August 2024 Exhibits
Join us on August 23rd from 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. for the opening reception of new art shows. Meet the artists and enjoy live music, refreshments and libations sponsored by RVA Thriving Artists. As a precursor to Richmond’s Pridefest the exhibits open with a special performance by talented artists celebrating the diversity of the LGBTQ+ community.
It’s a beautiful, dreamy, mysterious, humorous, and a very pridefully queer sort of place this 4th Friday at Art Works. The four solo shows, the queer show: Color Theory, and All Media show opening this month offer all these elements.
Enjoy these exhibits through September 21st. The event is free and open to the public. Don’t forget, parking is also free.
Color Theory: The Richmond Queer Art Experience curated by Chris Schoen
What does it feel like to be extraordinary in an ordinary world?
In this installation, we invite you to experience the contrast between the mundane and the fantastical represented by the traditional furnishing juxtaposed with the evocative queer art.
Sit on the sofa, flip through the books, play a game, make a poem at the kitchen table, and have a cup of coffee.
Can you find where queerness peeks through the mundane and see how it differs from what the world expects people to be?
Envision a world where lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and queer (LGBTQ+) people, with intersecting identities, thrive. This exhibit is an expression of a diverse group of artists sharing and expressing a vision of this world.
Color Theory is curated by Chris Schoen and the Art Works Team. The invitational portion of the show features 12 local LGBTQ+ artists handpicked by the curator, and a juried portion with works judged by Andrew Norris.
Join us for a closing reception on September 22, 2024 from 1 pm – 3 pm. Meet the artists, the juror (Andrew Norris), the curators (Chris Shoen, Jessie Boyland, Jasper Drilling).
Andrew Norris
Princess Ozma
The Death of Hyacinthos
Michael D. Jones
Lollipop Celebration
Erin Catleesi
Bi-sected
David Busby
Ramblin’ Dandy
Justice Dwight
when stars collide
Jasper Drilling
Hiding
Transition
Qing
The Makings of You
Michael Rizzo
Ransom_Portrait-2
Ransom_Portrait-10
Sam Christian
The High & Mighty Dream Quilt
American/Dream
Natalie Gates
Brody
Zach Barnard
Dim the House
Christopher Schoen
Disco Pharmacy
Some of the artwork is shown here. The exhibit continues through September 21, 2024.
Many thanks to Virginia Tourism for the support provided for this project.
A Place Where Dreams Come True by Olga Rokhmanyuk
Olga Rokhmanyuk, a successful interior designer, window dresser, and advertising professional from Ukraine, faced a challenging situation when she arrived in America and didn’t know the language. Overwhelmed and silenced, Olga set out to discover a new life and found solace in nature. It was here that she picked up her paintbrushes and started capturing the beauty of all she saw—from the sea to flowers, landscapes, and all parts of nature where there are no language barriers, only the language of great love to humans.
We are pleased to announce Olga’s upcoming exhibit, which is a testament to her artistic skills, full of color, imagination, and a reflection of her journey from silence to the vibrant world of art.
Corpus Ephemera: Paintings by Sherrie Miller
Sherrie Miller’s exhibit, Corpus Ephemera, showcases a collection of paintings that transport viewers to a magical, dreamlike world where animals take center stage, and the human presence is subdued. Through her art, Miller delves into the complex themes of mortality and our smallness in the universe, challenging us to confront the ideas that we often avoid or fear.
Drawing inspiration from old-world fairy-tale elements and magical realism, Miller creates a unique inner world inhabited by animals and artifacts of the human presence, where all things manifest together within a dreamlike environment. This exhibition is a must-see for anyone interested in exploring the darker, more hidden aspects of being human within the space of our limited existence.
Piecing It Together: Mosaics by Nancy Kline and Jody Rathgeb
This exhibits features the works of two talented mosaic artists, Nancy Kline and Jody Rathgeb.
In their separate studios at Art Works, Nancy and Jody create mosaic pieces ranging from intricate jewelry to large wall hangings. For this exhibit they collaborate to showcase the unique style and techniques of both artists, including decorative art and statements in mosaic. In addition, an educational piece will be included, providing insight into the materials used in mosaic and the process of creating these intricate works of art. Experience the beauty and creativity of modern mosaics
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DeConstrucThings by N Blake Seals
N. Blake Seals is a graduate of the School of Visual Arts in NYC, where he studied illustration and fine arts. He has a keen interest in exploring the relationship between seemingly disparate disciplines, such as comic book illustration and abstract mark-making. Seals draws inspiration from city landmarks, pop culture, and non-representational art, and seeks to examine the intersection of the so-called high and low arts markets as a means of artistic expression.
Seals’ mixed media digital paintings are a combination of impressionistic drawings, hand-drawn abstract doodles, and painted color fields on paper. These elements are then transformed and manipulated on the computer, before being output onto various substrates. Through his art, Seals invites us to question the traditional boundaries between different art forms, and to consider the possibilities that arise when they intersect.
When not making art, over the years, Blake has served in the US Navy Reserve and volunteered as a firefighter/paramedic. He has also owned and managed recording facilities, worked on Marvel and Archie comics, and traveled the world as a black belt in Matsubayashi-Ryu Karate-Do. Currently, he works as an organ transplant coordinator. His artwork has been shown in New York City. Blake is a family man, with a wife, two sons, three daughters, a granddaughter, a cat, two snakes, and a leopard gecko.
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Color Theory All Media Show
This exhibit is a focal point of all Art Works’ openings. It is a juried show with cash prizes for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place. The show is open to all artists and all mediums. There is a theme: The Richmond Queer Experience. Priority is given to artwork by the LGBTQ+ community but all are encouraged to apply.
About the Juror:
Andrew Norris is an artist and educator living and working in Richmond, VA. Andrew received his BFA from East Tennessee State University and his MFA from the University of Florida where he also earned a Graduate Certificate in Gender, Sexualities and Women’s Studies. He creates figurative oil paintings that explore how the often undervalued forms of Americana and heartland kitsch can be recharged as instruments through which to generate and explore queer identities.
Norris’ work has featured in numerous national group exhibitions including the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art and the Samuel P. Harn Museum of Art. His work has been featured in New American Paintings (Issue 153) and is currently an Adjunct Professor in the Painting and Printmaking (PAPR) Department at Virginia Commonwealth University and is Assistant Professor and Studio Art Program Coordinator at Virginia State University. Learn more.
1st Place – Genoegen by Charles Sthreshley, Plywood, Rubber, Wool, 37x36x37, $1500
2nd Place – Problems IV by Mava aka Manuel Vazquez, Mixed Media, 40x30x5, $2200
3rd Place – madonna+BB by John Feeshy, Polyethylene and Nails on Canvas, 36×48, $600
Honorable Mention – The Opalescent Socialite by Richard Harding, Thread on Nylon Twine, 43 x 28, $1100
Printable Catalog of the Exhibit: Catalog August 2024 All Media Show