![Bridget Murphy Milligan is an #OhioArtist from Tiro (Crawford County) and a maker of images. Her artwork engages in a variety of image types and explores the relationship between photography and storytelling. Her most recent body of work, “Wonder Tales: The Imprint of Child’s Play,” is a photographic series that celebrates the spirit and complexities of childhood. The photos shared in today’s #FeaturedFriday are from this series.
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In an artist statement, Bridget explained that the photos in “Wonder Tales” combine “tangible experiences with fictional narratives,” adding that “early memories and childhood experiences leave permanent imprints on the consciousness.” She continues: “This series investigates the inventive play and the uninhibited curiosity of children. In examining the discoveries that youthful fantasies and fears reveal, the photos attempt to expose the delicate awakenings experienced through fanciful play, revealing a renewed sense of wonder in the ordinary. These compositions offer inspiration for the viewer to reconnect with their inner child. Opportunities to recall these experiences—the good and the bad—allow us an awareness of just how our youthful imaginations have influenced our lives and constructed our identities.”
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A recipient of the Jacob K. Javits Fellowship from @usedgov and a @photolucida Critical Mass finalist, Bridget recently received an Ohio Arts Council #IndividualExcellenceAward in the category of #Photography. Bridget’s work has been exhibited widely throughout the U.S. as well as in Canada, Ireland, and Italy. She is currently an associate professor of art at the College of Wooster (@wooinsider) and has had the privilege of teaching since 2000. Her teaching experience includes traditional, digital and alternative photographic techniques, as well as studio work in performative video and interactive installation.
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To learn more, visit bridgetmmilligan.com.
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Photos by Bridget Murphy Milligan · #OhioPhotographer #WonderTales #ChildsPlay #DreamFlight #BearHug #Timber #Photograph #Imagination]()
Bridget Murphy Milligan is an #OhioArtist from Tiro (Crawford County) and a maker of images. Her artwork engages in a variety of image types and explores the relationship between photography and storytelling. Her most recent body of work, “Wonder Tales: The Imprint of Child’s Play,” is a photographic series that celebrates the spirit and complexities of childhood. The photos shared in today’s #FeaturedFriday are from this series. . In an artist statement, Bridget explained that the photos in “Wonder Tales” combine “tangible experiences with fictional narratives,” adding that “early memories and childhood experiences leave permanent imprints on the consciousness.” She continues: “This series investigates the inventive play and the uninhibited curiosity of children. In examining the discoveries that youthful fantasies and fears reveal, the photos attempt to expose the delicate awakenings experienced through fanciful play, revealing a renewed sense of wonder in the ordinary. These compositions offer inspiration for the viewer to reconnect with their inner child. Opportunities to recall these experiences—the good and the bad—allow us an awareness of just how our youthful imaginations have influenced our lives and constructed our identities.” . A recipient of the Jacob K. Javits Fellowship from @usedgov and a @photolucida Critical Mass finalist, Bridget recently received an Ohio Arts Council #IndividualExcellenceAward in the category of #Photography. Bridget’s work has been exhibited widely throughout the U.S. as well as in Canada, Ireland, and Italy. She is currently an associate professor of art at the College of Wooster (@wooinsider) and has had the privilege of teaching since 2000. Her teaching experience includes traditional, digital and alternative photographic techniques, as well as studio work in performative video and interactive installation. . To learn more, visit bridgetmmilligan.com. . . Photos by Bridget Murphy Milligan · #OhioPhotographer #WonderTales #ChildsPlay #DreamFlight #BearHug #Timber #Photograph #Imagination ![Today’s #TraditionsTuesday organization is Rust Belt Fibershed, a regional network of farmers, designers, and textile enthusiasts who create – and create with – locally grown textiles. Based in Cleveland (Cuyahoga County) and encompassing the region within a 250-mile radius of the city, @rustbeltfibershed connects producers and makers by hosting virtual and in-person meet ups, facilitating projects that connect community members to the origins of their clothing, and maintaining online directories of small-scale producers. Their goal is to localize a circular fiber supply chain in our region.
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Currently, Rust Belt Fibershed and @praxisfiberworkshop in Cleveland are partnering to facilitate the “One Year, One Outfit” project. A cohort of designers in the region are creating three garment pieces out of materials from within the fibershed. Participants are meeting bi-monthly virtually throughout this year to share their progress and troubleshoot. In November 2021 the cohort will debut their final creations, along with stories about the experience of creating soil-to-soil garments. (A finished garment by @malvarstewart and a garment component by @janel.s.franks are pictured here).
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So, what is a fibershed? Borrowing from the concept of a watershed, a fibershed is a geographic area that provides the resources and infrastructure to create textiles from locally harvested fibers – whether from animals (like sheep, alpaca, goats, or rabbits) or plants (like flax, hemp, or cotton). Rust Belt Fibershed uses a soil-to-soil framework, supporting the production of textiles that can be responsibly returned to the soil at the end of their useful lifespan.
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Another current initiative is the Rust Belt Linen Project, where volunteers are growing flax on their personal or community properties to add to the future of a flax seed bank in our region, as well as experimenting with processing linen.
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Rust Belt Fibershed was co-founded in 2018 by Jess Boeke and Sarah Pottle. You can learn more about all of Rust Belt Fibershed’s initiatives at rustbeltfibershed.com.
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#OhioArtists #FiberArt #RustBelt #Fibershed #Local #OhioFindItHere #ArtsOhio #Textiles]()
Today’s #TraditionsTuesday organization is Rust Belt Fibershed, a regional network of farmers, designers, and textile enthusiasts who create – and create with – locally grown textiles. Based in Cleveland (Cuyahoga County) and encompassing the region within a 250-mile radius of the city, @rustbeltfibershed connects producers and makers by hosting virtual and in-person meet ups, facilitating projects that connect community members to the origins of their clothing, and maintaining online directories of small-scale producers. Their goal is to localize a circular fiber supply chain in our region. . Currently, Rust Belt Fibershed and @praxisfiberworkshop in Cleveland are partnering to facilitate the “One Year, One Outfit” project. A cohort of designers in the region are creating three garment pieces out of materials from within the fibershed. Participants are meeting bi-monthly virtually throughout this year to share their progress and troubleshoot. In November 2021 the cohort will debut their final creations, along with stories about the experience of creating soil-to-soil garments. (A finished garment by @malvarstewart and a garment component by @janel.s.franks are pictured here). . So, what is a fibershed? Borrowing from the concept of a watershed, a fibershed is a geographic area that provides the resources and infrastructure to create textiles from locally harvested fibers – whether from animals (like sheep, alpaca, goats, or rabbits) or plants (like flax, hemp, or cotton). Rust Belt Fibershed uses a soil-to-soil framework, supporting the production of textiles that can be responsibly returned to the soil at the end of their useful lifespan. . Another current initiative is the Rust Belt Linen Project, where volunteers are growing flax on their personal or community properties to add to the future of a flax seed bank in our region, as well as experimenting with processing linen. . Rust Belt Fibershed was co-founded in 2018 by Jess Boeke and Sarah Pottle. You can learn more about all of Rust Belt Fibershed’s initiatives at rustbeltfibershed.com. . . #OhioArtists #FiberArt #RustBelt #Fibershed #Local #OhioFindItHere #ArtsOhio #Textiles ![Today’s #FeaturedFriday focuses on work included in #OhioArtist Larry Winston Collins’ “They That Matter” series. Larry, an associate professor at @miamiuniversity, is a recent #OhioArtsCouncil Individual Excellence Award recipient whose work in drawing, painting, sculpture, collage, and printmaking influences his mixed-media style of “Art Fusion.”
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“They That Matter” is a series of wall sculptures that reflects on events in the United States concerning the shooting of Black men and women by police. Through his work in building these shrines, Collins said he wanted viewers to “see all individuals together, consider the magnitude of the problem, and find some solutions.”
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“What this series of works does is show each person represented in a positive light to consider who they were and their role in society as a son or daughter, father or husband,” Collins said in an artist statement. “Half of the works are silver-relief plaques created using a mixed-media plaster technique. Each of the portraits are hand painted in acrylic paints. The second half of the series were created as mixed-media sculptures. These were constructed using mostly found materials such as old frames, metal cans, and plastic decorations. The portraits were drawn in plaster and painted to resemble porcelain. My motive was to show each person as someone precious and that their lives mattered.”
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Larry’s career has encompassed a multitude of projects, series, and exhibitions, including a similar collection of shrines the artist created that paid homage to individuals who were involved in the civil rights movement. You can view more of Larry's work on his website: larrywcollins.com.
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Images courtesy of Larry Winston Collins • #ArtFusion #TheyThatMatter #MixedMedia #SilverRelief]()
Today’s #FeaturedFriday focuses on work included in #OhioArtist Larry Winston Collins’ “They That Matter” series. Larry, an associate professor at @miamiuniversity, is a recent #OhioArtsCouncil Individual Excellence Award recipient whose work in drawing, painting, sculpture, collage, and printmaking influences his mixed-media style of “Art Fusion.” . “They That Matter” is a series of wall sculptures that reflects on events in the United States concerning the shooting of Black men and women by police. Through his work in building these shrines, Collins said he wanted viewers to “see all individuals together, consider the magnitude of the problem, and find some solutions.” . “What this series of works does is show each person represented in a positive light to consider who they were and their role in society as a son or daughter, father or husband,” Collins said in an artist statement. “Half of the works are silver-relief plaques created using a mixed-media plaster technique. Each of the portraits are hand painted in acrylic paints. The second half of the series were created as mixed-media sculptures. These were constructed using mostly found materials such as old frames, metal cans, and plastic decorations. The portraits were drawn in plaster and painted to resemble porcelain. My motive was to show each person as someone precious and that their lives mattered.” . Larry’s career has encompassed a multitude of projects, series, and exhibitions, including a similar collection of shrines the artist created that paid homage to individuals who were involved in the civil rights movement. You can view more of Larry's work on his website: larrywcollins.com. . . Images courtesy of Larry Winston Collins • #ArtFusion #TheyThatMatter #MixedMedia #SilverRelief ![This week’s #FeaturedFriday highlights Qarrianne Blayr, associate artistic director, resident choreographer, teacher, and professional dancer with @daytoncontemporarydancecompany (DCDC). DCDC, a 2018 #Ohio Governor’s Award winner, was founded in 1968 by Jeraldyne Blunden to create performance opportunities for dancers of color. Five decades later, the company remains rooted in the African American experience, committed to the development of diverse movement artists on the global stage.
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Ms. Blayr earned her BFA at Howard University and studied traditional Jamaican dance at the University of West Indies at Mona. She is most inspired by the study of spirituality, human nature, and traditional/social dances of people of African lineage. She uses these ideas to guide her creative process.
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You can see the work of Ms. Blayr and DCDC during the 2021 @OhioDance Virtual Festival Choreography Concert on May 1, 2021, at 7 p.m. Tickets are now on sale for the concert and the full 2021 Virtual OhioDance Festival, to be presented April 30 - May 2, 2021. Ticket sales will be live through April 16, 2021, at rebrand.ly/ohiodance-2021-festival-tickets. The 2021 Virtual Festival schedule is viewable at ohiodance.org/festival/schedule.
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OhioDance is a statewide arts service organization dedicated to inclusively supporting the diverse and vibrant practice of dance of all cultures and for all capabilities.
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Photo by Robert Robbins · #OhioArtist #Dance #OhioDance #DCDC #Dayton #DCDC52nd #OhioDanceFestival]()
This week’s #FeaturedFriday highlights Qarrianne Blayr, associate artistic director, resident choreographer, teacher, and professional dancer with @daytoncontemporarydancecompany (DCDC). DCDC, a 2018 #Ohio Governor’s Award winner, was founded in 1968 by Jeraldyne Blunden to create performance opportunities for dancers of color. Five decades later, the company remains rooted in the African American experience, committed to the development of diverse movement artists on the global stage. . Ms. Blayr earned her BFA at Howard University and studied traditional Jamaican dance at the University of West Indies at Mona. She is most inspired by the study of spirituality, human nature, and traditional/social dances of people of African lineage. She uses these ideas to guide her creative process. . You can see the work of Ms. Blayr and DCDC during the 2021 @OhioDance Virtual Festival Choreography Concert on May 1, 2021, at 7 p.m. Tickets are now on sale for the concert and the full 2021 Virtual OhioDance Festival, to be presented April 30 - May 2, 2021. Ticket sales will be live through April 16, 2021, at rebrand.ly/ohiodance-2021-festival-tickets. The 2021 Virtual Festival schedule is viewable at ohiodance.org/festival/schedule. . OhioDance is a statewide arts service organization dedicated to inclusively supporting the diverse and vibrant practice of dance of all cultures and for all capabilities. . . Photo by Robert Robbins · #OhioArtist #Dance #OhioDance #DCDC #Dayton #DCDC52nd #OhioDanceFestival ![Many who observe the Easter holiday enjoy the tradition of dyeing and decorating eggs, but few are able to produce eggs as intricate as today’s #TraditionsTuesday artist, Carol Snyder of Columbus (Franklin County). Snyder is a ceramic artist year-round, but every winter and spring she returns to her Ukrainian family tradition of decorating pysanky (pih-SANG-kee). Pysanky eggs are made, displayed, and shared almost exclusively during the Lenten season—the 40 days prior to the Easter holiday, as observed by several Christian denominations.
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Decorating pysanky is generally understood to have begun in pre-Christian times in what is now known as Eastern Europe. Decorated eggs became sacred objects that were given as gifts to ensure well-being and placed in homes or with livestock to protect them. Many of the symbols used to decorate sacred eggs were carried forward into the Christian era, with new meanings ascribed to align with a Christian worldview.
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#Pysanky eggs look intricately painted, but their designs are actually made with a wax-resist process of inscribing and sequential dyeing, moving from lighter to darker colors. Decorating pysanky is a skill traditionally passed down by women in a Ukrainian family, but Snyder actually learned by watching her father (depicted in the second photo), who decided to take up the tradition after watching his mother paint eggs. “He’s an engineer,” Snyder said. So I think that was very appealing to him.”
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Like her father did, Snyder looks forward to getting out her kistkas (styluses for drawing with melted wax), dyes, and egg racks each year around this time. “It's absolutely tradition every year—from the beginning of Lent until Easter, you just decorate eggs,” she said. She describes decorating pysanky as a quiet, meditative, and re-centering practice, often done in the evening when the rest of the day’s work is done. Snyder displays her eggs in her home during the Easter season, and she also gives them as gifts to Ukrainian family and friends, another important aspect of this tradition.
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To learn more about decorating pysanky, check out this video from the Capital Ukrainian Festival in Ottawa: rebrand.ly/pysanky-workshop]()
Many who observe the Easter holiday enjoy the tradition of dyeing and decorating eggs, but few are able to produce eggs as intricate as today’s #TraditionsTuesday artist, Carol Snyder of Columbus (Franklin County). Snyder is a ceramic artist year-round, but every winter and spring she returns to her Ukrainian family tradition of decorating pysanky (pih-SANG-kee). Pysanky eggs are made, displayed, and shared almost exclusively during the Lenten season—the 40 days prior to the Easter holiday, as observed by several Christian denominations. . Decorating pysanky is generally understood to have begun in pre-Christian times in what is now known as Eastern Europe. Decorated eggs became sacred objects that were given as gifts to ensure well-being and placed in homes or with livestock to protect them. Many of the symbols used to decorate sacred eggs were carried forward into the Christian era, with new meanings ascribed to align with a Christian worldview. . #Pysanky eggs look intricately painted, but their designs are actually made with a wax-resist process of inscribing and sequential dyeing, moving from lighter to darker colors. Decorating pysanky is a skill traditionally passed down by women in a Ukrainian family, but Snyder actually learned by watching her father (depicted in the second photo), who decided to take up the tradition after watching his mother paint eggs. “He’s an engineer,” Snyder said. "So I think that was very appealing to him.” . Like her father did, Snyder looks forward to getting out her kistkas (styluses for drawing with melted wax), dyes, and egg racks each year around this time. “It's absolutely tradition every year—from the beginning of Lent until Easter, you just decorate eggs,” she said. She describes decorating pysanky as a quiet, meditative, and re-centering practice, often done in the evening when the rest of the day’s work is done. Snyder displays her eggs in her home during the Easter season, and she also gives them as gifts to Ukrainian family and friends, another important aspect of this tradition. . To learn more about decorating pysanky, check out this video from the Capital Ukrainian Festival in Ottawa: rebrand.ly/pysanky-workshop ![Today’s #FeaturedFriday spotlights the work of #OhioArtist and Individual Excellence Award recipient @priscilla.roggenkamp.
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Priscilla is an artist and teacher. She lives on a farm in Northeast Ohio, keeps a studio in downtown Alliance, and teaches at @ashland_university.
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Her work moves in two directions. Her textile sculptures explore relationships between the form of the body, the context of cloth and clothing, and larger issues such as the things we carry through life. The other direction in Priscilla’s work is two-dimensional, abstract, and land-based. She draws upon her experiences as an avid hiker and nature-lover in her paintings and prints.
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The theme of Priscilla’s current work is “Wait Here,” where she explores issues of immigration, child separation, and the search for home through her textile sculptures and collagraph prints. They can be seen at @notsheepgallery in #Columbus until March 28.
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In January 2021, Priscilla received an Ohio Arts Council Individual Excellence Award in the category of Visual Arts 3D. She has also previously been awarded an OAC Traditional Arts Apprenticeship grant in 2018 to study Appalachian Weaving. Some highlights of Priscilla’s artistic journey are creating a site-specific sculpture in Akko, Israel; exploring textiles in Lodz, Poland; a residency at Haystack Mountain School of Crafts in Maine; creating a collaborative sculpture for Galion Hospital; curating several group exhibitions; and exhibiting her around the country. She plays in the band Rock Salt and Nails and often has them play at art openings. To view more of Priscilla’s work, visit studio-twofourteen.com.
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Photos courtesy of Priscilla Roggenkamp · #StudioTwoFourteen #NotSheepGallery #WaitHere #TextileArt #TextileSculpture #FiberArt #AllianceOhio #IndividualExcellenceAward]()
Today’s #FeaturedFriday spotlights the work of #OhioArtist and Individual Excellence Award recipient @priscilla.roggenkamp. . Priscilla is an artist and teacher. She lives on a farm in Northeast Ohio, keeps a studio in downtown Alliance, and teaches at @ashland_university. . Her work moves in two directions. Her textile sculptures explore relationships between the form of the body, the context of cloth and clothing, and larger issues such as the things we carry through life. The other direction in Priscilla’s work is two-dimensional, abstract, and land-based. She draws upon her experiences as an avid hiker and nature-lover in her paintings and prints. . The theme of Priscilla’s current work is “Wait Here,” where she explores issues of immigration, child separation, and the search for home through her textile sculptures and collagraph prints. They can be seen at @notsheepgallery in #Columbus until March 28. . In January 2021, Priscilla received an Ohio Arts Council Individual Excellence Award in the category of Visual Arts 3D. She has also previously been awarded an OAC Traditional Arts Apprenticeship grant in 2018 to study Appalachian Weaving. Some highlights of Priscilla’s artistic journey are creating a site-specific sculpture in Akko, Israel; exploring textiles in Lodz, Poland; a residency at Haystack Mountain School of Crafts in Maine; creating a collaborative sculpture for Galion Hospital; curating several group exhibitions; and exhibiting her around the country. She plays in the band Rock Salt and Nails and often has them play at art openings. To view more of Priscilla’s work, visit studio-twofourteen.com. . Photos courtesy of Priscilla Roggenkamp · #StudioTwoFourteen #NotSheepGallery #WaitHere #TextileArt #TextileSculpture #FiberArt #AllianceOhio #IndividualExcellenceAward
