Brian Kreydatus
First, I would like to thank This Century Gallery for inviting me to co-jury this exhibition and congratulate all the members and volunteers for doing such a great job of organizing and presenting the show.
But mostly, I want to thank all the artists who participated.
I consider it an act of bravery to put something out in public and say, I made this. I thought this. I felt this.
Jurying a show, especially a large one like this, is always a difficult procedure. The jurors are faced with a large range of media, varying levels of artistic experience, a variety of aesthetic points of view and the knowledge that someone in the audience is going to be saying to themselves- why did they pick this for a prize and not that?
My co-juror, Cece Wheeler and I decided to first view all the pieces on our own and to compile a top fifteen list for the twelve awards. To give you an indication of how in sync we were as jurors, when we compared our initial notes, we had eight of the same names. We then went back over the entire exhibition together, rounding out all twelve awards.
When making my decisions for the awards I considered what should be the obvious- competence in solving a given visual problem, craftsmanship, color, composition, responsiveness to materials: you know- the usual things that artists tend to talk about. But what I was really looking for when making my recommendations for the awards were commitment and obsession. These two qualities are what set a work apart whether it»s from an intro to 2D design class, professional gallery, or museum. The doggedness to see something through to its end and the ability to have an honest unpredetermined experience with visual phenomena are what makes an image unforgettable. I think that&rsquot;s what we»re all after.
Thank you again for allowing me to share in your art.
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Cece Wheeler
As someone new to your community, it was wonderful to experience the sense of your gallery and your members’ work. Through the years I have come to honor the energy and support of an artist community such as yours. We all make art from different places and for different reasons, but the collective practice of art adds strength and imagination to the local community. I am reminded of a quote from the author Yann Martel,
"If we, citizens, do not support our artists, then we sacrifice our imagination on the altar of crude reality and we end up believing in nothing and having worthless dreams."
The work I viewed showed the individual experiences, expressions and passions of each artist represented. From the technical expertise of Richard DePaul, Charles DuBois and David Davis, to the evocation of a moment in time expressed so beautifully by Sally Wiseman, Jean Fripp and Marilynn Dowd, it was a privilege to share your collaborative energy.
I was especially moved by the soft etherealism of the botanical so delicately painted by Linda Miller in Lenten Rose, the bold yet delicate strokes of Dorothy Grebos’s Gavotte creating a space that seemed infinite and yet intimate and Willa Cox’s stark beauty in her monoprint that evoked a beautiful melancholy.
I wish much success and joy to each of you and to your collective space at This Century Art Gallery.
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Judge's Biographies:
Brian Kreydatus received his BFA from Syracuse University magna cum laude in 1991. Mr. Kreydatus then went on to receive his MFA from the University of Pennsylvania in 1994 where he was awarded a Vermont Studio Center fellowship in 1993 and the Neil Welliver Painting Prize upon Graduation. In 1995 Brian won a Fulbright Grant to Ireland for Independent Study in Painting and Printmaking. While in Dublin, he was a member of the Black Church Print Studio, awarded a Studio Rental Allowance grant from the Irish Arts Council and received an artist residency in Kiltimagh. Upon his return to the US in 1997, he began to teach and lecture at several institutions including Haverford College, Lehigh University, The Washington Studio School, and most notably the University of Pennsylvania from 1998-2001. In fall 2001, he accepted an Assistant Professor position at The College of William and Mary to teach printmaking and figure drawing. He was promoted to Associate Professor in 2006 and is currently the chair of the department of art and art history.
Mr. Kreydatus’s primary source of imagery is the figure depicted in a rather unadorned way with emphasis on the corporeal quality of the human figure and its implications for meditation on the human condition. He has had Solo Exhibitions in Philadelphia, Ireland, Washington DC, and Chicago. Mr. Kreydatus has also has participated in numerous group shows in New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Ireland, Iceland, England, Scotland, Australia, Canada, China, and Japan.
Cece Wheeler has exhibited her printmaking and photography internationally for the past 16 years. She currently integrates video and multimedia into her installation work to examine the complexities of feminine identity and domestic boundaries while also exploring the aesthetic and technical implications of new media identity constructions.
A graduate of VCU, she earned her MFA at the Vermont College for Fine Arts. She is a professor of art at Thomas Nelson Community College where she chairs both the Computer Arts Department and the Fine Arts Department. She teaches digital video, motion graphics, advertising design and mass media theory.
Her video work was recently featured in a solo exhibition at Soho20 Gallery in New York City. She is a featured artist in the recently released book, The World Book of Lith Printing, edited by Tim Rudman.
Her recent work was a commissioned video for the Mariners Museum, documenting the story of two Cuban immigrants who escaped the Castro regime in a hand made aluminum kayak. The video is a part of the permanent collection in the Small Crafts exhibit at the museum.
She is also on staff for the Eastern Virginia Writing Project at the College of William and Mary.
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