HERSTORY! I was recently asked to participate as a guest juror to choose an artist for an award for the online exhibition HerStory 2017 Art Exhibition, curated by Renee Phillips, Director of Manhattan Arts International. I was thrilled as I have followed Renee for years and have always been so impressed by all she does to help artists through exhibitions, programs and mentoring. We have many goals in common and are collaborating on various projects, so this was a lot of fun! This important exhibition, Herstory, will promote outstanding women artists, and runs from April 27, 2017 through June 27, 2017, featuring 63 selected artists. In reviewing all the work, it was a difficult task as there were so many talented and inspiring artists.
Link to the exhibition:
Herstory 2017
Link to the Special Art Awards page:
Special Awards
Prior to judging, I was asked what what I would be looking for in my choice for an award and I said, “I am initially drawn to art that is visually arresting, provocative and emotionally charged. I lean towards art that is focused on social issues, and of the human condition with the intention to challenge prescribed social norms. I look for works that evoke a response and inspire reflective thought and dialogue with the intention to “change the world through art”. The artist should demonstrate a unique voice and style and have perfected their craft.”
After much review, I chose the work of Kelsie Ward. Luckily as guest judges, we were provided with the artists names, websites and statements. So not only did I review all of the works submitted by the 63 artstis, but I also studied their collective body of work on their websites to make my final decision and wow, was it difficult. While Kelsie’s work is not particularly activist, I think it imparts many qualities found in eco-art, combining beauty and messages about the importance of caring for the earth and environment and humans implied impact on it. Her work is intellectual, impressive, very well crafted and just plain beautiful to look at. I would love to have an installation of her work in my home or backyard.
My statement about Kelsie’s work: In viewing Kelsie Ward’s work, I am immediately impressed by the simultaneous strength and fragility of the structures. “Unnatural Synthesis” is stimulating emotionally, intellectually and conceptually, combining expressed personal identity influenced by nature, the divine and science/mathematics. The installations, with the juxtaposition of massive forms with delicate vinyl triangular shapes, pull one in to study and reflect further on the implied meaning, encouraging self-reflection and greater awareness of spatial relationships. It brings to mind my recent trip to Iceland, surrounded by glaciers and towering rocks; the overwhelming feeling of isolation yet a sense of stillness in the majestic natural beauty. This tranquility is imparted in Ward’s work and portrays the human condition in the constructs of nature both artificial and real.
Kelsie Ward’s statement about her work: My works engage and reference natural forms and the increased artificiality of the nature we experience. The contradictory appearance and materials of these environments present familiar yet dislocated forms from the natural world. Navigation through these forms provides an individual journey, feelings of isolation, and time for self-reflection.
Bio: Kelsie Ward is from a small town in central Minnesota. She received her Bachelor of Art in Economics and Psychology with a minor in Art from the College of Saint Benedict and St. John’s University in 2012 and her Master of Fine Art from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville in 2016. Working in sculpture and installation, her work explores shifts between dimensional space, the relationship between the natural and the synthetic, awareness of self, and repetition.
Link for more of her work: Kelsie Ward Portfolio
