First Tuesday ArtWalk Reception:
* May 7, 5:00 – 7:00 pm

Artist:  Marion Coleman
Medium:  Fiber Collage

[Pictured: Marion Coleman, A Manly Life]

Artist Statement:  People, history, social/cultural events and their impact on our individual and community relationships serve as inspiration for the art that I make. Although I began by exploring traditional and contemporary techniques related to patchwork, fiber collage and quilting, I have expanded the concept of the quilt by using a wide range of materials including metals, porcelain enamel and large scale translucent fabrics. Ultimately my designs are transferable to a variety of media and I am interested in exploring the possibilities.   

My attraction to fiber as my primary media stems from my relationship with my maternal grandmother who taught me to sew when I was a youngster growing up in North Texas.  During my generation women frequently made their own clothing and this was especially true for African American women. As a young woman it was almost a necessity for me to sew clothing because I am 5’10 and I had great difficulty finding pants that were long enough.

Of equal importance was my introduction to digital technology, the ability to transfer photo imagery to cloth and access to the internet has opened new and exciting doors for storytelling with cloth.

Artist:  Gale McKee
Medium:  Printed Vintage Photo, Acrylic on Raw Linen

Artist Statement:  My work is about exploring the power of color and texture through a variety of diverse concepts and mediums.Through multi layers of paint or mixed-media I use upbeat, unique color combinations and unexpected loose juxtapositions of shapes. With a fresh brush stroke technique, scrubbing, scratching, and blurring I create a painterly feel that invites the viewer to come in, have a look around, and further explore the implied and unanswered questions the abstract quality presents. It is a place where realism meets abstraction.

My passion for color and texture gives me a universal language to communicate what I feel and see as an artist. I want the viewer to be moved by the painting’s timeless beauty, energy and intensity.

Artist:  Virginia Jourdan
Medium:  Oil on Canvas

Artist Statement:  My jazz series of paintings is an expression of music being a universal language of humanity. The stenciled flower, heart and sometimes a dove, is symbolic of happiness, love and peace.