Bailey Contemporary Arts Presents UNEARTHED

Bailey Contemporary Arts (BaCA) in Pompano Beach is proud to announce their newest exhibition, Unearthed, featuring the works of its 10 Artists in Residence (A.i.R.). The exhibition will showcase a diversity of mediums including ceramics, mosaic, painting and mixed media, and will provide viewers with differing perspectives regarding our relationship with the environment and nature. BaCA recently welcomed four new members to the Artists in Residence program, which supports the artists' creativity through affordable studio spaces, events and promotions. The exhibition, featuring both current and new members, will run from September 7 - October 26, 2018. For more information, www.baileyarts.org.

"We are thrilled that our Artists in Residence have embraced such a compelling topic for this exhibition," said Juliana Forero, Ph.D., BaCA's gallery curator. "Through each piece of art, the viewer will explore a different aspect of our critical relationship with Mother Earth."

Heather Sisk utilizes sculpture to relate to our interconnectivity through nature, while Adewale Adenle illustrates the effects gas and oil companies have on nature and our immediate environment. The underwater world of Florida's seas is brought to life through Sam McInnis' ceramic works, while Sandy Lazar's exploration of raku techniques in her ceramics recalls Native-American pottery.

"These are just few of the exciting themes our artists are exploring," continued Forero, who also discussed the selection of four new additions to the BaCA AiRs program. "Each artist was vetted by an esteemed panel of judges and will be part of our program for the next year. We are delighted to welcome them to BaCA, and we look forward to an exciting collaboration."

The Artists in Residence (A.i.R.) program offers affordable private studios to local, national and International Artists. Artists in Residence become part of a dynamic community of artists participating in BaCA's programming, allowing for exchange and collaborative relationships to develop within the artist community. Space is awarded to applicants that best demonstrate their capabilities and intent to provide a social benefit through their art to Pompano Beach and beyond, while showing a proven track record of community engagement. A.i.R leases include private studios as well as access to flexible shared working space. Artists selected for this program range from emerging to established, and work in all artistic disciplines and media; including drawing, painting, sculpture, photography, new media, installation and interdisciplinary expression.

The newest A.i.Rs are:

Sofia Valiente

Sofia Valiente received her BFA in Art from Florida International University in Miami in 2012. In 2014, she published her first photo book, Miracle Village, during a residency at Benetton's Communication Center: Fabrica in Treviso, Italy. Sofia's work has been published in Time, The Guardian, El Mundo, Vice, American Photo Magazine, and numerous other media outlets. She is represented by the Daniel Blau Gallery in London/Munich and has been exhibited in London, Paris, and New York City.

In 2015, Sofia received the World Press Photo award for Miracle Village (1st prize, portraits, stories) and she is also a recipient of the 2015 South Florida Cultural Consortium Artist Fellowship and Burn Magazine's 2015 Young Talent Award. For the past three years Sofia has been living in the heart of Belle Glade, FL developing her project Foreverglades, about the "last frontier" of the US. The project was just awarded a Knight Arts Challenge Grant "to produce a photo book and interactive photography exhibition that tells the history of the Glades and its pioneers through an anthropological and contemporary lens."

Susan Clifton

Susan Clifton is originally from Philadelphia and attended the Philadelphia College of Art. From there she moved to NYC where she worked for many years in advertising as an Art Director. Now living in Pompano Beach, she works mainly with mixed media and fabric mosaics. Her latest series, "Grey Matter," changes the face of figurative art. This high-energy series of graphics, colors and words portray the whole picture of the self we strive to become. Viewers are inspired by each figure's thought process which deepens the visual experience with a lasting imprint on the psyche.

Debra Pierce

Debra Pierce has focused her life on sharing knowledge within the creative industries. She is an emerging artist who has found a new sense of resolve to document cultural extremes, motivated to peel back the layers of societal norms using form, new material and technique. She is an interactive ceramic sculptor who creates social, political and environmental narratives. Her works are distinguished by insightful commentary on the collective perception of the human disposition.

Andrea Huffman

Fiber artist Andrea Huffman received a Master's degree in Art Education from Florida International University and taught art in Broward Public Schools for over 30 years. She has exhibited her art throughout Florida and nationally, receiving numerous awards and recognitions, including several grants and a Residency at the prestigious Hermitage Artist Retreat in Englewood, Florida. Although Ms. Huffman has retired from teaching in the public school system, she continues to share her passion for art teaching classes and workshops in fiber art and mixed media at various art venues and guilds throughout Florida.

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