"Asymmetrical" by Ariel Adams
Designed to showcase digital art created in the region,“The Digital Salon: Art and Pixels”exhibit features the work of students and faculty from East Tennessee State University's Digital Media department. The exhibit runs from June 29 to Aug. 26 at the Create Appalachia Center for Art & Technology, Kingsport, Tennessee.
Items on display include animation, photography, digital sculpture, character work and illustration, and game design. All items on exhibit were created usinga variety of software packages, including Maya, Unreal, Photoshop, Illustrator, and others—some of which are available to Create Appalachia members in our two Centers for Art & Technology.
Cher Cornett founded Create Appalachia in 2014 because she was tired of watching her digital media students graduate from ETSU only to leave our region to pursue careers in the field. “Many of them wanted to stay,” she explains, “But the jobs just aren’t here. By creating a community of digital artists, we can work together to build an industry for digital media and entertainment production that will retain our skilled graduates. People who come to see this show will understand the amazing depth of skill, talent, these creatives bring to our region.”
Jacy Richardson, also a professor in the Digital Media Department at ETSU, hopes that visiting this exhibit will help people understand the artistry behind these imaginative, engaging pieces. “Bradley Kyzer’s ‘Dragonfly’ is a great example in terms of meticulous composition. I’m not sure people understand what it takes to make a piece like this. He created all the materials that you see on the dragonfly, such as the iridescent colors on the body and the dainty, transparent wings. He even included tiny details such as the hairs that are highlighted by the sun. To take this work a step further, he added realistic lighting and other features, such as spider webs and flowers, to create a realistic environment.”
While this year's show focuses on the work of ETSU students and faculty, future shows will be open to entries from digital artists around the region. Create Appalachia plans to host“The Digital Salon”annually from July to August.
The opening reception is Thursday, July 7 from 6 to 8 in the gallery space at 225 West Center Street, Kingsport. Create Appalachia will also have an open house at the same location on Saturday, July 16 (FunFest) for those who want to view the exhibit and tour the center to learn about available services, equipment, offices and coworking spaces. All are curated for creative professionals.
Admission to the exhibit and related events is free. For more information, visit the event pagehttps://www.createappalachia.org/event/the-digital-salo...d-pixels-exhibit/or emailkatie@createappalachia.org.
