BCAC presents Jessica Clark
Allison Pederson, Director of Black Creek Arts Council, left, with artist Jessica Clark, left, with one of the artist’s pinecone paintings that evoke mandalas. Photo by Jana E. Pye
By Jana E. Pye, Editor, editor@newsandpress.net
An opening reception for Jessica Clark, Lumbee Artist was held at Black Creek Arts Council (BCAC) gallery on November 3.
The artist teaches high school in Lumberton, N.C., and shared that she is inspired by her Native American culture as well as the abundant nature of the area that she lives.
She said that she has been painting since she was in high school – around 17 years. Some of the large-scale portraits in this show, as shown below, are of family members and friends.
Photo by Jana E. Pye
She is currently inspired to do large-scale paintings in the coming months due to the devastation her area received from Hurricane Matthew.
“I live along the Lumbee River, and a lot of our area was affected by the hurricane,” said Clark. “The idea of water and the power that it holds and also the history and the culture, because they settled along that river. When the hurricane came, it kind of took it’s land back. It took out bridges, levees and dams. I’m really thinking about creating these large scale paintings of the river similar to Claude Monet’s water lilies …to actually engulf the viewer by standing in front of them… taking up their whole point of view.”
She said that no one in her area could ever remember the Lumbee River ever flooding like that. “We had an estimated 500 students at the high school where I teach that were displaced just in the Lumberton area,” said Clark. It actually impacted thousands of people. It was pretty widespread throughout the county.”
Her work depicting pinecones began when she was in grad school in 2007. “It didn’t really catch on,” said Clark. “Later, I was teaching mandalas to my students and I started drawing along with them in class and it great from that and taken off since then. It’s extremely different from the portraits. When I am doing the mandalas, I can just zone out and not think about anything. It’s very meditative. It’s my release as far as art. I’m not obligated to do anything.”
Photo by Jana E. Pye
The exhibit will remain on display until November 23. Visit her website to view some of her work www.jessicaclarkart.com.
The next show will be Jim Stratton: Screams and Whispers December 1st – January 27
Opening Reception December 1st from 5:30-7 p.m. This exhibit will remain on display until January 27. Visit this website to view some of his work: fineartamerica.com/profiles/jimstratton
Black Creek Arts Council is located at 116 W. College Ave. Hartsville. For more information, call: 843-332-6234 or visit them at: www.blackcreekarts.org.