Curatorial Fellowship 2024/2025
Sholo Beverly
Women in Nature: Taking up Space will be showcased in a mural-style exhibit, challenging artists of different ages and cultures to create their own personal environments, in reference to nature.
Viewers will be invited to interact with the exhibit and are encouraged to immerse themselves in all the elements of the experience, as gifted by the artists. Perspective will be a huge part of the artists’ and viewers’ journey, especially in relation to the natural world. My goal is for this collection of pieces to explore the multitudes that women contain; to tell the story of women’s strengths, weaknesses, and the utmost resilience and perseverance in a system that has, for centuries, suppressed the voices of marginalized genders. By intrinsically tying femininity to the natural world, this mural exhibition will highlight the mysteries and magic that both womankind and nature give upon this world.
Exhibition Statement:
Peonies, hollyhocks, sunflowers, just to name a few, made for a great garden hideout in my youth. When I was a child, I believed garden fairies would secretly visit my garden to take care of the flowers and to leave me seeds to discover. I created the perfect little hideaway world that only I knew about. It was a safe space to create and make discoveries. The shed is where I set up my seeds in little plastic containers. Nothing set my heart on fire more than watching the seeds explode into life.
This little girl, full of wonder and curiosity, is who I try to channel through my art to this very day. All of my artistic inspiration emerges from the natural world. Organic shapes can be seen everywhere, and they serve as a symbol for the cycles of life in nature. At some point during my adult life, I started seeing female figures in nature. Their bodies would follow the curves and bends of trees. It was only when I looked up and witnessed nature that I discovered this power.
I began wishing I could be a tree. The unpredictability and complexity of tree trunks and branches were like magic. On quiet walks in the woods, I could finally listen and hear what the trees had to say. I knew from this point on that I was to be an artist, so that I could breathe this aura into my own life. My art has never been about creating for others; I am purely documenting experiences that bring me hope and solace. My work revolves around the female figure and energy within nature, and it always will. I define my art as multi-layered; there are many facets to discover within one piece, like the layers of nature's floor. Nature never stops evolving. Its abundance and influence continue to teach me about my path as an artist. All I needed to do was listen.
GUEST ARTIST- ALPHA BRUTON
2012 Garden in Germany
In 2013, I embarked on a creative journey that led me to develop environmental installations inspired by ceremonial purification circles. Each of these installations is carefully crafted with selected objects and images that serve as cultural mirrors, reflecting the values and narratives of the communities with which I engage. The unique sites chosen for these projects add layers of significance, enriching the cultural commentary I aim to convey.
My project, “Women in Nature,” represents a pivotal chapter in my artistic evolution. It aligns seamlessly with my passion for crafting art in unconventional spaces, as I navigate the world as an environmental installation artist. I consciously strive to break free from the conventional confines of traditional gallery experiences, immersing myself in diverse and often unexpected settings to ignite a broader dialogue about art and its role in society.
Over the past decade, my journey has taken me through a multitude of breathtaking landscapes, both within my home country and across international borders. As an artist-in-residence in some of nature's most pristine environments, I have had the privilege of connecting with local communities. In these collaborative efforts, I transform neglected urban lots, picturesque national forest preserves, and vital conservation lands into vibrant realms of artistic expression, inviting people to explore new perspectives and engage with the natural world around them.
2012 Garden in Germany
Concept Stage one: the Gates
This image reminds me of the vines that were growing in Maryland around the trees.
Brandywine, Maryland, Tobacco Plantation Land Trust- 2023
Perhaps the most adaptive form of plants, vines and groundcovers are plants that grow beyond their primary stem, yet do not adhere to the definition of shrub or tree. These species primarily expand horizontally to acquire sun or water after their initial growth, though some possess climbing stems used to extend vertically.
