Steckline Gallery will present “Sources,” a curated show by Carter Bryant, during a First Friday exhibition from 5-7 p.m. Nov. 1 at Newman University.
“Sources” was curated from the concept of personal narrative.
“This exhibition seeks to eradicate the false narrative and promote authentic stories and forge connections between the viewer and the creator,” Bryant said. “These works depict the lived experiences of the artists. I encouraged each artist to be vulnerable in their work as well as their writing.
“Narrative is an interesting concept to me for a multitude of reasons,” added Bryant. “They are an incredibly effective method of communicating as they are easily understood and have strong persuasive tendencies. I am also fascinated by false narratives in contemporary life. Personal narratives tend to be heavily skewed and misleading on platforms on which users choose exactly what parts of themselves to broadcast.”
Bryant is majoring in art history at Wichita State University and found the seven participating artists in “Sources” by conducting studio visits with his peers.
“For some artists in ‘Sources,’ I chose work they had already created that fit perfectly for our exhibit’s concept. Other artists created new work that pushed the presence of narrative in their work further.”
Though his favorite part of the curational process is the studio visits where he gets to learn from the artist and understand their creative process, he also enjoys the installation process.
“It’s typically the first time I get to see all the art together in one space and it is a very exciting experience to see all (of everyone’s) hard work come together,” he said.
For this exhibit, Bryant hopes viewers sense the vulnerability of the artists’ work and have an empathetic connection.
He said, “Part of the reason I enjoy curating group shows is that I like to create platforms for voices to be heard. Selecting a large group allows me to include more voices and creatives, which I think makes an exhibition stronger.”
All the artists in this particular show are local. Some currently play an active role in Wichita’s art community but others are attending graduate programs or residencies out of state.
The exhibit will be on display Nov. 1-22.
An “Art for Lunch” event, which includes a discussion with the curator and some participating artists, will take place Nov. 5 from noon-1 p.m. A light lunch will be served on a first-come, first-served basis. Attendees may also bring their own lunch. All events are free and open to the public.
The Steckline Gallery is located inside the De Mattias Fine Arts Center on the Newman campus, 3100 McCormick. The gallery is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., or by appointment.
For more information, email Director of Steckline Gallery Shannon Johnston at [email protected].
