amygraham – Art Criticism

McKenize Simpson and Her Idea of Home

By Amy Graham

McKenzie Simpson is from Quitman, Georgia and is a senior at Valdosta State University. Simpson’s work in “Spectrum,” the Valdosta State University’s spring 2024 senior show, focuses on the theme of home as well as bringing printmaking from the two-dimensional space into the three-dimensional world. She uses mixed media to incorporate screen printing into three-dimensional objects. She explains that the theme of home came to be after she was asked about her interior designs and why she created them. Prior to that conversation she thought the interior spaces were just an obsession with colors and rooms. However, that changed once she realized they were connected to her idealized version of home. She explained that home was not necessarily a place, but the people she cares about.

Art Spoken Exhibition Review

by Chelsea Selph

On January 10th, 2023 an exhibition titled “Art Spoken” was opened to the public at Valdosta State University’s Dedo Maranville Gallery. The exhibit, curated by Mark Errol, aims to highlight underrepresented voices. The juror chosen was Olivia Richardson from Northern Virginia. Richardson is mainly a printmaker who focuses on creating artwork that explores her identity as a person of color. That fits right in with the theme of Art Spoken, so Richardson was a good choice for the juror of this show.

Spectrum Exhibition Review

by Chelsea Selph

On April 7th, 2024 an exhibition titled “Spectrum” was opened to the public at Valdosta State University’s Dedo Maranville Gallery. This exhibition is being held to display the talents of Valdosta State University’s seniors in our art programs. The title “Spectrum” is to exhibit the multitude of art forms used by the students in this show, everything from ceramics to printmaking. Seven students from VSU showcased their talents in this exhibition, and now you get to be introduced to their works.

The Divisive Exhibition: Playing It Too Safe

By Amy Graham

The “Art Spoken Show” was created to give a voice to artists that are suppressed from mainstream art at Valdosta State University. Diversity and inclusion like the Art Spoken Show have been discouraged and suppressed over the past year because of government laws and political issues. The Valdosta National is an annual show done in Valdosta that calls for art from all over the country. The artwork is then judged by a juror and the top three earn a prize based on ranking. This year the show was supposed to be about Black culture and experiences. Valdosta National and Art Spoken were combined this year to speak out against legislation from the government that has been put in place to suppress inclusion of the BIPOC and LGBTQ+ communities.

Adjani “AJ” Williams at VSU’s 2024 Spectrum Senior Exhibition

Written By: Torri Byrd

The artist standing besides his ten displayed artworks. — (Adjani “AJ” Williams Pictured with his work)

Adjani “AJ” Williams is a 21-year-old senior at Valdosta State University, originally from College Park, GA. Williams works in multimedia and chose to display a variety of different styles of art in this exhibition. His works are divided between photography, oil painting, and encaustic, but all reflect the same overall motive. When I asked Williams to describe his work in one word, he chose “evocative”, and explained that all of the things he displays are reflective of some kind of ego death. Ego death is in reference to the rebirth of a person from self reflection. Williams summed it up his ego death as having “a renewed focus on painting what I feel- painting ideas or concepts that I cannot explain with words.”

Valdosta National 2024: “Art Spoken” Gallery Review

Written By: Torri Byrd

Valdosta State University’s Dedo Maranville Gallery recently hosted their annual showing of “Valdosta National”, an exhibition of work submitted from artists all over the country regarding a similar topic. This year’s theme was due to the cancellation of 2024’s “Art Spoken”, and aimed to merge the two. “Art Spoken” was an event held across campus in different settings that highlighted BIPOC students and artists: emphasizing diversity and racial injustices within the exhibition. “Valdosta National: Art Spoken” had a variety of artists like Larry Sheffield, Seongmin Yoo, Paul C. Blake and others who were representative of BIPOC work. Regardless, as someone who was lucky enough to see one of the prior “Art Spoken” exhibits, I would argue that the “Valdosta National ” though lovely and entertaining, did not have the same impact as the previous “Art Spoken”.

“Art Spoken -The Valdosta National Exhibition”

By. Valencia Fussell

The Exhibition, “Art Spoken – The Valdosta National ” takes place in Dedo Maranville Fine Arts Gallery in the Fine Arts building from January 10th, to February 9th, 2024. This exhibition occurs annually and showcases contemporary art. It does not limit artists’ choice of media-it encourages art in all forms. “Art Spoken – The Valdosta National Exhibition” is specifically a celebration of African American Arts that occurs annually. When the invite for Art Spoken was first released, it was a call for art that speaks to the power of BIPOC inclusivity, education, and celebration of Black Culture. The Juror of this exhibition is Olivia Richardson. After understanding the intent of the Art spoken Exhibition, readers may be surprised at the content of the juror’s statement. Olivia Richardson does not directly speak on African American Arts, a celebration of Black culture, or BIPOC inclusivity. Instead, she inclines the statement to more general terms of artist perspective, underrepresented voices, and “individualism”. It is important to note that even as she dances around the intended design of the exhibition, she makes a bold statement at the end. The juror references Lebanon and the extreme violence happening in the Middle East. If Olivia Richardson decided to self-censor at the beginning, why be so bold with a statement during the conclusion?