Arts & Culture

March Exhibits Bloom With Diversity at UK's Bolivar Gallery

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photo of "In Transition" by Sang-Mi Yoo in "Integral" exhibit at Bolivar
photo of "Mask" by Emily Hanako Momohara on display in "Tending My Grandmother's Garden" at Bolivar
photo of embroidery work by Erin Endicott in "Healing Sutras"

LEXINGTON, Ky. (March 27, 2017) Only one week remains to see Bolivar Art Gallery's three current exhibits featuring the work of locally and nationally recognized artists whose work explores everything from contemporary artists' approaches to printmaking, the history of Japanese immigrants, and issues of pain and healing. Each of these exhibitions is free to the public and run through March 31.

"Integral," a group show curated by educator and artist Lari Gibbons, showcases the work of several contemporary artists known for post-digital and hybrid approaches to printmaking. The exhibit features works from Denise Bookwalter, Jon Vogt, Sang-Mi Yoo and Annu Vertanen.

Emily Hanako Momohara's "Tending My Grandmother's Garden" presents a gallery of photographs and videos influenced by her Okinawan and Japanese lineage. Momohara's symbolic images share her interpretation of familiar stories and historic information about her ancestors and their immigration to America. Momohara details her struggle to find a cross-pollination of meaning between Japanese and American culture, "I create photographs that act as metaphoric heirlooms and physical constructions of legacy. The shadowy aesthetic in the series suggests there is more unknown about my family's history than there is discovered," she said.

In "Healing Sutras," embroidery artist Erin Endicott showcases a series of hand-stitched works on antique garments. Many of the vintage pieces in the collection were passed down through the women in Endicott's own family. Endicott described the inspiration behind her work, citing a desire to explore issues of pain and healing, family connections and the idea of psychological and emotional inheritance.

The Bolivar Art Gallery is located on the first floor of the UK School of Art and Visual Studies Building, located at 236 Bolivar St. Each of the three exhibitions mentioned is available for viewing during regular gallery hours 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday.

For more information about the UK School of Art and Visual Studies, part of the UK College of Fine Arts, visit http://finearts.uky.edu/savs.