ROCK HILL, SOUTH CAROLINA – Three new exhibitions will open in the Winthrop University Galleries (WUG) this September: “The Democratic Cup” in the Rutledge Gallery, “The Bright Angle” in the Elizabeth Dunlap Patrick Gallery and “Identity: A Juried Exhibition” in the Lewandowski Student Gallery. An opening reception will be held on Friday, Sept. 20 from 6:30 – 8 p.m. Light refreshments
will be served and artists will be on hand to discuss their work.
Finding common ground through civil discourse is the focus of “The Democratic Cup,”
a non-partisan exhibition featured in the Rutledge Gallery beginning Monday, Sept.
16. The exhibition showcases handmade ceramic cups created as a slow activism project
that encourages people to become active and engaged citizens in our democracy and
person-to-person civil conversations about social and political issues over a cup
of coffee. “The Democratic Cup” project began during the run-up to the 2016 presidential
election by potters Ayumi Horie and Nick Moen of “The Bright Angle.” The exhibition
will run through Nov. 15.
The exhibition will display the work produced by the collaborative efforts of 35 passionate
illustrators and potters across the country. It will also showcase the implementation
of community conversations in Minnesota in 2018 and explore how such ideas can be
applied in our own communities. The focus of the exhibition is to explore one example
of how the arts and various media can be used to encourage community engagement and
the ideas of “artivism.”
Several events will be held in conjunction with the exhibition to spark conversation
and encourage action. On Sept. 19, “Artivism in Action: Where to Begin” spotlights
“The Democratic Cup” organizers Ayumi Horie, Nick Moen and Ursula Hargens as they
discuss their collaboration with more than 30 ceramicists and illustrators and the
group’s mission and motivation. The event will take place from 7 – 8:30 p.m. in Dina’s
Place in the DiGiorgio Campus Center. It is free and open to the public.
Two “Coffee Talk” events will be held in conjunction with the exhibition. On Oct.
1 and Oct. 29 from 7 – 9 p.m., WUG will open its doors to the public to encourage
the community to engage and connect over coffee. Through the use of “The Democratic
Cup” mugs, participants will be led through a series of facilitated conversations
with a focus on positive discourse about social and political issues. These events
are free and open to the public, but space is limited. Participants should register
in advance by e-mailing galleries@winthrop.edu.
In addition to “The Democratic Cup,” “The Bright Angle” will be featured in the Elizabeth
Dunlap Patrick Gallery. The Bright Angle is a designer-maker collaborative pottery
studio formed in Asheville in 2016 by Nick Moen Studios. Each of the studio's pieces
follows a long process of sketches, 3D-printed prototypes, molds, firing and refining,
all using their own porcelain and glaze formulas. The exhibition will showcase their
designs and processes. The Bright Angle sources wood, glass, and other materials from
local craftspeople who share their commitment to American-made and thoughtfully-sourced
raw goods.
On Oct. 24, WUG will host ceramicist Nick Moen as he discusses the designer-maker
collaborative pottery studio in the Elizabeth Dunlap Patrick Gallery from 7 – 8 p.m.
The event is free and open to the public.
The Lewandowski Student Gallery features a variety of exhibitions this fall, including
“Identity: A Juried Exhibition” from Sept. 10 to Oct. 7. The exhibition highlights
pieces from current Winthrop students and faculty. Artists were asked to submit works
around the idea of “identity” and what it means to them. “Identity” is a collaboration
between WUG and the Winthrop Union of Student Artists. Other exhibitions include “Point
of View,” a selection of personal points of view of selected photo students, from
Oct. 15 to Nov. 4, and the Art Education Exhibition, a capstone exhibit of Winthrop
art education student interns’ work with area K-12 students, from Nov. 12 to Dec.
2.
For more information on these exhibitions or the Winthrop University Galleries, please
visit www.winthrop.edu/galleries or contact Karen Derksen, galleries director, at 803/323-2493 or derksenk@winthrop.edu.
