Bridgewater, Va.- The Beverly Perdue Art Gallery hosted an opening reception for “Capacity: Tri State Sculptors Juried Exhibition” on Feb. 13,  which was attended virtually and in-person by some of the artists with work in the show, alongside Bridgewater faculty and students.

The gallery show, which included a juror statement from Kelly Schrader, featured work from artists from Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina. 

“My hope is that when this collection of diverse work is exhibited, the sculptures will be united through physical proximity while retaining their ability to offer individual experiences to each viewer,” said Schrader in the juror statement. 

As the show features artists from a variety of states, not all of them were able to attend the gallery opening in person. Instead, many were present on Zoom and available to talk about the pieces they had in the show.

“It’s really an honor to be a part of the show,” said Marygrace Bianco, who had a piece in the show and was in attendance over Zoom. 

While the show features a variety of works throughout the floor and across each wall, the largest work in the gallery is “SWINE IS DEVINE II” by Morgan Kennedy, which he spent about eight hours installing in the gallery.

The piece by Kennedy covers an entire wall of the gallery and extends onto the wall next to it and is made of a collage of different materials, all with meaning to the artist and to the piece. According to a description of the piece, it includes “polyester drapes, white men’s undershirts, vinyl red and white kitchen tablecloth, old tartan jackets to high-end Louis the 15th damask cloth and everywhere in between.”

“The piece seeks to address or re-address how one might look at landscape painting or the human landscape, whether rural or urban,” said Kennedy in the description of the piece. “In its core, it’s about social stratification. The poor SW slums, the posh Eastside and the industrial West-end.”

The opening reception was also attended by Bridgewater faculty, including Associate Professors of Art Eric Kniss and Michael Hough, and Bridgewater students.

“Many of the artists live six to twelve hours away, so getting their work here was the most challenging part,” said Hough, who helped coordinate the gallery show. Hough explained that all of the pieces arrived safely with the exception of one that was still in the mail, which will be installed in the gallery upon arrival.

“Capacity: Tri State Sculptors Juried Exhibition” is open to the public until March 22.

“While the show will undoubtedly be a feast for the eyes, I encourage each attendee to pause, breathe, and spend some time with the works individually,” said Schrader in the juror statement.