Spotlight Talk: Now, That’s Metal!

It’s fair to say we know Wharton best in wood, but what can we learn about him and his network from the various sculptures he had replicated in other materials such as bronze, aluminum, stone, and plaster? Enjoy this closer look at Wharton Esherick’s sculpture cast in metal. In this 20-minute program, we examined Esherick’s working relationship with the Modern Art Foundry in Queens, New York during the 1960s, and the technical process this foundry used to reproduce the artist’s wood sculptures in bronze. Along the way, we look at letters, bills, order forms, and other archival finds that can teach us about Wharton Esherick through another material: metal.

Spotlight Talk: Telling Tales Artist John RG Roth

We enjoyed a conversation with artist John R.G. Roth, the third place prize winner in Telling Tales: WEM’s 29th Annual Juried Exhibition. Celebrating the importance of storytelling in Esherick’s life and career, this show features twenty-five artists whose work is a testament to the power of a well-told story. We had a chat with John about his pieces in the exhibition and publication, Cenotaph for the Blithely Alacritous and Anthropocene Reliquary as well as his inspirations and how his work has evolved.

John’s most recent works explore  human activity in natural landscapes, and how people interact with the environments around them. He hopes his works invite viewers into a space for contemplation that provokes questions about simulation, display, perception, and the human impact on our natural world. John earned an MFA in Sculpture and Painting from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. He has been teaching sculpture for the past 27 years and is currently an Associate Professor and Chair of the Art Department at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia. Enjoy an interesting and inspiring chat with John!

Spotlight Talk: Telling Tales Artist Suzi Fox

We enjoyed a conversation with artist Suzi Fox, the second place prize winner in Telling Tales: WEM’s 29th Annual Juried Exhibition. Celebrating the importance of storytelling in Esherick’s life and career, this show features twenty-five artists whose work is a testament to the power of a well-told story. We chatted with Suzi about her pieces in the exhibition, titled “Gentle Persuaders” and “How to win friends and influence people”, as well as her creative practice and what inspires her work.

Suzi Fox is a sculptor based in Virginia whose work examines the action of making and her ideas of identity expanded through tools and the objects they create. She transforms pre-existing objects into sculptures that allude to navigating interpersonal encounters or mine her life’s cross-cultural experiences. She has exhibited in several national and regional exhibitions. Fox received her education from the Rhode Island School of Design with an MFA in Sculpture and from Virginia Commonwealth University with a BFA in Sculpture. She currently works at American University in Washington, D.C.

Spotlight Talk: Telling Tales Artist Lucia Garzón

Enjoy a conversation with artist Lucia Garzón, the first place prize winner in Telling Tales, WEM’s 29th Annual Juried Exhibition. Celebrating the importance of storytelling in Esherick’s life and career, this show features twenty-five artists whose work is a testament to the power of a well-told story. We chat with Lucia about her piece in the exhibition titled “Dad’s Cart” – a wooden replica of the janitor’s cart that her father used to clean buildings at night – as well as her artistic path and what inspires her work.

Lucia Garzón is an interdisciplinary artist working in a range of media including wood, textiles, print, and video. She graduated from Tyler School of Art in 2018 with a BFA in printmaking. Much of her work focuses on the intersection between personal identity, labor, and the immigrant values and histories that were passed on through her family. Lucia was awarded the Joseph Roberts Foundation grant in 2019 along with a solo show at Da Vinci Art Alliance. She has been an apprentice at the Fabric Workshop and Museum, attended Acre Residency, and was an artist in residence at University of the Arts ILab. She currently lives and works in Philadelphia.