Social and news media are full of commentary on the issues and condition of the world, but often appropriate conversations are few. The fifth annual FL3TCH3R Exhibit at ETSU's Reece Museum invites works in varied media that "reflect current issues that affect contemporary culture and investigate societal and political concerns," and conversations inevitably follow.
"There was such a variety of subject matter, but I felt that a lot of the work came from the heart," says 2017 exhibit juror Anita Kunz. "It felt emotional to me. A lot of it felt to me as though it came from frustration at not having a better world ... The work has meaning. A show like that will be powerful. "There were whispers, and there were shouts. There were big angry pieces and beautiful little subtle ones." Kunz, an internationally published and exhibited artist and illustrator, pored over 352 artworks from 132 artists from 30 states and 10 countries.
In 2016, there were 253 submissions and 63 selections exhibited. This year, Kunz selected 76 pieces by 55 artists from six countries and 21 U.S. states. "The opportunity to host and, in a sense, collaborate with so many artists and their artworks from so many different perspectives and locations across the U.S. and internationally is such an exciting opportunity and honor," says Carrie Dyer, exhibit co-director. The "FL3TCH3R Exhibit: Social and Politically Engaged Art" was established in 2013 by art professor Wayne Dyer, Barbara Dyer and Carrie Dyer in memory of their son and brother, Fletcher, an ETSU bachelor of fine arts senior in graphic design who passed away in a motorcycle accident in 2009 at age 22.
Fletcher "liked to push people's buttons and couldn't understand why his friends weren't more concerned about events going on in the world around them," co-director Wayne Dyer says. As a result, the FL3TCH3R international juried exhibit focuses on art that illustrates social and political topics, as well as helps fund the annual Fletcher H. Dyer Memorial Scholarship for an ETSU Art & Design student. Kunz presents a Juror's Talk Thursday, Oct. 26, at 5 p.m. in Reece Museum, to be followed by the exhibit reception at 6 p.m. The exhibit is on display through Friday, Dec. 15.
The FL3TCH3R Exhibit also will provide additional opportunities for conversation through talks, discussions and other activities. Collateral events will be posted at www.etsu.edu/reece under Exhibitions. For more information about Fletcher Dyer, visit http://fletcherdyer. com/about.html. For more information about the exhibit, visit http://www. FL3TCH3Rexhibit.com and for Reece Museum, visit www.etsu.edu/reece or call 423-439-4392. For more information on Mary B. Martin School of the Arts, visit www.etsu.edu/martin.
