CAN Artist/Curator Walk & Talk

UPDATE! 8/2/2022: Due to illness, Artist Derek Walker will be unable to participate in the CAN Artist/Curator Walk & Talk on Wednesday, August 3rd. CAN Triennial artist Gary R. Williams has kindly offered to join us in his stead. We look forward to seeing you tomorrow at 5:30pm!

Contemporary curation could use a shake-up. New perspectives and new voices are imperative, particularly those that operate outside of the traditional confines of art museums. As part of the CAN Triennial, the Artists Archives and The Sculpture Center are proud to feature two exhibitions curated by Currently Under Curation (CUC), a group of six high school curators facilitated by The Cleveland Museum of Art.

On Wednesday, August 3^rd, 5:30 – 6:30pm, the Artists Archives and The Sculpture Center will partner to present a CAN Artist/Curator Walk & Talk, featuring CUC student curator Sarah Voss and several of the artists she helped select.  Sabine Kretzschmar, the coordinator of the Currently Under Curation fellows, will discuss the workings of the innovative program. They will be joined by CAN Triennial artists Bobbi Reagins, Derek Walker, and Will Wilson, who will share insights about their fascinating pieces on display.

“CUC’s choices are a breath of fresh air,” reflects Archives’ Marketing Manager Megan Alves. “We couldn’t be more delighted to host their vibrant, energetic selections which include both emerging artists at the beginning of their careers, as well as foundational Northeast Ohio creators.” A third exhibition curated by the CUC team, You Are Here: The Way We Transcend, is also on view at Cleveland Institute of Art’s Ann and Norman Roulet Student + Alumni Gallery, just a few short blocks away from the Artists Archives.

The Artists Archives of the Western Reserve is handicap accessible and is willing to accommodate all people including those with special needs. Visitors with special needs are encouraged to contact us before coming to AAWR, so that we can ensure your visit is fulfilling and enjoyable.  View available services. To schedule your visit, please call 216-721-9020 or email info@artistsarchives.org

The CAN Artist/Curator Walk & Talk is free and open to the public.

Please register on Eventbrite to attend 

About Currently Under Curation: Currently Under Curation (CUC) is a competitive arts mastery program facilitated by The Cleveland Museum of Art and offered in partnership with the Cleveland Foundation. The CUC team consists of six high school students who meet weekly to talk with artists and arts professionals, visit galleries, and museums, and actively explore the local arts scene.

About Artist Bobbi Reagins: Bobbi Reagins was born in Columbus OH and raised in Cleveland OH. At an early age she has always gravitated to visual art and creating at any degree. In high school she designed her class t-shirts, took pictures for the yearbook and occasionally drew portraits for class decor. After graduating highschool she attended Ursuline College majoring in Art Therapy and left after a year once she realized her desire to connect with the community through a different approach. In 2019 she was offered the opportunity to work at moCa Cleveland. She has shown in multiple group shows and continued her professional career at moCa in their education and engagement department. Now currently working as the Assistant Educator. As an artist and educator her focus is still rooted in the healing, transformation and emotional reparation that takes place in creative expression. Some of her community work includes the following public programs Black Art Showcase, Cleveland Canvas Project, and the TEAM program, a program designed to uplight youth voices.

About Artist Gary R. Williams: Before becoming a full-time fine artist, I had a long and successful career as a lawyer and legal educator. But in the end, I came back to that which has been the enduring force in my life: fine art. I attended Cooper School of Art while in my early twenties. Even while practicing and teaching law, I continued to paint and develop my unique style. My paintings are largely based upon people who I’ve known or have met. I paint in pastels, oils, and watercolors. But pastels are my favorite! I draw my subjects with soft pastel and use different mixed media to bring them to life. In my Nubian Series I use traditional African cloth and contemporary materials to separate figure from ground and liberate the subject from the two-dimensional confines of the paper. As someone once noted, there is something about cloth that is as basic to us as the air we breathe. It surrounds us from birth to death; it is the stuff of celebration and ceremonies; and says something about us that words alone cannot. The “hard,” tactile nature of the cloth creates a contrast with the soft, organic nature of the human figure so that it appears almost three dimensional. Likewise, in my Jazz Series the vivid, free form designs created by wet-on-wet watercolor background give my pastel subjects life, while adding an almost otherworldly dimension to the composition. Recently, I lived in a Maasai village in rural Kenya. I was so moved by the beauty and gentleness of the people that I decided to try and capture their spirit using watercolor. I call these paintings my Kajiado Series after the district where the village is located. I think that the sometimes unpredictable and painterly nature of wet-on-wet watercolor adds a level of humanity to these images.

About Artist Will Wilson: Will Wilson is an artist who is interested in synthesizing a variety of traditional and non-traditional art forms. Experimentation with media and styles leads to mixing cartooning, graffiti, and traditional art. He explores concepts related to our absorption and expression of information as we move through life using drawings and paintings that echo but do not mimic popular culture. Wilson likes to create images that are both bold and direct, but also swimming with little details for those who are willing to investigate.  He holds an MA in Arts Education from Case Western Reserve University. He now resides in the greater Cleveland area where he is a high school art teacher and a father of three. He works as an artist, muralist, and illustrator.