Exposure Unlimited 35th Anniversary Exhibit by John Nichols, Jr. Community College, Woodbridge "20th Century Gallery" Williamsburg, and other Gallery venues in Portsmouth, Ashland and Louisa, Virginia We initiated "Risk Takers" type shows in Fredericksburg. Other than FCCA, past meeting and exhibiting bases have been the 3rd floor of 725 Caroline St. (a previous studio and exhibit space for the group) and Paula Rose's former shop Colonial Art and Frame.
Left to right, Jimmy Butler, Cathy Herndon, Bob Worthy, John Nichols Jr., Tarver Harris, Joan Limbrick, David Lovegrove After approaching Mo Schiff (late) then president of FCCA, I was encouraged to form a mixed artwork producing group and use FCCA as a base for meetings and exhibition space. Cathy Herndon and Bob Worthy joined Mo and myself in reaching out to some other Fredericksburg area artmakers in order to cause a functioning group. Sometime in February 1986 the first membership met at the FCCA and decided to be "Art Shop" using the center room at the FCCA main floor as a for sale of work display area. This group may be the first one of this type formed in the Fredericksburg area. Maybe it was a coverage issue, but we changed gears at the August 1986 meeting (there were twelve + members)
and decided to rename as EXPOSURE UNLIMITED. The intention was to pursue places to exhibit as a group in Fredericksburg and beyond (Unlimited). While that intention was met somewhat the group has mainly exhibited in Fredericksburg. An important early one was an Invitational from the Fredericksburg Commission for the Arts at Mary Washington College (now University of Mary Washington) Dupont Galleries (there were four rooms then - we had one and other organizations occupied the other three) during the winter of 19861987. The main outside of Fredericksburg exhibits: "Our First Offense" Rappahannock Community College, Warsaw "Multiple Exposure" Northern Virginia
An article in the August 1991 Fredericksburg Times quoted our thought that "camaraderie and group harmony is based on a support for and enjoyment of the diversity in the group…." Reviewer Linda Max Joyce, Feb. 13, 1990 Free-Lance Star Reviewer LMJ February 13, 1990 Free-Lance Star "neon sculpture, xerography, and a lace bedecked glitter encrusted pair of jockey shorts are included in the exhibit…Exposure Unlimited have exposed their strength and diversity in a show that is well worth seeing". This attitude among members continues today. Present members are: Jimmy Butler with "exquisite figurative wooden sculptures of incredible stories to Tarver Harris tell"; "that loves articulating both visually and verbally the current energetics on our planet. Lately, feeling more refined and lighter"; Cathy Herndon "continues a portholes series using mixed media and tunnel vision views of now in the world"; Joan Limbrick “starts with space and color that evolves from day to day blending emotions and feelings to create a viewer's David Lovegrove "uses own story"; abstracted strength to remember and connect us with local objects and places";
John Nichols, Jr. "is continuing with minimalistic mixed media/collage relief on canvas"; Bob Worthy "makes acrylic and mixed media paintings that are composed of many layers of paint and texture creating a movement of surface that appears to be found rather than constructed. They suggest a feeling of time having moved on with understated pops of color providing energy to the dreamy compositions"; and Retta Robbins -(emeritus), figurative and social commentaries. Age, as in most members are now "seniors" and in that most members of the present group have been together for many years and that the "younger" members are very experienced, gives the group a rare mature momentum. We don't exhibit "pictures" or "just décor "…" objects. That's not today. This Exposure Unlimited 35th Anniversary exhibit is at, as many of the anniversary exhibits have been, the Fredericksburg Center for the Creative Arts and will be an enlightening experience to witness. John Nichols, Jr is a local artist and a founding member of Exposure Unlimited Photo by Carrol Morgan
Exposure Unlimited 35th Anniversary Exhibit Fredericksburg Center for Creative Arts 813 Sophia St, Downtown September 25 thru October 29 Thursday - Friday noon - 4pm Saturday 11am- 4pm Sunday 1-4 4pm
front porch fredericksburg
September 2021
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