"Wild Life" Art Exhibition

On Display at City Government Buildings

"Wild Life," an art exhibition sponsored by the City of Raleigh Arts Commission, will be on display Feb. 2 to March 26 at two City government locations. The locations are the Miriam Preston Block Art Gallery in the Avery C. Upchurch Government Complex, 222 W. Hargett St., and Block2, the Arts Commission’s video venue located in the window of the City’s Urban Design Center, 133 Fayetteville St.

At the Block Art Gallery, “Wild Life” will feature paintings by Keith Norval; mixed-media works by Ian Sands; and in the second-floor cases, glasswork by Teddy Devereux. This is the first exhibition of the Block Gallery 2012 Exhibition Series.

Block2 Street Video Series, curated by Neill Prewitt, will air “Sermon to the Birds” by Jeff Whetstone.

An opening-day reception for “Wild Life” will be held from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 2 at the Block Art Gallery. The reception will feature a preview of “Sermon to the Birds” and music by Guillo Carias.

Using the common thread of animals and elements of nature, the artists of “Wild Life” present a vibrant and evolving look at the world. “Wild Life” finds its roots in a love for and commonality with the natural world. Wielding humor and a paintbrush, Mr. Norval creates stories through his own animal archetypes acting out modern life. Colorful creatures appear in mixed media artist Mr. Sands’ works, as well as street art influences and interactive elements. Using layered fused glass, Ms. Devereux creates works that range in depiction from microscopic cells to entire natural environments.

Mr. Whetstone’s “Sermon to the Birds” depicts mirrored images of sparrows in flight as a reading of St. Francis’ 1224 sermon to the birds’ plays in the background. The video reflects upon the original purpose of St. Francis’ sermon, which sparked a new consideration of the natural world in both religious and secular realms, and the meaning that these words hold for current society.

With a bachelor’s degree in illustration from Savannah College of Art and Design, Mr. Norval is based in Raleigh with a studio in Downtown’s Artspace. Mr. Norval has exhibited nationally, including in San Diego and New York City, and he was a 2003 recipient of the Regional Artist Project Grant from the United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County. Mr. Norval also teaches classes at Raleigh’s Pullen Arts Center and Artspace.

Mr. Sands holds a bachelor’s degree in media communications from New York City’s School of Visual Arts and has completed post baccalaureate work in education at The College of New Rochelle in New York. He currently teaches at Apex High School. Mr. Sands’ work has been twice selected to participate in the City of Raleigh Arts Commission’s “Art-On-The-Move” project, which outfits Capital Area Transit buses in original artwork.

Ms. Devereux attended Duke University, earning a bachelor’s degree in botany followed by a master’s degree in microbiology. A retired scientist, Ms. Devereux now teaches and works as a fused glass artist. Her work draws from her background in science, and has been included in the book “Sculpture and Design with Recycled Glass” by Cindy Ann Coldiron and featured as the cover of the May 2011 “BC Medical Journal.”

Mr. Whetstone earned a bachelor’s degree in zoology from Duke University and a master’s degree in photography from Yale University. Represented by Julie Saul Gallery in New York, Karyn Lovegrove Gallery in Los Angeles; and Jackson Fine Art in Atlanta, Mr. Whetstone’s work has been reviewed in numerous publications. These include “The Village Voice,” “The New York Times” and “ARTnews.” Mr. Whetstone is director of graduate studies for studio art at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Connecting local artists to community through ongoing exhibitions and public outreach, the Miriam Preston Block Art Gallery is located on the first and second floors of the Avery C. Upchurch Government Complex. The gallery is managed by the City of Raleigh Arts Commission, and was dedicated in 2006 to honor Miriam Preston Block, a former Raleigh City Council member and community leader. The gallery is open from 8:30 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. Monday through Friday except on holidays. Videos for Block2 air daily from dusk to 3 a.m. in the window of the City’s Urban Design Center.

Established in 1977 as the official advisory body and advocate for the arts to the Raleigh City Council, the City of Raleigh Arts Commission holds the distinction of being the first municipal arts commission created in North Carolina. Serving as the leading force to champion the arts with Raleigh citizens and their representatives, the Arts Commission’s myriad activities foster, support and promote the arts in the Capital City.