Current Exhibition
February 18 - March 18, 2020
Reception: Thursday, February 20, 2020
Bryan Art Gallery at Coastal Carolina University is pleased to announce an extraordinary art exhibition where the viewer becomes co-creator! Move a myriad of brightly colored Plexiglas shapes to create endless “paintings,” switch up embroidered panels to create textured layers, do “rock balancing” with sculptural elements created from plant-based biodegradable plastic and 3D printing, run your hands over sequins to change surface color and design, take off/add on to soft sculptures, or sit or swing in a Wonderland. Artist Leisa Rich dreams up sensory works that invite the viewer to fully engage their senses, providing escape from reality and transportive moments.
Rich was born and raised in Canada, and currently lives in Atlanta, Georgia. Childhood illnesses and the deafness that resulted meant a great deal of time spent in the hospital as a very young child. During this time Rich finger painted in the art room and dressed her Barbie and Ken dolls in satiny, lacy and nubby clothes her Mom hand made from old work suits. At age four she spent her Saturdays creating tiaras and tables from wires, nuts and bolts in her Dad’s electrical shop, and holding tea parties under the rustling canopy of a backyard weeping willow tree. To celebrate her improved health her family made an exciting trip to Disneyland in California. Leisa was struck by the “It’s A Small World” ride: the tinny music, bright colors, international children, and exotic scenes impacted her, continuing to inform her work 55 years later. Living with an invisible disability, it is important to Rich to be inclusive of people of all ages and challenges in enjoying her magical world.
Leisa Rich holds MFA and BFA in Fiber and BEd Art degrees, exhibits internationally, is featured in many publications, has work in public and private collections including Delta Inc., and Emory Healthcare, and writes for mags and on-line publications. She is also a Hambidge Fellow. An art educator for 46 years, Rich wrote, illustrated and self-published her first children’s book in 2015, and has also recently published a series of how-to magazines.
Please join us on February 20, 2020 for a lecture at 2:00pm and a reception to follow at 4:30 - 6:30pm. The exhibition, lecture, and recepiton are free and open to the public.