By Susan Jedrzejewski, McColl Center for Visual Art

McColl Center for Visual Art is hosting a Gallery Reception from 6 to 9 PM on Friday, March 23, to celebrate the success of the Converge exhibition. The show highlights the conceptual visions of alumni Knight Artists-in-Residence Quisqueya Henriquez and Sonya Clark, and features the art they produced during their residencies at the Center. In addition, visitors can meet exiting resident artists in their studios before they pack up their bags and hit the road back home. Exiting artists include: Matthew Steele, Patricia Leighton and Del Geist (UNCC AIRs), Mary Giehl (Carolinas Healthcare AIR), David Theissen (Gail Thomas Peacock Art Teacher-in-Residence), Isaac Payne, and Felicia van Bork.The gallery reception is free and open to the public. Cash bar will serve $1 beers. All ages welcome.

More information about the exhibition:

Cuban-born artist Quisqueya Henriquez investigates matters of authorship and legality through her appropriation process. Using a variety of media, such as collage, video and installation, the artist provides a number of lenses for the viewer to contemplate Henriquez’s approach to altering artists’ imagery. Whether she has omitted visual information or added art historical references and textural components, Henriquez embeds layers of meaning and symbolism that beg for contemplation.

Sonya Clark addresses issues of race and identity in her work through utilizing stop-motion animation, textile, sculpture, photography and digital imagery. Her artistic vision is largely informed by her heritage, particularly her African heritage, as she is less familiar with its history. Often merging everyday objects into her artistic production, Clark incorporates a number of symbols that only prove unique to her background, but that also reflect stages of history that have shaped humanity on a global level.

Additional information about the Converge exhibition and the individual works of art can be found in the Gallery Guide.