The Power of Fe - A Charity Exhibition Benefiting DART
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Ruston, Louisiana (October 31, 2017) – Ruston Artisans is pleased to announce their charity exhibition, The Power of Fe, in support of the Domestic Abuse Resistance Team (DART). The exhibition will be held at Ruston Artisans, 203 W. Alabama in Ruston, LA and runs from November 9th through November 19, 2017. The opening public reception will be held on November 9 from 5:00-8:00 pm.
DART is a non-profit organization whose mission is two-fold: 1) to protect, empower and advocate for all victims, survivors and their children in North Central Louisiana who are affected by domestic and dating violence, and 2) to offer and implement public education programs in regards to the far-reaching consequences of domestic and dating violence. October was Domestic Abuse Awareness Month. “We, at Ruston Artisans, can think of no better way to follow Awareness month than to present four amazingly, talented, strong women artists in November,” said Judi Null, the Gallery Director. “A portion of all sales will go to DART.”
Our exhibition features Kit Gilbert with a collection of her many paintings and paper-works. The objects adhered to her paintings include symbolic, strong metals (Fe) combined with canvas, photographs and images that are specific to her personal experiences and travels. Her art tends to be a complex, multi-layered world of poetic imagination and private reference, creating poetic visual objects for contemplation.
Her recent work deals primarily with distortions. Due to the fact that she has been experiencing eyesight loss, she is working with larger geometric shapes in her compositions. These shapes are not only two-dimensional, but also three-dimensional applications to the surface of the painting, much like her current reality. It creates a physically tangible aspect to her art, as well as providing an insertion of photographic reference to memory. Combining the objects with the collaged images provides a sort of resolution to her reduced eyesight. It has allowed her to continue to do what she loves. “There has never been a time in my life when I was not painting and drawing,” said Kit. Kit is a beloved member of the Ruston community and has been instrumental in helping Ruston to become an art destination.
We are also presenting Music of the Soul Violin Sculptures by Rhonda Hicks, an award-winning artist from El Dorado, AR. Rhonda is the proprietor of the Backwoods Art in Frame in El Dorado, where she too supports the dreams of other artists. Rhonda describes her work this way, “I love JUNK, be it car parts, copper wire, broken violins or anything rusty… It is my inspiration for all my assemblage art!! I'm not saying it is junk but it is made from junk. It is so incredibly fun to search for just the right object and come back with a multitude of things you can repurpose into beautiful, thoughtful pieces of art! I live for beads, bobbles and junk!!! And I hope it makes you smile.”
Autumn Moon is a Ruston native who was featured in the October exhibition, her first gallery exhibit. Autumn participated in the Ruston Lincoln Chamber of Commerce Youth Entrepreneur Academy two years ago, when she was 12 and was awarded the Ruston Outstanding Young Entrepreneur for her innovative and positive artisan business, Labelme Custom Creations. Autumn’s love for people and pretty things moved her to create her business to turn around negative labels and stereotypes that are all too often attached to people. Her custom made jewelry is based on her belief that a simple positive word can uplift countless individuals. A portion of each sale is donated to the local Boys and Girls Club in order to build up our local community.
The exhibit will also introduce new artist Megan Calhoun. “Megan’s mother contacted me recently to show me a drawing done by Meg. It was so powerful, and so moving. It reminded me of DART’s mission. I knew it had to be included in this exhibition,” said, Ms. Null.
The visually compelling work of Dr. Box Leangsuksun will continue to be displayed and is available for sale at the gallery.
Ruston Artisans is located at 203 W Alabama Avenue in the historical downtown Ruston, Louisiana. The multipurpose gallery will offer a new, visually stimulating, and thoughtful exhibit every month. In addition, there will be fun, yet educational workshops, and community orientated and informative social events every week. Our services include Art Education, Events & Event Planning, and Gallery Rental and Tours. Opportunities are available for Artists, Community Initiatives, Internships, Event and Exhibit Sponsorships, Memberships, and Artist Support.
For more information about our exhibit, please call Ruston Artisans at 318-254-3322 or email art@rustonartisans.com.
Date and Time
Thursday Nov 9, 2017
5:00 PM - 8:00 PM CST
November 9-19, 2017
Opening Reception November 9 from 5-8 pm.
Fees/Admission
Free to the public.
Contact Information
For more information, contact Ruston Artisans at 318-254-3322
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