UMW Galleries Present Two New Exhibits, Feb. 1 to March 24

duPont Gallery

Night is Coming, 2023. Acrylic, oil stick, spray paint, and crayon on canvas. 72 x 84 in.

The University of Mary Washington Galleries is pleased to present the solo exhibition Origins: Taylor Anton White.

Internationally acclaimed artist and UMW alumnus Taylor Anton White (BA 2017) creates bold, absurdist abstractions rooted in spontaneity, action, and play. For the Richmond-based artist’s first exhibition on campus since graduating, Origins: Taylor Anton White includes explosively drawn and painted pieces that pull from techniques and concepts honed during his time at Mary Washington. White’s exuberant brushstrokes and stark black oil stick drawings of cartoon figures vibrate against formally constructed surfaces, tapping into both the noise and compulsion of contemporary life.

Origins: Taylor Anton White is part of the annual Origin series, celebrating UMW Studio Art Alumni.

Hours & Admission:

The exhibition will be on view from February 1 to March 24, 2025 in duPont Gallery, with the opening reception taking place on February 1 from 5-7pm. Admission is always free and tours are available.

An in-gallery artist’s talk will be held on February 22, 2024 at 5pm in duPont Gallery.

Ridderhof Martin Gallery

Shanna Fliegal, Escapism, 2023. Stoneware.

The University of Mary Washington Galleries is pleased to present the group exhibition Elemental.

Elemental features six artists who investigate the natural elements through various aspects of material, process, form, and content. Brought together through creative and personal connections, these makers showcase a broad array of ceramic expression while also calling attention to humankind’s connection to the natural world.

Although each artist shares conceptual starting points, they approach material and idea through different lenses, further illustrating the complexity and salience of the theme. Andrew Coombs’ vessels reference water through form and function while using fluid glazes and inspiration from ancient Iranian plant imagery for their surfaces. Shanna Fliegel probes notions of the Anthropocene to create richly layered images on clay forms that are simultaneously ancient and futuristic. Jeff Forster’s sculptural remnants evoke geologic time through the interplay of ceramic materials with fire and human forces. Jon McMillan abstracts elements from terrestrial and atmospheric sources, recombining them to create ambiguous sculptures with multiple connotations. Brooke Noble’s porcelain pillows blend references to flora and fauna to investigate everything from environmental concerns to societal cross currents. Kristina Stafford brings together earth and sky, with exposed terra cotta juxtaposing references to plant life, cloud forms and the built environment. Using a diversity of approaches, these artists explore the multi-faceted relationship between humans and nature through a variety of ideas, methods and modes of expression.

Elemental is a concurrent exhibition during Coalescence, the 58th annual conference of the National Council of the Education for the Ceramic Arts, March 20-23, 2024 in Richmond, Virginia.

Hours & Admission:

Elemental will be on view from February 1 to March 24, 2025 in Ridderhof Martin Gallery, with the opening reception taking place on February 1 from 5-7pm. Admission is always free and tours are available. Gallery hours will be extended during the NCECA annual conference, March 20-23, 2024.

A gallery talk with the artists will be held on March 19, 2024 at 5pm in Ridderhof Martin Gallery.

Contact Us:

If you have any questions, please call (540) 654-1013 or email gallery@umw.edu. Visit us online at www.umwgalleries.org or in person at 1301 College Avenue, Fredericksburg, VA 22401.