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Jason Rapp

Announcing the FY22 SCAC Fellows

for immediate release

Four South Carolina artists exhibiting hard work and exceptional ability in visual art, craft, and media production and screenwriting are recipients of fiscal year 2022 South Carolina Arts Commission fellowships.

The South Carolina Arts Commission (SCAC) Board of Directors approved four $5,000 fellowships among several other FY22 grant awards to be announced on a later date. The SCAC’s four fellows are:
  • Kristi Ryba of Charleston County in visual art,
  • Clay Burnette of Richland County for craft,
  • Sherard “Shekeese” Duvall of Richland County for media production,
  • and Triza Cox of Florence County for media screenwriting.
Individual artists residing in South Carolina full-time were invited to apply last fall for a fellowship in any of the four categories represented in this cycle. Out-of-state panelists were recruited from each of those disciplines to review applications. Starting with this cycle and going forward, applications are no longer anonymous and awards no longer made solely on artistic merit. The panelists also considered achievements and commitment to the discipline in which artists apply, which can be more than one if separate applications are submitted. Panelists then recommend recipients of each $5,000 fellowship. “Fellowships recognize and reward the artistic achievements of exceptional South Carolina individual artists. Recognition from a fellowship lends artistic prestige and can often open doors to other resources and employment opportunities,” SCAC Executive Director David Platts said. “We will no doubt hear more from these amazing artists, and we congratulate them on this honor.”

About the FY22 Individual Artist Fellowship Recipients

Kristi Ryba | Visual Arts | Charleston County Winner of the 2020 South Arts State Fellowship for South Carolina and a 2018 ArtFields second place award, Ryba’s work has been touring the Southeast in painting and printmaking exhibitions since 1990.  A Magna cum laude graduate of the College of Charleston, Ryba also studied at Vermont Studio School and Studio Camnitzer in Valdotavvo, Lucca, Italy, and has her Master of Fine Arts from Union Institute and University, Vermont College. She has won various awards and scholarships. A founding organizer of Print Studio South, Inc., she served as its president and on its board and has taught locally in both adult and children's programs. Ryba was one of 10 artists featured in a 2002 Piccolo Spoleto exhibit and was invited to exhibit in Contemporary Charleston 2004 and in Helping Hands: an artist's debut among friends in 2005. Her work was featured in the 2018 Biennial in Columbia. Ryba also exhibited at Silo in New York City and her work was in the 2007 SOHO20 Chelsea show honoring The Feminist ART Project. Clay Burnette | Craft | Richland County Clay Burnette is a self-taught pine needle basketmaker who has been coiling longleaf pine needles with waxed linen thread since 1977. Burnette’s work is included in numerous public and private collections—including the State Art Collection—and has been included in more than 250 exhibition venues throughout the U.S. and abroad for 40-plus years. He has also been published in numerous international, national, and regional magazines, catalogs, and fine craft publications. Burnette has taught at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts in Gatlinburg, Tennessee since 2015. Images of his work are available at www.clayburnette.com. Sherard Duvall | Media: Production | Richland County Sherard “Shekeese” Duvall is a film and messaging professional from Columbia, S.C. He specializes in visual storytelling, film education, media strategy, diversity consulting and is an advocate of Hip-Hop culture. He’s produced commercial and documentary projects for VH1, Oxygen, and more. A 2021 Liberty Fellow, a 2016 Riley Fellow, a Leo Twiggs Arts Leadership Scholar and one of the founders of Columbia’s Hip-Hop Family Day: Love Peace & Hip-Hop. A 2001 University of South Carolina grad, Sherard is a product of Richland District One schools. Sherard is the Founder and Executive Producer at OTR Media Group, and the proud dad of his son, Cairo. Triza Cox | Media: Screenwriting | Florence County Triza Cox is a playwright, screenwriter, and theatre artist. She is currently the South Carolina Ambassador for the Dramatists Guild and is an associate member of the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers. Her research and creative work center on playmaking using Jungian archetypes, motifs, and symbols of the collective unconscious. Triza holds an MFA in Theatre Performance from the University of Louisville and has trained with Dell’Arte International School of Physical Theatre and the Mandala Center for Change as a Theatre of the Oppressed Facilitator. Her original plays include A Last Supper; The Willing, which recently received a staged reading with Triad Stage in Greensboro, North Carolina; God in the Midst of it All; and Lil’ Bard which was a semi-finalist in NYU’s New Plays for Young Audience 2018 and premiered at Charlotte’s Children Theatre in a staged reading. Triza has received a Kentucky New Voices grant for her playwriting.
A diverse group of panelists reviewed applications from the discipline in which they work. The visual art and craft panelists were Kesha Bruce, a curator and artist programs manager for the Arizona Commission on the Arts; arts consultant and curator Mark Leach based in St. Louis; and Holly Blake, residency manager for Headlands Center for the Arts in Sausalito, California. Reviewing media production applications were panelists Eleanor Savage, activist and program director with the St. Paul, Minnesota-based Jerome Foundation; and Bill Gaskins, (re)director of the Maryland Institute College of Art’s photographic and electronic media graduate program. Writer and producer April Turner of Charlotte was the media screenwriting panelist.
Four fellowships per year are awarded to artists working in rotating disciplines. One artist from each of these fields: prose, poetry, and theatre acting and playwriting will be honored in fiscal year 2023. To be eligible, artists must be at least 18 years old and a legal U.S. resident with permanent residence in the state for two years prior to the application date and throughout the fellowship period. Applications will be accepted later this summer following announcement by the SCAC. For more on discipline rotation, eligibility requirements, and the application process, please visit https://www.southcarolinaarts.com/grant/fel/.
About the South Carolina Arts Commission The mission of the South Carolina Arts Commission (SCAC) is to promote equitable access to the arts and support the cultivation of creativity in South Carolina. We envision a South Carolina where the arts are valued and all people benefit from a variety of creative experiences. A state agency created by the South Carolina General Assembly in 1967, the SCAC works to increase public participation in the arts by providing grants, direct programs, staff assistance and partnerships in three key areas: arts education, community arts development, and artist development. Headquartered in Columbia, S.C., the SCAC is funded by the state of South Carolina, by the federal government through the National Endowment for the Arts, and other sources. Visit SouthCarolinaArts.com or call 803.734.8696, and follow @scartscomm on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Jason Rapp

S.C. Arts Awards: Tom Flowers

2021 Recipient Feature Series

As the day nears for the 2021 South Carolina Arts Awards, The Hub is focusing on this year's recipients: seven receiving the South Carolina Governor's Awards for the Arts and two receiving the Jean Laney Harris Folk Heritage Award, which are managed jointly by the South Carolina Arts Commission and McKissick Museum at the University of South Carolina.

Tom Flowers

Lifetime Achievement (Posthumous) | Governor's Awards for the Arts

A native of Washington, Flowers was born in 1928. He attended Mount Vernon High School and Furman University on a football scholarship and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in art. He went on to the University of Iowa for his master’s of fine arts. After a short stay in the U.S. Air Force he was drafted in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. He taught at Furman University for 30 years, from 1959 to 1989 when he joined the emeritus faculty. Tom was chairman of the art department for most of his tenure at Furman. Prior to that he taught at East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina and Ottawa University in Ottawa, Kansas. Flowers exhibited widely as an artist, winning many awards including Springs Mills best-in-show, Art in Architecture Award from the South Carolina American Institutes of Greenville for a carved/painted constructed mural for the Greenville City Hall. He was selected as one of the 100 Artists/100 Years exhibit at the South Carolina State Museum in Columbia. He has had many shows in the Midwest, South, and Southeast. Many of his works are in permanent and private collections including the (South Carolina) State Art Collection, Springs Mills, Greenville County Museum of Art, Asheville Art Museum, Columbia Museum of Art, Florence County Museum, Citizens and Southern Bank, South Carolina National Bank, Federal Reserve Bank of Virginia, and Bank of America (née NationsBank). He was one of 12 artists from South Carolina whose works were presented in the South Carolina National Bank exhibit, The Bicentennial, An Interpretive Approach. His work was also included in the Portrait of the South exhibition in Rome, Italy. He served as president of the Greenville Artist Guild and a board member of the Guild of South Carolina Artists. He was a former member of the board of trustees of the Greenville County Museum of Art, a state representative of the American Craft Council, a member of the Guild of S.C. Artists advisory board, and a Pickens County arts commissioner. Thomas Earl Flowers passed away Sunday, Dec. 13, 2020, after his nomination was made in the artist category.

Quotable

Mr. Flowers worked with college students and influenced generations of students throughout his career. He had a way of bringing people together and supported many artists. His impact on the Greenville community and beyond is seen through the work of his students who later became artists, teachers, business leaders, and other professional careers.

Donna Shank Instructor Fine Arts Center Greenville

tom flowers' governor's award statue on statehouse grounds in columbia
The South Carolina Arts Awards stream live Monday, May 24, 2021. The festivities begin at 6 p.m. on SouthCarolinaArts.com. There is no in-person event in 2021. The virtual ceremony will be available on demand from the S.C. Arts Commission YouTube Channel after the livestream presentation.

Meet the Recipients

Use these links to read the long-form bios of the other 2021 South Carolina Arts Awards recipients.

Jason Rapp

Koger Center’s art competition evolves in Year Two

The Project: A 2020 Call for Art

SUBMISSION DEADLINE: June 30, 2021

The Koger Center is delighted to continue our support of South Carolina artists through The Project: A 2021 Call for Art.

The Project: A 2021 Call for Art is the Koger Center’s annual artistic competition that supports the work of South Carolina visual artists. Each year, one chosen artist will receive a $500 stipend, gallery space, and staff support resulting in a free public display in the Upstairs Gallery of the Koger Center. Submissions for this year’s project will be accepted through June 30, 2021.

Requirements

  • Artist must be over 18 years old
  • Submissions must be your own work
  • Must have been created in the past 2 years
  • Artists cannot submit any art that has previously been submitted to the Koger Center’s 1593 Project
  • Previous winners of the 1593 Project may not submit artwork for up to 5 years

Submission Form

https://forms.gle/Mr35hfNNYQA1gzKZ9 Please submit your artwork to the link above. If you have any issues submitting your work or questions about the form, please call 803.777.7500 or email KogerCenter@sc.edu.

History of The Project

The Project began as The 1593 Project: A Call for Art from the Koger Center during the national lockdowns due to COVID-19 in 2020. Inspired by the theatre closures that London faced during the bubonic plague in the year 1593, the Koger Center’s call for art was created to support artists as they endured the devastating effect of the COVID-19 shutdowns. In 2020, we encouraged submissions from South Carolina visual artists and received a diverse array of pieces reflective of the state’s vibrant arts and cultural talent from over 55 entrants.

Jason Rapp

Art exhibit spreads wings in the Upstate

'Wings of the City' on display in Greenville

[caption id="attachment_46737" align="aligncenter" width="600"]A man in a red shirt poses with giant bronze wings displayed in an outdoor art exhibition 'Wings of the City' on display in San Antonio, Texas.[/caption]

It's no secret that Greenville has really taken off...

As further evidence, the city is first East Coast landing spot of a famed art exhibit called Wings of the City. The traveling exhibition of Mexican sculptor Jorge Marin's work has giant bronze wings outdoors in Falls Park and on the Peace Center campus. His "Alas de Mexico" sculpture, shown above, is part of the fun and obviously 'gram-worthy if you're so inclined. The Hispanic Alliance of Greenville, a partner of the S.C. Arts Commission, helped make the exhibition a reality. Bank of America, a Governor's Award recipient in 2018, is sponsor. Read more about this from Fox Carolina.

Milly

2021 Biennale makes call for artists

SUBMISSION DEADLINE: Friday, March 19, 2021

Art League of Hilton Head invites artists to enter the 2021 Biennale, its 27th National Juried Exhibition, held every other year across multiple media types.

Categories include:
  • Oil
  • Acrylic
  • Pastel
  • Watermedia
  • Photography
  • Mixed Media
  • Three-Dimensional
  • and All Other
Over $5000 in cash prizes will be awarded. The deadline to enter is March 19, 2021. For further information and to enter, go to http://bit.ly/Biennale2021 All accepted works of art selected by three jurors will be on display at Art League Gallery in the Arts Center of Coastal Carolina on Hilton Head Island. This state of the art gallery provides the finest exhibit space with high tourist and community visibility. Prize winners will be chosen by 2021 Biennale judge Marc Hanson. Nationally known, award-winning artist Marc Hanson is a Master Signature Member of the Oil Painters of America (O.P.A.M.), having won numerous awards of excellence throughout his career. He has been published and featured in national art publications including on the covers of Plein Air and Southwest Art Magazine, and in the book 'Oil Painting Secrets With The Masters,' by Cindy Salaski. His work has been shown in museums and galleries throughout the United States and abroad. The 2021 Biennale exhibition will be free and open to the public from May 4-26, 2021. An opening reception and awards ceremony will take place on Friday, May 7, from 5-7 p.m.

Correction

The initial version of this post listed an incorrect start date for the Biennale.

About Art League of Hilton Head

Art League of Hilton Head is the only 501 (c) (3) nonprofit visual arts organization on Hilton Head Island with a synergistic Art Gallery and teaching Academy. For almost 50 years, Art League has been the Lowcountry's creative core for the visual arts with traditional and cutting-edge exhibitions, classes, workshops, lectures and special community art events. To learn more and for a calendar of events, visit http://bit.ly/ArtLeagueHHI.

Submitted material

Curator job posted by Columbia Museum of Art

The Columbia Museum of Art (CMA) is seeking a collaborative curatorial leader with a strong academic background, a vision for embracing new cultural trends and technologies, and who understands and embraces programming for diverse audiences.

The curator will work with CMA staff and leadership to help define and implement fresh presentations of our permanent collection, and create exhibitions and programming that inform, engage, and expand our audiences to promote the CMA as a leading fine arts museum. The curator will share management of the curatorial department including, but not limited to, oversight of staff roles and responsibilities, the museum’s annual exhibition program and collection research, writing, presentations, acquisitions, patron relations, and networking. Executive Director Della Watkins leads the museum's commitment to be welcoming, community-centered, vibrant, and inspiring. In addition to these values, the CMA staff and board eagerly embrace diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion to contribute to an open environment for the communities we serve. The person selected to fill this curatorial position will have demonstrated the capacity to promote these attributes.

Scope of Work

  • Collaboratively conceptualize and research an exhibition and collection strategy that supports the museum’s vision, mission, and core values for discussion with the executive director, director of art and learning, and presentation to the board of trustees
  • Encourage and facilitate a culture of collaboration by serving as a Lead Manager across programmatic and supporting departments to ensure effective communication, efficiencies, and accountability
  • Co-Lead the annual planning of the exhibition schedule, including those exhibitions initiated by the CMA, traveling exhibitions, artist installations, private collections, and loans
  • Initiate and manage relations with assigned institutions, collectors, and/or businesses in developing exhibition loan contracts, check lists, and schedules.
  • In concert with a curatorial team of six team members, oversee coordination of exhibition installation design, layout, graphics and shipping/handling.
  • Show commitment to the positive development of curatorial team through leadership, management, and supervisory duties, including but not limited to, annual performance appraisals and professional development.
  • Review exhibition proposals and ideas for artistic merit, mission fit, budget and scheduling factors.
  • Actively solicit, cultivate, and steward relations with colleagues, donors, members, lenders, staff and guests.
  • Champion the museum as a welcoming place by serving as a positive museum representative through participation with programs, development, and publicity marketing and networking activities.
  • Develop, maintain, and strengthen relationships with members of the broader arts community including artists, curators, educators, writers, journalists, collectors, and cultural institutions both nationally and internationally
  • Provide expertise and information for collections committee meetings, collections management policy and strategy, assigned grant applications, and general fundraising activities as requested.
  • In collaboration with Development staff, help identify potential donors, collectors, and sponsors for the collection and designated exhibitions.
  • Ensure proper dissemination of exhibition schedule, visual materials, content and text for exhibition promotion, and related information to CMA departments.
  • Responsible as assigned for coordination, development, and monitoring of the curatorial departmental annual budget.
  • Serve on curatorial and cross-departmental special project teams as assigned to foster collaboration and communication.

Requirements

  • MA in art history or related field, PhD preferred
  • 8+ years of increasingly applied curatorial experience
  • 5+ years of growth in management-level museum experience
  • Demonstrated excellence in conceiving and organizing successful exhibitions for new audiences
  • Demonstrated level of knowledge in the museum’s collecting areas including American, Asian, European and Contemporary art
  • Proven ability to foster and encourage innovation around new models for partnering (both internally and externally), and for exploring new creative relationships with artists central to the CMA mission
  • Demonstrated experience developing, communicating, and managing department projects, staff, budgets, and goals
  • Effectively navigate through the complexity of key issues, challenges, and opportunities to affect actions; guide staff to proactively build and align stakeholders, capabilities, and resources to achieve institutional objectives
  • Proactively model the importance of timely collegial interaction, personal accountability, maturity, professionalism, communication, and exchange across disciplinary boundaries
  • Demonstrated experience in donor cultivation and stewardship
  • Self-directed and motivated work with curatorial team to ensure care and conservation of works
  • Mastery of English language and the ability to plan and deliver oral and written communications that make an impact, persuade, and inform their intended audiences
  • Knowledge of research tools and methodologies
  • Monthly evening and weekend time and occasional travel
  • This position requires a criminal background check
  • A considerable amount of time sitting, standing, walking, climbing stairs, and reaching
  • Experience handling objects and tools
  • The ability to lift up to 30 pounds

Contact

The Columbia Museum of Art is an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to diversity, accessibility, equity, and inclusion. Confidential inquiries, applications, and recommendations are welcome. Please email cover letter and resume to Mrs. Jeanna Dixon-McCray, at JDixon-McCray@columbiamuseum.org with “Curator” in the subject line. Salary range is commensurate with experience.

About the Museum

The CMA is the largest international art museum in the state of South Carolina, located a short distance to Charleston, SC, Greenville, SC and Charlotte, NC. Columbia is the state capital and the second largest city in the state. In the heart of South Carolina at the convergence of three rivers, the area is home to thriving colleges and universities, award-winning hospital systems, and diverse and charming neighborhoods to suit any lifestyle. Several business and retail districts with outdoor cafés, coffee shops, art galleries, and shops present year-round opportunities for entertainment, socializing, and enjoying the outdoors. The city includes historic architecture of a bygone era while high-tech start-ups and artist venues make up Columbia’s diverse downtown areas. Established in 1950, the CMA is exceptional in its impact, attracting both national and state recognition, and is distinguished by its innovative exhibitions and creative educational programs. The museum now welcomes more than 135,000 visitors annually—including more than 28,000 children—and acts as a catalyst for community creativity and serves as the cultural anchor of Columbia’s downtown district. In order to serve even more audiences, the CMA recently underwent a renovation of the 1998 facility, including new collection galleries with a progressive thematic layout, new studios for art-making and cutting-edge program and event spaces. The newly renovated Boyd Plaza adjacent to the CMA provides an attractive outdoor art and gathering space downtown. The CMA is committed to the concept of an inclusive and participatory 21st century museum, where art is meant to be experienced, not just seen. The CMA is a collecting institution and maintains a collection numbering approximately 7,000 works of art. The CMA’s collecting emphasis is on American, Asian, European, and Contemporary art. The collection includes artists as aesthetically and stylistically varied as Sandro Botticelli, Renee Cox, Charles and Ray Eames, Sam Gilliam, Robert Henri, Claude Monet, Tintoretto, Pat Steir, and Andy Warhol. The governing Collections Committee has an eye to the future and embraces accessions of remarkable artworks that foster ideas through visual conversations. The CMA encompasses 124,000 square feet of permanent and temporary exhibition galleries, studios, public spaces, and storage. The museum actively mounts approximately four special exhibitions per year, with a dynamic menu of related public and educational programs. The CMA operates with an approximately $4.5 million budget and a staff of 29 full-time and 27 part-time employees (including security and special event staff).

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$550.00 Innovate Grants — Call for Artists + Photographers

Submissions open for Winter '21 cycle

SUBMISSION DEADLINE: March 18, 2021

Innovate Grant awards (2) $550.00 grants each quarter, to one visual artist and one photographer.

In addition to receiving a grant award, winners will be featured and recognized on our website and join a growing community of vibrant and talented artists. Click here for more information and to apply. Innovate Grant supports artists and photographers through quarterly grants. We've simplified the grant process, so that artists and photographers can focus on making their innovative work. The work should speak for itself and our application reflects that.

How to apply

Visual artists and photographers 18 years and older, from all around the world, are eligible to apply. All media and genres are accepted. All applicants retain the right to the work they submit. Apply today at https://innovateartistgrants.org.

Recent recipients

Explore the work of past Innovate Grant recipients and read their interviews at https://innovateartistgrants.org. Yannick Lowery Philadelphia, Pennsylvania • Fall Grant Recipient – Art Giulia Parlato Palermo, Italy • Fall Grant Recipient – Photography Bianca Barandun London + Zurich • Summer Grant Recipient – Art Torrance Hall Baltimore, Maryland • Summer Grant Recipient – Photography Kylie Lockwood Detroit, Michigan • Spring Grant Recipient – Art Lindsey Kennedy Santa Fe, New Mexico • Spring Grant Recipient – Photography Lynnea Holland Weiss Cleveland, Ohio • Winter Grant Recipient – Art Dylan Hausthor New Haven, Connecticut • Winter Grant Recipient – Photography

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$500 for tiny art: fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and visual art

Authors & artists eligible for Geminga

SUBMISSION DEADLINE: Wednesday, March 31, 2021

Geminga is a neutron star so small it was difficult to detect. It was named, in part, for a transcription of gh’è minga, meaning “it’s not there.”

For 2021, Sunspot Lit is launching Geminga: $500 for tiny fiction, nonfiction, poetry, or visual art to honor the power of the small. No restrictions on theme or category.

Author restrictions

  • Word limit is 100 for fiction and nonfiction.
  • Micropoetry is limited to 140 characters. Characters include spaces, punctuation, numbers, and letters of the alphabet.
  • Titles are not included in the word count.
  • Compound words separated by hyphens, numbers, and letters of the alphabet are counted as a single word.

Artist restrictions

Visual art entries should be paintings, drawings, or sketches no larger than 25 inches square. Sculptural forms should be no larger than 25 inches in any dimension (length, height, or width).

Details

  • Open: January 1, 2021
  • Close: March 31, 2021
  • Entry fee: $6
  • Prize: $500 cash, publication for the winner, publication offered to runners-up and finalists.

Submit entries to: https://sunspotlit.submittable.com/submit

Jason Rapp

Important South Arts deadline coming up

Visual #SCartists eligible for up to $30,o00

[caption id="attachment_44629" align="aligncenter" width="600"]Kristi Ryba, the 2020 South Arts State Fellow from South Carolina, seated and painting in her studio. Kristi Ryba, the 2020 South Arts State Fellow from South Carolina, in her studio.[/caption]

Southern Prize and State Fellowships

APPLICATION DEADLINE: Monday, January 11, 2021 at 11:59 p.m. ET South Arts' Southern Prize and State Fellowships acknowledge, celebrate and support the highest quality artistic work created across our region. Nine artists living in AL, FL, GA, KY, LA, MS, NC, SC, and TN will share $80,000 in cash awards. One artist per state will receive a State Fellowship of $5,000. Two State Fellows will receive the Southern Prize awards, with one Southern Prize finalist receiving an additional $10,000, and one Southern Prize winner receiving an additional $25,000. Both Southern Prize recipients also receive a two-week residency with The Hambidge Center for Creative Arts and Sciences. All nine artists will be featured in a touring exhibition in 2021, with dates/locations TBD depending on the status of the pandemic. This program is open to artists living in our region working in crafts, drawing, experimental, painting, photography, sculpture, mixed media, and multidisciplinary artforms. The jurors will make their selections based on artistic excellence that reflects and represents the diversity of the region. Applications for the 2021 Southern Prize and State Fellowships are now open. The deadline to apply is 11:59 p.m. ET on January 11, 2021.

Submitted material

Slammed!! Sensationalism and Culture in the Squared Circle

  • Acadiana Center for the Arts (Lafayette, Louisiana)
  • Main Gallery
  • Feb. 12, 2021-May 8, 2021
Submission deadline: January 10, 2021

Acadiana Center for the Arts seeks submissions for it's February 2021 group exhibition.

[caption id="attachment_34666" align="alignright" width="150"] The world-famous Hub Calls for Art Megaphone.[/caption] Slammed!! Sensationalism and Culture in the Squared Circle is a juried group exhibition showcasing contemporary artists working in Louisiana, the greater Gulf South region and throughout the United States. Visual Arts Director at Acadiana Center for the Arts Jaik Faulk will partner with Benjamin Hickey, curator of exhibitions at the Hilliard Art Museum at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette to select works for an upcoming exhibition in the AcA’s 4,366 square foot Main Gallery. This exhibition takes as it’s thesis the culture, sensationalism and theatricality of the world of professional wrestling, past, present, and future. In the Gulf South, professional wrestling was massively popular in the 1970’s and 80’s, generations shared the experience of drama and exaggerated story lines embedded in one-on-one matches of super human strength and all-out brawls between heroes and villains. Since this time, the world of wrestling has changed and evolved from its naïve glory. In a way, the world-at-large has as well; it has a sense of fraught drama in the real. Social media, for example, offers countless moments of sensationalized performance at every turn and our current political climate is akin to a wild no-holds-barred cage match. What can the world of wrestling, it’s sensationalism and theatricality, a blending of “real” and “fake”, tell us of our contemporary moment? What would that look like in a “work of art”? You tell us.

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