BALTIMORE – Gormley Gallery at Notre Dame of Maryland University is pleased to present Art & Spirituality, an exhibition featuring the work of 14 artists which will be on view beginning Tuesday, September 5.
The exhibition will be displayed through Friday, October 6. Gormley Gallery will host an opening reception and gallery talk with curator Sarah McCann and participating artists on Saturday, September 9 from 4 to 6 p.m.
Art & Spirituality features the work of Alpha Massaquoi, Denise Kumani Gantt, dominic moulden, Jeneanne Collins, Jessie Houff, Kara McDonagh, Ken Krafchek, Laura Sligh, Nora Howell, Pamela Lawton, Paula Phillips, Rikiesha Metzger, Sara Kaltwasser, and Sarah McCann. The exhibit includes paintings, drawings, prints, sculptures, and mixed-media works.
In the summer of 2022, the 14 artists came together to break bread, share their creative endeavors, and explore the ways that their artistic works and spiritual practices intertwine. As community-engaged artists invested in social change, these creatives are interested in the perceived “spiritual” elements of the arts - how the arts connect with something deeper, within themselves and in communion with others.
Many of the artists have worked in art institutions and higher education, and they found the discussion of spirituality in art to be sorely lacking. In their discussions over two dinners, questions arose: Is spirituality (and by default, religion) something that can be discussed? Is there something in representing spiritual ideas through art that is necessary to this dialogue? What roles do art and art-making play in the expression of the divine?
Each artist shared thoughts on their own spiritual journey, religious roots, and motivation for wading into the depths of holy, celestial, and spiritual practices in their art-making. Each comes with a different set of viewpoints and interests - artwork serving as a vessel, metaphor and/or illustration of the heavenly and mystical ideas, beings, and practices that are lived with daily, but seldom acknowledged publicly.
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