapes, repaints, and radically revises over time. Her recent series, “Fêtes and Celebrations,” captures people in moments of exultation. Shapiro is inspired by the energy of these moments—the
awareness that one will carry what she is witnessing with her throughout her life. Her celebratory, pastoral scenes and saturated palette are reminiscent of Rococo-era paintings, which are similarly exuberant and suffused with warmth. “My work is a celebration of joy and hope in a time when we need it most, leveraging the power of vivid hues and bold compositions to express feelings of positivity,” she says. Shapiro’s work has been featured in private and group shows across the U.S. can be found in domestic and international collections.
www.artistangeladallago.com
angeladallago_artist
Angela Dallago’s paintings celebrate the beauty of water, long a source of fascination for her. Her earliest pieces were abstract acrylic paintings that captured the flow and movement of light across a surface in vibrant splashes of color. She now works with oil, capturing British Columbia’s vast landscapes. In her paintings, lakes reflect thick forests and tendrils of mist obscure looming mountains.
The tone is reverent; these pieces, too, capture the shifting appeal of water in its various forms. Dallago was trained as an aesthetician and discovered her love of art while working on the smallest of canvases: nails. She is now a full-time artist whose work has been exhibited in shows throughout Vancouver.
www.gingerdanz.com
gingerdanzart
Ginger Danz moves between figuration and abstraction, drawing from the environments around her—landscapes both emotional and literal–to create vivid, emotionally resonant paintings. Her “Soft Animal” series gives form to her experience of motherhood. The images are suffused with a sense of nostalgia for her child’s early years, “when I was the center of their world,” Danz says. But she is also “captivated by the liminal space of adolescence” and “the ways in which their exploration of identity and growing selfawareness interact with my own changing sense of self as
I age.” The subject of her mixed-media paintings, which also include collage and drawing, is carefully rendered yet obscured, a form that has begun to define itself but remains indeterminate. Based on sketches and photos of her child, they provide a space for Danz to work through her complicated feelings of selfhood and personhood. Danz’s award-winning work has been exhibited in multiple solo and juried group exhibitions in galleries across the eastern United States.
Yvadney Davis’s portraits are a love letter to the Windrush generation, those who emigrated to the United Kingdom from the Commonwealth after World War II. Through her work, she explores British Caribbean identity, connecting previous generations’ immigrant experience with the present. Using bright colors, tactile brushstrokes, and evocative mid-century prints, she renders everyday Black Caribbeans with majesty and joy. Davis is inspired by the regality of the Old Masters and the boldness of the
Harlem Renaissance, and her connection to these artistic movements situates her subjects in a proud, powerful legacy. History is incredibly important to Davis. “Art has run in my family through the generations, but I am the first who has been able to pursue it professionally,” she says. Through her practice, she seeks to connect with her ancestors and to illuminate the continued relevance of their stories. Davis is an award-winning artist who has exhibited throughout the U.K.
www.margotdermody.com
margotdermody
Margot Dermody’s abstract work investigates the connections between human emotion and the natural world. Working with painting, photography, and sculpture, she captures the beauty of what she perceives and her own reaction to it. Dermody’s process is apparent in her pieces; her physical presence can be felt through the materiality of her objects. Her work often represents transitory conditions, using multiple materials to create objects that appear to be in liminal states. Her Amalfi series combines glass, fragile and ephemeral, with marble, which residents of that region have been using to make artworks for millennia. The resulting shapes evoke
the rugged mountains and smooth oceans of the coast, bringing Sorrento’s vistas to mind. Dermody’s Dancer series also portrays moments of flux between states. In it, she uses a variety of techniques—flameworking, kilnworking, and cold working—to create glass sculptures that pay homage to the fluidity and grace of dancers in motion. The works are also a celebration of the creative process, constantly moving and metamorphosing its surroundings. Dermody has exhibited in a variety of group shows, and her first solo exhibition recently opened at the Pittsburgh Federal Courthouse.
www.kristendunkelbergerfineart.com kristendunkelbergerfineart
Kristen Dunkelberger was initially drawn to watercolor painting for its ability to capture the particularities of a landscape in any given moment. While she was a student, she took a semester abroad in Europe to study effects of latitude and altitude on light; she found that watercolor’s fluidity and translucence allowed her to represent the shifting vistas she witnessed. It also leant itself to rendering her interiority, offering a way to record the emotional experience of observation. Her paintings have
both realistic and abstract elements, combining fact and fiction and fusing her inner life with the world around her. This process is informed by Dunkelberger’s love of poetry, especially haiku; in both verse and her work, what one chooses to show can be as impactful as what she omits. The resulting paintings are dream-like and evocative, grounded in physical reality but redolent of the artist’s emotion. Dunkelberger has exhibited across the U.S., and her work has been featured in a variety of publications.
www.greyeckert.com
Grey Eckert utilizes the historically feminine—and overlooked—art of embroidery to conjure up and recast the past. In the twentieth century, women were taught to sew to encourage virtue and to prepare them for marriage; it was also a part of courtship, as prospective brides would gift needlework to their beloved as a proof of devotion. Eckert collects pre-existing cross-stitches, which she then deletes language from, a process akin to erasure poetry. She describes doing so as transforming
“gendered text into brief, unadorned utterances that emphasize relational ruin.” The resulting work is not only an elevation of an artform that isn’t often given its due; it’s the reclamation and liberation of a traditional, restrictive expressive mode. The bursts of language Eckert embroiders brim with tender feeling and innuendo, gently asserting their agency. Eckert is a South Carolinabased artist and arts educator who has exhibited across the state and internationally.
asf ‘01, found cross-stitch, 33x14.75in
www.kimberlyengel.com
kimberlyengelart
Kimberly Engel’s paintings offer a consideration of color and of her psyche. She describes her process as an exploration and, ultimately, a dissolution of the self; just as the marks and hues that cascade across her canvases blend into and subsume each other, so her notion of her identity transforms throughout the process of making images. Before moving to Florida, Engel lived on the shore of Lake Erie in Euclid, Ohio, and her work draws inspiration
from her constant proximity to water. The interplay of chroma and light across the surface of her canvases recalls the undulating constancy of large bodies of water and offers a glimpse into greater depths. Despite their vibrancy, Engel’s latest paintings provided a space for her to through profound grief, which she alchemized through veils of vivid colors. Engel has exhibited across the U.S. in group and solo exhibitions.
www.andrew-faulkner.com andrew_faulkner_art
Andrew Faulkner’s paintings use rich hues to express a dramatic sense of light and space. He draws inspiration from his locality of northern California, employing the region’s vibrant palette to create absorbing abstract landscapes, as well as from his family background: his father was an architect and his mother was an interior designer, and their sense of form and color can be seen
in his stylized interiors. Faulkner works with oil and digital painting; in both media, his gestural marks evoke a sense of whimsy, which he likens to his childhood tendency to color outside of the lines. Faulkner has exhibited across the U.S., and his illustrations have appeared in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and The Washington Post, among other publications.
www.lorefrias.com lorefrias
Lorena Frías makes figurative paintings with pencil, charcoal, and oils, creating contemporary scenes with a classical influence. She sees her work as an exploration of color through portraiture. The atmosphere of her paintings can be enigmatic; while the subjects are captured with exquisite detail, they are often shorn of
context and expressing ambiguous emotion. Frías is an artist and architect living in Mexico. Her paintings have been exhibited internationally, published in magazines, and featured on an album cover. Her work is held in private collections in New York City, Mexico City, and New Mexico, among other locations.
www.caragonier.weebly.com
cara_gonier_artist
Through her work, Cara Gonier deconstructs the practice of landscape painting, creating what she refers to as meditative compositions. Her paintings and prints combine traditional and intuitive methods of representation; she strips the natural world to its barest elements, relying less on detailed depictions than on the cultivation of atmosphere, gesturing towards the countless forms a landscape can take. Gonier’s paintings
convey the subliminal energies given off by the earth, capturing its visual reality and intangible essence. She is the founder and director of Gonier Fine Art monotype workshops, promoting and educating students about the principles and joy of no press printmaking. Gonier is an award-winning artist whose work has been featured in solo, group, museum, and juried exhibitions, as well as in a variety of publications.
Dana Harrison began her current art practice when she moved to an acre of land in Warkworth, Ontario, after years of working as a graphic designer and art director in Toronto. Inspired by the verdure and given the time and space to create, Harrison began to experiment with scanography to capture the intricate details of the plants and flowers that surrounded her. Drawing on her design background, she creates large-format images by carefully arranging plants she’s harvested on the glass of a scanner. Her first
series, “Biophilia,” celebrates nature’s lush, sometimes discordant beauty; her subjects emerge from darkness in a burst of texture and color. Her “Kaleidoscope” images instill order, transforming leaves and petals into elaborate geometric designs. Through all of her work, Harrison honors the beauty of the countryside and encourages viewers to examine it more closely. Harrison has worked as a designer for more than twenty years; her fine art has been exhibited in galleries and art fairs.
www.difpaints.com dif_paints
Diletta Innocenti Fagni’s work is reminiscent of Renaissance paintings, overlaid with a veil of sensuality and emotion. In her images, the boundary between the real and unreal becomes indistinct; figures dissolve beneath a mass of heavy brushstrokes, fading into the background but retaining a distinct character. Flesh and flora blend
together, gesturing towards a union of man and nature. Femininity plays an important part in Innocenti Fagni’s work, which often depicts private moments, delicately rendered but powerfully emotive. Innocenti Fagni has exhibited in solo and group shows across the world and has been featured in a variety of publications.
zarakand.com
zarakandart
Zara Kand sees art as a means of investigating and processing the subconscious, and she takes as her subject that which she finds mysterious. In the Surrealist tradition, she privileges subliminal understanding over accepted reality. Her moody paintings are laden with symbols, hidden meanings, and fantastical figures; a dream-like logic and sense of the uncanny pervades. She distorts the world in a way that calls it into question while celebrating its strange beauty. “It is my goal to create
works that are intellectually and emotionally challenging to help promote the kind of self-reflection that leads to internal growth and a more conscientious world,” she says. Kand is an art writer as well as an artist; her writing has been featured Hi-Fructose Magazine and ArtNowLA, among other publications. She works primarily in oil paint on canvas, but also creates films with hand-painted animation. She has exhibited nationwide, and her work can be found in numerous private collections.
Through her work, Lize Krüger shines a light on the most vulnerable members of society and the suffering they often endure. She sees herself as an activist and an artist; her earliest fusion of the two was in 2007 when she created a body of work focusing on child abuse. The following year, her son died by suicide, a tragedy that hugely defined her and her work. The themes she had been grappling with-mental health, pain and loss, topics that could feel
taboo to discuss--now resonated with her on a personal level, and she continued to make images that directly addressed the uncomfortable realities she believes is imperative to face. Her bold oil paintings represent these realities unflinchingly while finding power in vulnerability. Krüger has exhibited extensively internationally and has been featured in several publications.
The vivid, organic shapes that populate Lauren Lewchuk’s paintings recall nature in its most minute forms: she is particularly inspired by microorganisms and nature macro photography. There is a palpable sense of movement and flow in her imaginary ecosystems, which consist of elaborate patterns that repeat and permutate, reminding viewers of the complexity and beauty of that which surrounds us. She makes the infinitesimal perceivable; her work ranges from acrylic paintings on wood and metal
to murals that can span 2,000 feet. While the elements of Lewchuk’s paintings are familiar, there is something fantastical about them, casting the known world in a wondrous new light. Lewchuk has spent fourteen years in various creative fields including graphic design, screenprinting, prop fabrication, and mural painting. She has exhibited her fine art throughout Texas and won numerous awards for it.
www.kellymccallum.com
kelly_mccallum
Kelly McCallum works in a variety of media—jewelry, sculpture, and, most recently, painting—to explore natural history and self-mythology. Animals and insects have featured prominently in her work; her jewelry often incorporates small creatures and bugs, and her sculptural work imbues taxidermy with poignant new meaning. Her new series, “Totems,” builds on this practice to reflect her own psychological landscapes. The figures that populate these images are reminiscent of snails and ruminant animals, fantastical yet familiar beings that
occupy an interstitial space between the conscious and subconscious. The interiority of each is on clear display; colors bleed and bloom within the shapes they carry. To McCallum, the totems, which were born during a period of isolation and loneliness, embody relationships between individuals, offering a pathway from separation to shared experience. McCallum’s works have been featured at the Royal College of Art, held in a number of private collections worldwide, and exhibited internationally.
Shelly Pamensky reduces painting to its most basic elements, creating shimmering beds of color that call attention to their own materiality. To create her works, she primes fabric with layers of gesso, glue, and metal flake before applying thin veils of automotive paint, resulting in multi-faceted canvases that glitter and shift as the viewer moves. Her process has evolved from creating flat color gradients to weaving canvases that often pour over their own frames. This newer work was initially borne as an
act of repurposing, wherein Pamenksy would cut flawed work into strips which she would rework into new pieces. This combines stereotypically masculine tools—spray guns, automotive paint—with a traditionally feminine art form, creating work with an allure that is both powerful and delicate. Pamensky has exhibited in group shows and art fairs; her work is held in private collections across the world and has been featured in numerous publications.
www.soniaredfern.com
soniaredfern
Sonia Redfern’s work combines the quotidian and the eternal. She paints landscapes, at times with astronomical elements, over reclaimed fabrics, which were passed on to her by her mother. Redfern was studying astrophysics before earning a degree in visual arts, and her fascination with the astronomical can be felt in her paintings. “Each pattern or texture has a kind of visual vibration, like the background radiation that permeates the universe itself,” she says, and that texture informs the landscape she sets
upon it. The synthesis of these seemingly incongruous elements further places human time in conversation with geologic time. Her fabrics fray and decay as all that is organic must; the mountains and forests depicted on them have stood, and will continue to do so, for millions of years. Redfern has exhibited nationally and internationally, including in Washington, D.C., Illinois, and South Korea. Her work is in numerous private collections across the world.
www.michelleschultzstudio.com
michelleschultzart
Michelle Schultz’s paintings examine the themes of femininity and temporality through an intimate, spiritual lens. Her pregnancy—the transition from maiden to mother, in mythopoetic terms—caused Shultz to consider her mortality in a different light, and that experience has come to deeply inform her art. Recurrent throughout her work are snakes, a primordial chthonic symbol representing the connection between the mortal realm and the beyond, as well as the ability to molt and be reborn. These are the
essential questions Schultz asks herself through her work: How can we live in relation to death, and can we continue to transform ourselves in the face of its finality? Her subjects are at once vulnerable and resilient, surrounded by natural patterns—a reminder of the ephemerality of existence—and spiritual imagery—a gesture towards the eternal. Schultz is a published illustrator, and her paintings have also been published in multiple art magazines.
Using found materials and traditional crafting techniques, Jamie Speck elevates the domestic to the level of high art. She constructs “autobiographical assemblages” from household waste and everyday objects: a miniature house composed from used teabags, a haute couture gown made of dryer sheets. “My domestic schedule, environment, and family are interwoven with my art,” Speck says, and the metaphor of weaving is an important
one in her work. Thread calls attention to her the laborious act of creation in some pieces; in others, it invisibly binds disparate parts. Speck’s work reframes the mundane as magical, transforming routine into ritual and placing on a pedestal the often overlooked work women do. Speck is an award-winning artist and art professor who has exhibited in group and solo shows.
tomjeanwebb.com
tomjeanwebb
Tom Jean Webb has been depicting the same landscape since childhood, first filtered through romanticized imaginings, then drawn from lived experience. He grew up outside of London, next to his grandfather, who imparted his interest in all things Americana. “He wore cowboy boots, drove American cars, watched Western films, and bought me my first Stetson,” Webb says. These images took root, and he began painting his fantastical version of the American Southwest. Eventually, he moved to Texas; as he became more familiar with the landscape he had
nurtured in his imagination for so long, his practice became more about its observable reality, and especially about the relationship between the land and its inhabitants. His natural environments are filled with intricate detail and thrumming with energy, channeling his interiority while capturing the discrete character of the land. Webb has exhibited across the world, including in London, Paris, Berlin, and Hong Kong, as well as in cities throughout the U.S. He is represented by galleries in Texas, Germany, and England.
Night Flower,acrylic paint, graphite, glitter, charoal, oil and watercolor pastel on canvas, 40x30in
Samantha Wood’s bright paintings of ordinary objects have a carnivalesque sense of play, incorporating geometric shapes and abstract elements alongside realistic subjects. Color has always held central importance to her work, which has become increasingly vibrant over time. Wood works with fluid acrylics, beginning with a base coat that she sketches on top of, determining the appropriate level of abstraction for each element. Sharp
lines and patterns recur through her work, culminating in her current kaleidoscope series, which intermingles her two major themes: nature and nostalgia. The collection, inspired by vintage toys, allows Wood to explore different ways of expressing various perspectives and to create whimsical pieces that find magic in the everyday. Wood has exhibited in solo and group shows and recently received a grant from the Jackson Arts Council.
Our studio visits in New York City provide us with a deeper understanding of the work in which we are viewing. Through this ongoing series, we travel to artist studios in Brooklyn and Manhattan to meet contemporary artists who are creating powerful, thought-provoking work.
hyojucheon.com
hyo_ju_cheon
Hyoju Cheon is an explorer and interdisciplinary artist currently residing in New York. Her multimedia practice often casts a space, an object, or a body in motion, which responds to the conditions of a site. Her work documents bodies as they move through space, drawing their trajectories and archiving the material traces left behind. Hyoju has exhibited her works at Dongsomun, Meindo, Gallery Imazoo, and Gaon Gallery in Seoul; the Lenfest Center for the Arts, the Abrons Arts Center, Half Gallery, Chashma, Subtitled nyc in New York, and among others.
Hyoju Cheon’s kinetic installations explore the entanglement of mechanical and human movements. Animated by motors, her works swing, spin, produce vibrations, and leave marks on the gallery’s walls. By interrupting, triggering, and engaging in motions of the human bodies, Hyoju draws attention to the unnoticed, unexpected, and usually repetitive encounters between things and space. Soft materials are attached to the machine-driven wooden devices which encourages our bodily contact with the works.
www.carolineguilbertstudio.com
carolineguilbertstudio
NYC-based artist and designer Caroline Guilbert brings a holistic approach to color, highlighting its beauty in the everyday. Guilbert obtained their Masters degree in color in their native France, gaining a deep understanding of the ways in which color impacts various facets of our daily lives through psychology, theory, and more. Today, Guilbert creates from a curated live/work space in Brooklyn, NY. This allows them to fuel the daily organic rhythm of their creative process, immersed in their artistic environment. In their work, Guilbert extracts color from local food & flower wastes with which they create limited edition products and artworks that explore the illusions created by the phenomenon of color. Additionally, Guilbert has a passion for linking color with other creative mediums such as floral, video, music, scenography, and dance. In doing so, Guilbert breaks down the boundaries between different creative disciplines while working towards their mission of transforming the way we see and understand color.
For over a decade, Guilbert has shared their extensive knowledge of color and design with major brands including Armani, Reebok, and Coloro. In these positions, Guilbert has led color innovation and pushed sustainable projects to fruition for both apparel and footwear. Their sculptural work has recently been featured in the exhibition, Eclectica, at My Gallery NYC. Guilbert is currently working on a new collection of work to exhibit this year, as well as additional collaborative projects in New York City.
In my work, I create sculptures to challenge the ways in which people perceive and experience color. The way we see color is entirely dependent on context and is shaped by external factors including light source and temperature. Through my artistic practice, I explore the impact of this phenomenon. By shifting the hue of the lighting projected onto each sculpture, I cultivate chromatic moments for the viewer to get lost in.
Reframing the psychological issue of waste is an essential part of my approach. With sustainability at the core of my practice, I gather materials from local and secondhand sources. Through natural dye techniques, I extract chromatic properties from my own daily food scraps, as well as floral waste. By doing so, I curate what is around me and enable nature to be part of the artistic process. By programming sequences of shifting lights, I modify the perception of hues on and around the artwork. The use of black light activates the UV-sensitive pigments, which allows the naturally dyed parts of the piece to seemingly step back. This lighting layer creates a sense of movement, and shadows are an important player in the animation of my work.
I view this ongoing series as an opportunity to offer a healing and escaping journey for the senses through light and textures. I aim to show how our vision and brain can lead us to misperceive the spectral composition of visible light, and to convey that color is a changing sensation, even an illusion.
Elena Syromiatnikova is a talented ceramic artist who infuses her creations with vibrant colors,fantastical shapes, and a diverse range of textures. Drawing inspiration from the beauty of nature, she skillfully translates her observations into unique ceramic pieces that carry her personal touch. Her home, nestled amidst a forest, holds a special place in her heart and serves as a wellspring of inspiration. Observing the ever-changing nuances of nature throughout the seasons allows her to capture and transform this world into her own fantastical realm, where her imaginative creations come to life.
In her sculptures, Elena strives to preserve the inherent illusion of clay’s soft plasticity. Unlike other materials, ceramics possess durability and resilience, even in their broken form. This ancient and traditional medium holds significant mythological and cultural connotations, which enriches her artistic process. When crafting her modern ceramics, she employs traditional techniques and methods.
Each artwork she creates is unique and original, a testament to her meticulous hand molding and the absence of imitation. Through her work, Elena conveys a sense of joy, kindness, and positivity that she experiences during her creative journey with the medium.
Visionary Art Collective showcases work by artists from around the world in our diverse in-person and virtual exhibitions.
In this exhibition, we’re celebrating the true definition of emergence - a process of coming into being. For many artists, the creative practice provides a space for new ideas and discoveries to surface, grow, and materialize. Whether it be a painting, sculpture, photograph, or installation, art has the innate ability to turn the metaphysical into the physical. This virtual exhibit is a culmination of representational, figurative, abstract, and conceptual work.
Welcome to the Emergence exhibition, which was such a delight to curate.
Drawing inspiration from nature, art history, and spiritual references, each piece in this collection embodies the essence of new beginnings. From colorful abstract paintings to intricate artworks and sensual sculptures, every work of art tells a unique story of Emergence. Within this exhibition, each work captures the essence of emergence with vibrant colors and thoughtful details, bringing to life the beauty of new growth and transformation.
Another aspect I love about this collection is that many of the pieces are made of recycled materials, which symbolizes the importance of sustainability and the cycle of life. These creative artists have skillfully crafted pieces to represent the interconnectedness of all living things, reminding us of the importance of caring for our planet and each other.
Overall, this collection is a celebration of the beauty of new life and the infinite possibilities that come with new beginnings. I invite you to explore this collection and discover the magic of Emergence for yourself.
Alex, the son of a mortician, grew up on the coast of New Hampshire. He attended the BFA program at the University of New Hampshire, focusing on Painting and Printmaking from fall 2008 to spring 2014. Seeking further artistic growth, he then moved to Philadelphia, PA. In 2021, Alex relocated to Newmarket, NH, where the surrounding landscape became a significant source of inspiration. Alex characterizes his work as trending towards “Chronoluminarism,” both a nod to divisionism and conveyance of fascination with luminous movement: the interplay of time, light, and color.
The landscape’s reflection beckons us to embrace nature’s ever-changing nuances and our own fluctuating identities. It pays tribute to the profound instances that arise when we exist and observe.
We forget the image isn’t solely anatomization of moment. Active observation reveals the artist’s awareness in time and place as well as our connection as viewers. Within this undefined realm, our reflections become boundless and infinitely intricate, akin to observing multiple congruent facets simultaneously.
This work becomes a portal to no definitive place but remains a representation of the connections emerging from all the areas it stimulates and evokes. Our existence is truly grounded in the present moment, while these alternate selves emerging from the artwork fade into our disremembered reflections. The remnants of these dissolved ephemera, like the reflection of a tree, become both eternally supernatural and organically transient. We are both the orchestrators and passengers in this process of emergence, embodying the mud, the tree, and the river.
www.elizabethpena-alvarezstudio.com elizabethesther401
Based in Providence, Rhode Island, Elizabeth PeñaAlvarez is a sculptor working primarily with clay. She received her BFA from Swain School of Design and an MFA from the Rhode Island School of Design as well as an MFA in Artisanry from the University of Massachusetts
In my artwork, I investigate Post-Traumatic Growth by incorporating universal dichotomous themes such as life and loss; growth and destruction; beauty and darkness. My visual vocabulary is informed by observations of the natural world, including flora, and human anatomy. Resurrection is one such piece that conveys these themes. The biomorphic form sits upon three distinct points. One point rests upon a small pile of ash. The second point is a metallic glazed porcelain aspergillum, (sprinkler for holy water), and the third is a curved section of a metallic glazed vein or vine like stem. Towards the top of the dark, bulbous mass, three beautiful yet macabre ‘flesh flowers’ in various stages of bloom emerge, composed of muscles, veins, and bones. Further allusions to the flesh, albeit in its final form, are found with the use of ash. The aspergillum makes the most important reference to the ethereal, literally balancing everything in a state of
We are proud to feature a wide range of talented artists in the Visionary Art Collective Directory. Coming to you from numerous states and nations, our directory artists work across a wide range of mediums and disciplines.
visionaryartcollective.com/directory
www.erinfriedmanart.com
erinfriedmanart
Erin Friedman is an abstract artist based just outside of Washington, DC in Bethesda, Maryland. She has always been captivated by the experience and process of creating. She graduated from the University of Maryland with a BFA in painting and a concentration in design. Before pursuing her art full time, Erin spent over a decade working as a graphic illustrator for international brands such as Warner Brothers, The Smithsonian Institution and The Metropolitan Museum of Art. She gradually refined her process and found her niche in abstract painting.
Erin’s goal is to make people feel deeply when they see her art. Her inspiration comes from moments and reactions to everyday life experiences. Emotions have a great impact on her work and influence her paintings in a variety of ways. She believes in embracing these feelings and allowing them to become a part of her creative process.
As her style continues to evolve, her process remains as intimate as ever. She brings her personality as a sensitive and empathetic truth seeker to every blank canvas. Erin’s work is free from formal structure and open to interpretation, a style that she hopes causes viewers to think about what the piece means to them.
Erin’s work has been exhibited in private collections and galleries, both nationwide and abroad.
I am fueled by my art, which has been pouring out of me since childhood. When I paint, I am fully immersed in my work. Nothing inspires me more than the complexity of emotions. I aim to capture the essence of the human experience in my work. We all experience conflict, change, joy and sadness. I do my best to embrace this process of life and allow these feelings to be revealed throughout my art.
My paintings are created by pouring mixed acrylic onto a canvas and then building layers with paint using my palette knife. I work intuitively and I do not plan my paintings. I have an idea of what I want to create in my mind as I apply color to a canvas and then each additional mark is a reaction to what has been set. I will make marks, alter my ideas, add layers and change directions. Each piece is deeply personal, centered around embracing current emotions that I am experiencing. These moments themselves are rarely pictured; rather, the accompanying feelings show up in the art such as brushstrokes and wax pastel markings. My work is about expressing myself through visual conversation where the artwork allows the viewer to experience their own reactions.
Sandy Lang is a self taught figurative artist based in Germany and developed her work for several years before she felt ready to show her paintings to a public world outside of her own studio. After attending group exhibitions in Berlin, Prag, Portugal and Florida her first solo exhibition, “Entourage of Light“ came into being, which took place in Berlin in 2016. Besides her own projects, she also worked in arty collaborations, including production design for two short films and joined a temporary art group working on the myth of Marsyas. Over the last years she was able to take part in several group exhibitions and to be featured in magazines and art directories. Currently Sandy is creating a large collection of figurative paintings on the topic of human attitudes towards strange encounters which is planned as a solo show for next year.
Focused on the ambivalent in between, Sandy Lang imagines figures as allegories of the human condition. They incarnate her search for a storyline in everything, narrating the dualism of being human in figurative paintings of shadow and light. Being influenced by the dark fairy tales of her childhood, poetry, symbolistic art and historical pictures, she places recurring figures and symbols in imagined settings to create an allegoric narrative. Her work is a very personal approach to themes she deals with: feelings and relations, ideas and experiences, dreams and memories. Unveiling them while still being hidden inside their symbolic language, is her way of examining herself and life, making sense of things observed and concerned of. Her work is an attempt to understand the dualism she feels regarding the human condition, asking: how can we be so weird? How can humans be both, utterly tender, full of beauty and love, music and poetry and at the same time capable of being totally cruel towards each other, their surroundings, themselves? Discerning this question in the idea of love - or its absence, her paintings express this ambivalence in strong dark and light colours.
www.jaynandersonart.com
jaynandersonart
Jayn Anderson is a North Carolina based abstract painter. Her work is inspired by life experiences, emotions, music and how they all relate to fundamental humanness. She creates to uncover the deeply personal and at times, uncomfortable parts of life. Through her work, she strives to present a visual language that we can all relate to on a deeper level. Jayn’s desire is to provide a safe space for others to feel the freedom and vulnerability to connect to their innermost thoughts through art.
www.phyllisandersonart.com
phyllisandersonart
Phyllis Anderson is an award-winning artist who divides her time between Colorado and New Jersey. She received a BFA at the University of Texas, and later studied at the Art Students League in New York. Her current multi-media paintings are landscapes which invoke dreams and memory, where a threatened wilderness has become an idea, mythic, legendary, unreal. Fantastic color, image fragmentation, and scribbled lines create romantic, mysterious works. Phyllis’s paintings are shown regularly in Philadelphia, and at RGallery in Boulder, CO. Her work is available at Framewerx Gallery in Winter Park, CO, and is in several private & corporate collections.
www.rebeccaannanart.com
rebecca_annan_art
Rebecca Annan is a Fine Artist from London, England who returned to her art practice at the start of 2021. Working in a variety of mediums, Rebecca takes what resonates with her from the natural world and creates art that captures the temporal and impermanent. Her latest body of work is The Comfort Collection, a series in graphite and charcoal. The series explores everyday fabrics and objects that we associate with comfort captured in a moment in time and elevated as the focus of our attention.
www.pamelajblack.com
pamelajblackart
Pamela J. Black is a painter who lives in a town outside of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Black is currently represented by The Millworks, which is a local and sustainable restaurant, brewery and art gallery with 17 artist studios. She spends her days juggling the roles of mother and artist while painting from her in-home studio. Black’s paintings are interpretations of what she sees around her and what she has discovered through sketches along her travels. She often begins by creating a random mark on canvas and responds to it by bringing order back to the surface. Her creative process is fueled by a need to find a sense of balance between chaos and control. Ultimately, her paintings serve as reflections of her soul’s landscape - they are visual records of her emotions, findings, and her everyday thoughts.
Ashley Blanton is entangled in a desire to find magic in the mundane, for looking closely at details and disparate parts helps her cultivate and connect to the sense of wonder that she seeks. Combining watercolor, gouache, cut paper, collage, and transfer techniques, Ashley creates mixed media works on paper that are evocative of emotional and visceral felt senses.
Sarah E. Boyle is a Chicago-based painter who explores place and memory through landscape – alluding to narrative, symbolism, and the tension between knowing a place and translating it with oil paint. Her “Firescapes” series captures the transformation of familiar American West landscapes after recent wildfires. Sarah studied fashion and design at Syracuse University and Ringling School of Art and Design before receiving her BFA at the School of the Art Institute.
www.paulettabrooks.com
PBWearableArt
Pauletta Brooks is a jewelry artist who also branches out into other mediums. Her designs, under the label Pauletta Brooks Wearable Art, involve the use of raw minerals and gemstones set in unique and unusual ways. She is known primarily for her inventive use of thermoplastic resin, creating meshlike sculptural webs that house the minerals and stones. Her work has been featured in numerous magazines, journals, and galleries throughout the US and abroad. She resides in New York City.
www.heidibrueckner.com
heidi.brueckner
Heidi Brueckner is an Oakland based artist and has been a professor of art at West Valley College for over 20 years. She holds a BA in Art and a BA in Art History from University of California, Santa Cruz, and an MFA in Painting from University of Kansas. Brueckner writes, “People are in interested in people, whether because of personality traits, actions, or appearance. My work is inspired by this curiosity and allows the viewer to be part of the observation. The work often inspects the under-revered, and appreciates the subject’s presence and dignity, giving pause to honor them.”
natcann.com
natcann
Nat Cann (he/him) is a Canadian printmaker focused upon the climate impacts, and the haunting of lands—relentless industries keeping afloat Canadian notions of colonialist heritage. His has exhibited across Canada in both public galleries and artistrun centers, and has gratefully acted as a mentor, instructor, and technical assistant to numerous students and professionals unversed in print. Nat now resides in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada on the traditional lands of the Wolastoqiyik and Mi’kmaq Peoples where he currently instructs workshops in all things printmaking.
I like working with materials that are a little rough, grungy, maybe a little dirty. I juxtapose feminine images from vintage magazines or antique photos next to found material like cardboard, vintage paper and deconstructed book pages. I have been drawn to artistic practices most of my life, even though I have had an eclectic professional life. I have a degree in Art History from the University of Michigan but am mostly a self taught artist. I was born in Detroit, but have lived in Traverse City for 23 years.
studioxflo
Florence D’Angelo was born in the Philippines in 1982. She is a self-taught visual artist living and working in Peekskill, New York. Although artistic most of her life she began publicly showing work in 2019 throughout her local community and sharing on social media. Her current work focuses on colorful, abstract landscapes inspired by the river towns along the historic Hudson Valley and the spirit of travel. Turning moods into landscapes, her work responds to the hero’s journey of traveling to the unknown in search of what makes us complete.
www.jacquelinediesing.com
jacquelinediesing
Over the past 10 years in Chicago, IL, I have come to realize I process my feelings and heal myself through my mixed media artwork comprised of detailed, freehand micron ink and soft pastel drawings. My journey began with a desire to restore crumbling, architectural masterpieces in my hometown of Detroit to their former beauty by surrounding them with colorful life. Since then, I have been drawn to examine my own health and healing by digging deeper into issues stemming from childhood. The art I am working on now depicts my path towards wellness.
www.andreaehret.com
andreacircles
Andrea Ehret is an abstract expressionist and art therapist based in Prague, Czech Republic. The creative process for me starts with conscious presence, observation, and the recognition of your feelings. I find that my visions are sometimes so intense, I can start to obsess about the idea of how to transform them into a painting. The power of dreams is unlimited. I know my subconscious mind can show me amazing colors, symbols and connections. Perhaps they even reveal new things to accept about myself. No matter if I daydream, visualize or dream through the night. I dream my art and I create my dreams
14
www.thomasflynnii.com
thomasflynnii
Thomas Flynn II is an artist living and working in Austin, Texas. In his acrylic paintings, he explores the perceived connection between plants, celestial bodies, and human bodies. Seeking to ultimately delve further into the ancient relationship that humans have with their environment and how that informs our current lives. He has exhibited in Texas, Georgia, and curated into virtual group and solo exhibitions internationally. Flynn received a B.F.A. in painting and a minor in art history from the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) in 2016.
www.walltowallsecrets.com
Lucy Julia Hale is a Georgia feminist / social activist artist and art educator. She often selects scenes from our cultural archives of mass-produced publications or vintage vernacular snapshots to which she adds drawn, painted, and/or collaged images to portray a deeper history. She serves as an advocate supporting the dignity and wellbeing of vulnerable populations, which unfortunately now include all inhabitants of Earth. Her work has been selected by prominent jurors for numerous national exhibitions. She holds an Ed.S. and an M.Ed. in Counseling and Educational Psychology, and a B.S. Ed. in Art Education.
16
www.heatherheitzenrater.com
heather_heitzenrater
Heather Heitzenrater is a figurative oil painter from Pittsburgh, PA. Her work incorporates the figure with reflective Mylar. She uses the Mylar’s reflections to create a world full of chaos and curiosity that lure the viewer to come closer. Heather received her BFA in Painting and Drawing from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania in 2015. Along with making and selling her work, Heather instructs figurative workshops at Pittsburgh Center of the Arts and is a Scenic Artist for ScareHouse.
shabnamjannesari.wixsite.com/portfolio
shabnam.jannesari
Shabnam Jannesari is an Iranian artist who received her MFA with distinction in Studio Art at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. Most recently she had a solo exhibition, The Carpet Grew Like a Garden, in Cambridge, MA and participated in the group exhibition Crossing Cultures in Boston. This spring her paintings and drawings were included in Fidelity’s corporate collection. She is a recipient of the Distinguished Art Fellowship at the University of Massachusetts – Dartmouth and the Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation Grant, Canada (2020).
18
www.modandart.co.uk
andrea_jones_art
I am an artist from Liverpool, England and for the past eleven years I have worked as an art teacher in a prison. My artwork has featured in several magazines of art and literature in the US, UK and Berlin, Germany. One particular style that I work in is based on my alter ego, this is inspired by wanting to be somebody else, taking elements from different people to create new characters, I call these characters my alter ego people. The images are painted in acrylic on canvas or drawn onto paper.
www.michellejonesstudio.com
trailingmissives
Michelle Jones explores themes of chance, beauty, claustrophobia, and escape in parallel to her experience of the world. Her methods juxtapose precision and pandemonium, leaning on the medium of painting to transcribe a dance between intention and loss of control. Through an exploration of the relationships between predator and prey; big cats, snakes, and water birds are metaphors in a narrative of belonging and solitude; rest and risk. Jones creates tiny worlds that allow the beast, both inner and outer to pause, and find stillness. Jones resides in Mobile, Alabama, which is a direct influence on her most recent works.
20
www.zarakand.com
zarakandart
Zara Kand is an oil painter based in Southern California. She has exhibited throughout numerous venues within the US and has been featured in many online and print publications across the globe. Her work is often highly symbolic and focuses on figurative elements within dreamy environments. She currently lives in the hi-desert, spending her time painting, art writing for various art magazines, and dabbling in curatorial projects. She is also the editor of The Gallerist Speaks, an international interview series focusing on gallery directors, arts organizers and curators.
21
www.alexkarpa.com
alexkarpa
Alex is an artist and educator living in Astoria, Queens. Over time, her practice has grown out of interests in design, record-keeping, nature, and a need to work with her hands. Alex’s drawings and paintings map out a visual world - one that considers relationships between land, built environments, and human experience. Through abstraction, her use of shapes, soft tones, texture, and line describe where these different terrains begin, end, and meet. Her practice is informed and continually reimagined by her work as a teaching artist in New York City.
www.divineny.com
Rekha Krishnamurthi is a printmaker, illustrator, and surface pattern designer based in Jersey City. Her artistic journey started with fabric painting and hand-dyeing of textiles. Today, she designs with a variety of materials and techniques. She still loves designing textiles, but equally loves painting with watercolor, block printing with screen print ink, illustrating with pen or designing digitally. Rekha is always learning and exploring, constantly adding to her repertoire methods to produce unique patterns and designs.
www.amyclaskin.com
amylaskin_
I was born in Philadelphia but my artistic journey led me to the rural Blue Mountains of Jamaica where I rented a studio to practice my art. Here I found a deep connection to nature’s treasures and mysteries. In my practice, I archive images and collect artifacts from nature. I combine and compose disparate images to re-imagine and re- contextualize their meaning. I often combine images from women’s historical fashion and the botany observed from my surroundings. My entities are feminine bursting with abundant blooms, and the snippets of clothing references bring my focus to our past and present, our blended identities, gender and the human/ nature interface.
www.taraleaverart.com
taraleaverart
Originally from London, Tara Leaver is a contemporary landscape painter living by the sea in Cornwall. She is happiest near - or preferably in - the water, and her paintings on wood panel and canvas express her sensory experiences of wild swimming and coastal exploring, reflecting a deep love for full body immersion in the natural world. Tara’s work has been exhibited in London, Sussex, the Cotswolds and Cornwall, and is owned by private collectors around the world.
monalerch.com
monalerchwallart
Mona Lerch is a contemporary visual artist and founder of Art Mums United and Women United ART MOVEMENT, residing in the Czech Republic. Mona began her art journey as an abstract oil painter; however, her creative passions and love for experimentation led her into watercolor botanical illustration and portraits, linocut prints, collages and acrylics. In her current body of work, Mona steps away from abstract landscapes and focuses on the female form. Natural elements play a vital part in many of these pieces. It’s her means of emphasizing the connection with our surroundings that enables us to stay grounded.
Susan Lerner is a NYC based contemporary hand-cut collage artist whose themes explore location and memories, often fictionalized, of the past and present. As a Certified Flavor Chemist, Susan collaged chemicals into unique tastes but now uses paper as her medium. She loves the collage process, finding joy in hunting for vintage imagery, meditation in cutting paper and delight in creating nostalgic compositions. Susan has shown her work in numerous solo and group shows around the globe. In addition, she is the founding member of New York Collage Ensemble.
28 KARA MCINTOSH
www.karamcintosh.com
karamcintoshstudio
Kara McIntosh is a Canadian multidisciplinary artist who explores the rhythms and patterns of the natural landscape in an abstracted style. Her creative practice begins with a deep curiosity about place and reflects upon the multi-layered connections between communities and their physical environment. A hallmark of Kara’s visual language, her bold mark making with oil paint or hooked wool and silk fibres, offers a refreshing and engaging take on traditional landscape matter. Kara lives near Nottawa, ON and her work is found in private and corporate collections in North America, Europe and Australia.
jodimillerfineart
Jodi Miller is a Canadian prairie-based contemporary, impressionist painter. Her work explores connections with our roots, our stories and our surroundings. Drawing on her childhood on a family farm and years spent in the Royal Canadian Air Force across Canada, her landscapes are familiar yet fictitious. “Each painting begins with a memory, then evolves to tell a story of its own.” Jodi’s work focuses on human connections as observed through our environment using the metaphor of our imprints on the land as an entry point for personal narratives.
andreavisionarte
Andrea Mindell Cohen is a Spanish-Canadian visual artist based in Barcelona. Once a fashion and textile designer, Andrea is now a diversified artist working across disciplines. She combines printmaking, drawing, painting and textiles to create immersive installations. Andrea´s artwork is deeply influenced by her Spanish/Moroccan heritage. Through her work, she pursues to challenge the traditional identities and gender roles ingrained in the Sephardic (Spanish/Jewish) culture, and seeks to construct new meaning in the images she creates. The women in her work become archetypal representations telling their stories through layers, revealing hidden truths.
smulvihillart
A New York City based artist and educator, Stephanie Mulvihill works primarily with the drawn image on paper, attracted by paper’s fragility and impermanence. Drawing is part of the larger tradition of investigation and analysis of our interior and exterior environments, and a connection to the past as well as an exploration of the present. Her current series of drawings uses the body as a storytelling device in which to process personal tragedies and moments of shared experience. The body is a lens and a metaphor in which to explore the connection of our individual stories to those of our ancestors, and of the comfort we find in our shared histories. Her work seeks to visualize the physical and spiritual sense of loss, grief and acceptance of change.
32
www.kasiamuzyka.com
kasiamuzyka
Kasia is creating intuitive, abstract artwork. She collects water from around the world to use in her paintings. Believing that water holds memory, Kasia begins her creative process by pouring water onto canvas to create a starting point in which she can begin her work. Kasia’s artwork aims to take the viewer beyond the ordinary in an individual transformative experience. Her influence includes mysticism and in-depth exploration of human nature, while also including elements of transcendental philosophy and modern-day alchemy.
33
lulumi0620.wixsite.com/eunjoo
seoran_parkeunjoo
Eunju Park lives and works in South Korea. She received a BFA from Dongduk women’s University in Korea. My studio practice is focused on traditional Korean painting and it’s called Minhwa. The term Minhwa means painting for the people. So, my work deals with family happiness. Especially in my own work, I focus on family happiness which I think is a significant part of emotion in human relationships. I try to dissolve them into my own work through the symbols of Minhwa images such as animals, flowers, and nature elements.
www.artbydperlman.com
deborahwperlmanart
Deborah Perlman has exhibited her art virtually, regionally and throughout the U.S. She has won several awards and has been featured in a number of art publications. She creates mixed media wall-mounted sculpture interpreting the dynamics of form in three dimensions. Her spaces are ‘almost but not quite’ real, somewhere between authentic and imaged, inviting the viewer into the scene to discover where they find themselves. Her influences include 19th and 20th century African sculpture; the Constructivism, Geometric Abstraction, and Cubism art movements; Giorgio de Chirico’s ‘illogical perspective’ works; Louise Nevelson’s bas relief works; Joseph Cornell’s shadow boxes; and Frank Stella’s metal reliefs, among others.
35
www.joannapilarczyk.com
joannapilarczyk
London based and Poland born figurative artist and art educator Joanna Pilarczyk found herself inspired by the energy of London when she moved to the city over a decade ago. Her vibrant paintings from the latest series ‘Intimate Times’ are inspired by the time of isolation. She says “In my colourfully decorated flat filled with plants, and isolated from family and friends, my surroundings and my partner became my only world, more intensely experienced and observed than ever before. Much of my recent work focuses on self-portraits and what I found in our relationship during this time together.
36
michellereevesart.com
michellereevesartnashville
Michelle is a botanical/floral artist who lives with her husband and son in Nashville, TN. She began painting at the age of 52 after a gentleman asked, “What are you passionate about?” during a job interview. This question led Michelle back to school to pursue an Interior Design degree, but through coursework she started to paint. Her latest paintings are inspired by pages from her childhood coloring books. Bold outlines of brush strokes and intricate backgrounds fill the canvas.
37
brittanymreid.com
brittany.m.reid
Brittany M. Reid lives and works in Rochester, New York. Reid’s creative process was supercharged when she began working with collage, leading her to create over 200 pieces within only two years of adopting the new medium. Blending the feelings that different images hold into one artwork creates both a story and an experience. Her own experience as a queer, Black woman and mother flows into her work, imbuing her work with both individual and universal layers.
Maddie is a landscape painter based in Greater Philadelphia. She works primarily in acrylic but enjoys sketching in ink and watercolor. Nature and wildlife are her main sources of inspiration, but she also relies on words, song lyrics, and poetry to guide the look, feel, and mood of her visual work. Her current collection of paintings is centered on western landscapes from her travels, featuring scenes from Arizona, Colorado, and Big Sur.
Viktoriya Samoylov is a Ukrainian-born American living in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. Her formal education and day job lie in graphic design, but she has always been drawn to an artistic and “imperfect” human touch in art. She generally creates figurative work with acrylics, though enjoys learning and mixing other mediums such as epoxy, glass, and other mixed mediums. Recently, she has been inspired by moments of long shadows, and late afternoon light. Choosing to keep the style loose and painterly, the viewer is invited to fill in the details with their own emotions and memories.
Brooke Sauer is a Los Angeles based artist and an avid hiker that spends much of her time learning about the natural world first-hand and reflecting on our symbiotic connection to it. Her unique prints are created by combining a very old photographic printing process, called cyanotype, with her background in painting and her love of botany. She relates our human relationship to landscape as both a physical and metaphorical terrain to contemplate and protect -- one that inspires feelings of joy, renewal, and reverence. Brooke hopes to inspire viewers to go outside and explore their own internal landscape as they interact with and observe nature.
www.ajschnettler.com
ajschnettler
AJ Schnettler is a nonbinary, multi-racial photographer and printmaker born and raised on Long Island. They decided to get a new perspective on life and education by moving to pursue their Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Photography with a minor in Printmaking from the San Francisco Art Institute in 2019. Their work is based around what one does to provide self-acceptance. Working through identity or the space surrounding them; how to feel at peace overcoming negative, social, and cultural pressure.
www.petra-schott.de petra.schott.art
Petra Schott studied Fine Arts and currently lives and works in Frankfurt/Germany. The intuitive, abstract use of color, lines and shapes is her way of processing daily experiences by transforming this conglomerate on the canvas into her very personal, visual reality. She absorbs human longings, and visions giving them a new urgency and substance. This sensualemotional act creates something new, illuminating the little secrets of life, without which this world cannot exist. Her art opens a space beyond the words, thus creating a new freedom of immediate knowledge.
www.justinshull.com
justinshullstudio
Justin’s paintings are personal meditations on the environments we shape and inhabit, and that shape us in return. He embraces a spirit of celebration and curiosity in his art, asking us to pause and reflect on how we relate to the natural world, to our built environment, and to ourselves. Justin synthesizes direct observation, photographic reference, and a variety of other pre-existing images into digital drawings that become the source for his boldly-colored and expressive acrylic, gouache and oil paintings.
Naomi Thornton is a mixed media artist and psychotherapist living in the expansive beauty of Northwest Montana. In her art, she highlights the historically undervalued stories of women while emphasizing a connection to nature as a life-giving resource. Vintage portrait photographs are the inspiration of her work. She uses collage and paint to evoke a textured layering of desires, hopes and dreams using found images, handmade papers, and text from old books. Through her art, she intends to create a new narrative of empowerment, resiliency, and connection to the natural environment.
zoetoscanoart.com
zoetoscanoart
Zoe Toscano works in a range of mediums from installation, watercolor and oil painting. As a figurative artist, painting the human form allows her to contemplate and explore the complexities of human relationships through visual language. At this time, Zoe’s work is centered around the female experience. She strives to reclaim the female gaze through depicting women in moments of strength and vulnerability. Another key component of Zoe’ work is the complicated relationship between humans and nature — exploring our differences, similarities, and human’s ability to separate ourselves from nature.
www.yahelyan.com
yahel.yan.art
Yahel Yan lives in San Diego, but she was born and raised in Mexico City. She specializes in oil, acrylics and copper etchings. Her palette and compositions lend life and spirit to inanimate objects which are often overlooked. Yahel is always seeking to express the unexpected, unseen hidden magic of “thing.” She gives her imagination full freedom to pursue this mysterious journey. Yahel strives to create colorful happy art that brings joy to the viewer; a recurring theme in her art are chairs, which have become a staple of her work.
Our community is a safe & supportive environment that will help you to grow creatively and further your art career while meeting new artists in a dynamic group setting.
The VAC book club is for women & non-binary artists who are excited to explore powerful works of literature centered around art & creativity.
The best part?
You don’t have to read the books to benefit from this community.
In each session, Victoria will share an overview of each book with you, along with journal prompts & guided discussions to foster creative growth. This book club is a great place for you to discover new books + add them to your reading list for later.
FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO JOIN GO TO visionaryartcollective.com/book-club-waitlist
