September 28th - December 10th, 2016
Dolls have a rich history within a variety of cultures; from ancient Egypt as part of religious rituals to early Japan as children's toys. Humans have been obsessed with representing their own likeness and that of other creatures for almost as long as we have been alive. Sometimes these representations were believed to have power and sway within our lives and other times they were meant to show respect and beauty.
Resource Depot received a large donation of ceramic doll parts, which were intended to be made into collectables or toys, but we wanted to see what other life they might have. We asked local artists what they could make with this rather unusual donation. This show is the result of their endeavors.
Erika & Liam Bleu Cespedes, "No Sun Photography", 2016
RAW MATERIAL
About the Artists
Erika & Liam Bleu Cespedes
Erika is a Costa Rican-born photographer. Her photography career has allowed her to work as a commercial photographer and now as a fine art artist creating compelling imagery. Her work is unique and mysterious. One of her biggest inspirations is her son Liam Bleu, whom she takes everywhere with her to photograph. Liam Bleu has become so accustomed to prop shopping, location scouting, loading film, and setting up equipment that he is now creating the scenes for his mother to photograph. Erika's work ranges from traditional and digital photography to mixed media work..
Erika holds an MFA in Photography from the Academy of Art University – San Francisco and currently teaches at Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts and the Norton Museum of Art.
Website: www.erikacespedes.com
Maria Tritico
Maria was born and raised outside of Houston, Texas. She received her BFA in Photography and Studio Art with an emphasis in Metals from Texas State University in 2012 and graduated from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago with a Masters of Art in Art Therapy in 2015. Maria works predominately in jewelry and sculpture using alternative stone setting techniques and multiples to create scale and volume within a single piece. Since 2008, Maria has exhibited in local and national art shows, and she has worked in a variety of art and art therapy specific settings from children's summer camps to county correctional institutions.
Website: www.mariatritico.com
Mark Walnock
Mark has a BFA with honors in Ceramics from the University of the Arts in Pennsylvania. He has worked as an instructor and studio manager for various arts organizations including Penland School of Crafts, Thompson Park Craft Center, Burlington County Community College, and Long Beach Island Foundation of the Arts and Sciences in New Jersey. He has exhibited his work nationwide and at invitational shows in London and Japan.
Email: mark.walnock@armoryart.org
Camila Gonzalez
Camila is originally from Medellin, Colombia but has lived in South Florida for most of her life. She attended Dreyfoos School of the Arts for high school where she was a Visual Arts Major. She currently attends the University of Notre Dame where she is a Mechanical Engineering Major with a concentration in Materials Science and a minor in Studio Art.
She loves spending time in nature, especially the ocean. Most of her work is mixed media and draws from her Colombian culture and organic elements occurring in nature. It is a depiction of the world around her that is impacted by social issues, including religion and sexuality.
Chad Steve
Chad was born and raised in Lake Mills, Wisconsin. He received his BFA from the University of Wisconsin-Stout.
In 2009 he moved to Hawaii and received his MFA from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. While living there, he worked at the university as an adjunct professor and a lab technician. Chad has instructed at a variety of institutions, such as Hawaii Potter’s Guild, Honolulu Art Museum, Montana University, and Western Montana University.
Website: www.chadsteve.com
Lisa Johnson
Lisa is the Director of Jewelry and Metalsmithing at The Armory Art Center in West Palm Beach. She started her career in fine arts at Miami University earning her BFA and received her MFA from Indiana University in Metalsmithing and Jewelry Design. She has been awarded scholarships at Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts Kiln God residency, the Ronald Hayes Pearson Scholarship at Haystack Mountain School of Craft, and Artist-In-Residence at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts. Selected publications featuring her work include Metalsmith Magazine Exhibition in Print 2014, 500 Prints on Clay, On Body and Soul: Contemporary Armor to Amulets, 500 Necklaces, Humor in Craft, and 500 Jewelry Designs.
Website: www.lisajohnsonstudio.com
Hegina Rodrigues
Hegina's first passion as a self-taught artist is to paint, but her curiosity and constant restlessness to create drives her to work as a mixed media artist. She has exhibited in the U.S. and abroad, including The Latin American Museum of Art in Miami, Boca Raton Museum of Art, Coral Springs Museum of Art, along with many other galleries in the U.S., Brazil, and Europe. Her work has been featured at Palm Beach Art International, Art Miami, Spectrum, Red Dot, and Latin American Women Artist International.
She has worked with children's art programs in Nepal, India, Indonesia, and Brazil. She created a solo exhibition, Children of the Streets, in benefit of street children from Brazil in conjunction with Jimmy Page's organization based in London, ABC Trust. She also participates yearly in the Arte That Saves project benefitting children from Africa and Brazil. Rodrigues also created a body of works Out of Cuba bringing awareness to Cuban refugees in their quest for freedom.
Born in Brazil, Hegina currently resides in South Florida working as an artist and teaching mixed media art projects to adults and children. Her work can be seen at her studio in West Palm Beach.
Website: www.heginarodriguesart.com
T.D. Gillispie
T.D. Gillispie lives and works in West Palm Beach. She is originally from Columbus, Ohio and attended Marshall University. Gillispie is a 2016 recipient of the South Florida Cultural Corsortium award. Her work has been exhibited in galleries and museums, some which include Dacia Gallery in New York City, Art Palm Beach, 101 Exhibit in Miami, Boca Raton Museum of Art and Whitespace: The Mordes Collection in West Palm Beach. Gillispie's paintings have also been featured in Studio Visit Magazine.
Website: www.tdgillispie.com
