cee at mjh gallery (united arts council)
se'rah cheatham + sherri leeder: july 2-30, 2010

Artist Statement: Se'rah Cheatham

With this collection, I'm inviting the viewer in - inviting you to walk through doors that lead to unexpected places, to examine the human soul and spirit more closely, to grasp the patterns in seemingly random acts of nature, or in color and space themselves. I'm examining the possibilities of the known, and hoping to charter paths into the yet unknown.

I have training in Interior Design that has given me a foundation to explore familiar forms while at the same time trying to transcend them. When you look at these paintings you may think they are familiar, and then discover something you didn't know about the images portrayed there - or even about yourself. If a chair is still a chair, then what does it mean to look at one, let alone sit in it? These paintings, created over nearly five weeks, try to bridge the known and the unknown, the mundane and the fantastic. And they are meant to be as entertaining as they are provocative. You should have at least as much fun looking at them as I had creating them!

Artist Statement: Sherri Leeder

My fascination with elaborately beaded vintage costume jewelry inspires me to layer beads, brass stampings, shells and other objects onto brass bases to create richly textured pins and necklaces. Recent experiments include incorporating uniquely shaped bases into my designs, opening up unlimited possibilities of what wired, sewn, embroidered or woven beads can become. My favorite subjects include densely populated coral reefs and lush gardens of overlapping leaves and flowers. Other influences and interests include Art Deco and images from 1930's movies, and adding miniature portraits to beaded jewelry.

Exhibition dates: July 2-30, 2010

Venue information: The MJH Gallery is located at the United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County at 110 S. Blount Street in downtown Raleigh. The gallery is open to the public Monday-Friday 9am-5pm and is part of the First Friday gallery walk from 6-9pm on the first Friday of every month.

Click here to learn more about VAE's Community Exchange Exhibits.