A Decade of Creativity
Celebrating 10 Years of Art at The Emma Darnell Aviation Museum and Conference Center
The Emma Darnell Aviation Museum and Conference Center (EDAMCC) recently celebrated an amazing 10-year milestone with the group exhibition A Decade of Creativity: Celebrating 10 Years of Art.
This exhibition includes about 29 artists, each of whom has displayed their works at EDAMCC during the last decade. The opening reception was held on June 22, 2024, and was nothing short of amazing. The evening was filled with the energy of love, community, inspiration, and live music.
Upon entering, I was warmly greeted with a commemorative gift bag for being one of the first 100 guests to RSVP, and the opportunity to take a photo at the step and repeat. Walking into the main gallery evoked an immediate feeling of awe as I scanned the artwork, excited to explore each piece. When I attend exhibitions, I can usually pick one or two absolute favorites easily. However, with this exhibition, that was difficult, as each piece spoke to me differently. I explored the art within the various gallery spaces twice, and while I enjoyed and appreciated every piece, some piqued my interest in such a way that I had to go back to them before I left.
K. Joy Ballard Peter’s stunning appliqué works Falling In Love Again and Saturday Afternoon Play evoked emotion and curiosity as I explored every detail of each masterpiece. Falling In Love Again tugged at my heartstrings in such a way that made me recall the feeling that comes with falling in love. I loved how the figures appear to be literally falling, along with hearts of different sizes and colors and musical notes in the background. I was curious as to what song or melodies those notes might produce, but I imagined hearing my favorite love song playing. The swirls in the work gave me an ethereal feeling that flows perfectly with what “falling in love again” feels like. Then there is Saturday Afternoon Play, which took me back to those summer Saturdays playing outside with my cousins. This piece evokes a fun nostalgia, taking me back to the times when life was simple and carefree. Peter’s works are the epitome of what art is meant to do - allow the artist to express themselves and evoke emotion in the viewer.
Reginald Laurent’s mixed media wood assemblage pieces can’t help but capture attention as he brings his signature DNA series off of the 2-D canvas into the 3-D world. Breezing is a colorful rotating piece of wonder and bliss. Each wood piece of this assemblage is uniquely crafted and painted with colors that pop. It brought me memories of my childhood and adolescent years when going to theme parks, such as Disney World and Six Flags, was the highlight of my summers. This piece also brought me back to the present day and made me think of playful moments with my young nieces and nephews, and how they are “breezing” through time and growing up before my eyes. Next, there is the wood assemblage Flow, which evokes a calm and peaceful feeling. In this piece, Laurent has carefully assembled geometric shapes with various hues of blue and purple, along with hints of accent colors that peek out. There is always something about a well-crafted or painted piece with hues of blue that reel me in, and this piece was no different. The uniqueness of Laurent’s assemblages is without a doubt something that every collector should aspire to have in their collection.
Marryam Moma’s Flower Child, Shanneil Clarke’s The Protector, and S. Darius Parker’s Culture Conflict were among those works that called me back for a second view. I carefully studied each of these pieces with deep interest and admiration, as they each tell a unique story of the Black experience, challenging me to explore the resonance of the Black stories in my own life and those of my loved ones.
This exhibition, beautifully curated by Tisha Smith, welcomes curiosity, evokes emotion, and makes it impossible to leave uninspired. A Decade of Creativity: Celebrating 10 Years of Art continues through August 2, 2024*, with viewing hours Monday- Friday from 9 am to 3 pm and by appointment.
*UPDATE (7/29/24)- This exhibition has been extended until October 5, 2024!
