Jayne Kirkpatrick, Director, Public Affairs

Prepared by: John Boyette, Public Affairs Specialist

 

For more information: Hannah Costner, Arts Commission, 919-996-3610 or Hannah.costner@raleighnc.gov

 

July 17, 2012

 

City of Raleigh to Host “4X24” Art Exhibition

 

"4 x 24,” an art exhibition sponsored by the City of Raleigh Arts Commission, will be on display Aug. 2 to Sept. 17 at the Miriam Preston Block Art Gallery in the Avery C. Upchurch Government Complex, 222 W. Hargett St. The exhibition will feature photography by Gerri Fernandez, Adam Hajnos, Julian Thomas and Nathan Wellman. “4 x 24,” the fourth exhibition of the Block Gallery 2012 Exhibition Series, will be guest-curated by Georges Le Chevallier, co-founder and executive director of Bloc Projects.

 

As part of the exhibition, the Block2 Street Video Series will air “Between” by Seoun Som. The video series is curated by Neill Prewitt.

 

An opening-day reception for the “4 X 24” exhibition will be held on Thursday, Aug. 2 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Block Art Gallery. Music will be provided by Yes! sputnik.

 

All four of the photographers featured in the “4 x 24” exhibit are 24-year-olds who have embraced digital photography as the new standard. Born at the advent of the digital age, these photographers have seen technology become an integral part of their everyday existence. The work featured in the exhibit showcases how these young artists are, as Mr. Le Chevallier states, “part of a new generation of young photographers who have swapped the use of chemicals and long hours of work in a darkroom for the immediate gratification of Photoshop on a computer screen,” typifying the changing nature of photography.

 

Mr. Le Chevallier received a master’s of fine arts degree in painting from Hunter College in New York City. He co-founded the Artists Unite for Haiti project and has produced an art documentary, an animation festival, and many successful art exhibitions. Currently, he is the executive director at Bloc Projects, a curatorial and art-consulting organization. Bloc Projects strives to bring attention to current issues and ideas by creating an atmosphere of open dialogue through site-specific and traveling visual art exhibitions, installations, performances, residencies and productions. 

 

Ms. Fernandez currently studies at the Living Arts College in Raleigh, pursuing a bachelor’s degree in digital photography. She is a four-time winner of the Student ADDY Award presented by the American Advertising Federation (AAF), recently taking home gold and judges’ choice awards at the district competition and a silver award at the regionals.

 

Mr. Hajnos is a photographer based out of Pittsboro. He attended the School of Communication Arts (now the Living Arts College) in Raleigh where he achieved his associate’s degree in digital media. In 2010, Mr. Hajnos received an AAF-Asheville ADDY Award.

 

Mr. Thomas attends the Living Arts College working on a bachelor’s degree in photography. He has received a silver Student ADDY Award. Mr. Thomas’s goal as a photographer is to prompt the audience to question the meaning behind his art by providing them with a certain sense of ambiguity.

 

Mr. Wellman is pursuing his bachelor’s degree in interactive media arts at the Living Arts College. He is a four-time winner of the Student ADDY Award, taking home silver and bronze awards in 2011 and two bronze awards in 2012. Mr. Wellman is also the most recent winner of The Robert F. Lauterborn Scholarship for Advertising.

 

At the Block2 Street Video Series, Mr. Som’s video “Between” depicts a bedroom with Mr. Som acting out both parts of a couple talking to each other at the close of the day. As Mr. Som shifts from one side of the bed to the other, depending on who is talking, the video explores ideas of personal boundaries and definitions of relationships, reality and privacy.

 

Mr. Som was born in Serak Keo, Thailand, in a refugee camp and is of Cambodian descent. He grew up in Adelaide, Australia, and has spent a substantial amount of time living in the United States. He currently teaches photography at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

 

Connecting local artists to community through ongoing exhibitions and public outreach, the Miriam Preston Block Art Gallery is managed by the City of Raleigh Arts Commission and is open from 8:30 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. Monday through Friday except on holidays. The art gallery was dedicated in 2006 to honor Miriam Preston Block, a former Raleigh City Council member and community leader.

 

Established in 1977 as the official advisory body and advocate for the arts to the Raleigh City Council, the City of Raleigh Arts Commission proudly serves as the leading force to champion the arts with Raleigh citizens and their representatives. The Art Commission’s myriad activities foster, support and promote the arts in the Capital City.

 

For more information, contact the City of Raleigh Arts Commission at 919-996-3610 or email Hannah Costner, gallery coordinator, at hannah.costner@raleighnc.gov. Citizens can also follow the Miriam Preston Block Gallery on Facebook, Twitter, or by visiting www.raleighnc.gov/arts.