Exhibitions, Awards, and Events ConVergence

ConVergence

An International Encaustic Artists 2022 Juried Exhibition

Russell Gallery Art Center Morro Bay

835 Main St, Morro Bay, CA 93442 April 7, 2022 – May 23, 2022

Convergence is the act of separate entities coming together to create something new – a unified whole. Convergence happens when knowledge and methods from varied disciplines and cultures come together to spur new thoughts and innovations. In a tumultuous era when we can feel divided from one another physically, emotionally, culturally, and politically, the idea of convergence represents hope.

We invited artists to consider and interpret the idea of convergence and submit their work to our juried show being held in conjunction with our ConVergence retreat in Morro Bay. We received entries from 90 artists who submitted more than 200 art pieces for the show. And our juror, Pamela Smith Hudson, selected 46 pieces that spoke to the theme. When asked about the exhibition and her selection process, she stated the following.

“Convergence in art is defined when parallel lines connect to a point, creating a sense of depth. Convergence can also mean a gathering of people. People who come from diferent places, have diferent backgrounds, perspectives, ideas, and values.This juried exhibit brings the art and the artists together to the beautiful coastal town of Morro Bay. The use of encaustic in art is not unlike the great Morro Rock – ancient yet still visible and relevant in today’s contemporary society.

“The past three years has brought us a once in a century pandemic. It has created a divergence of self isolation, both physically and mentally. Here now, we come together to celebrate and explore creations made from encaustic and cold wax mediums.

The process of selecting work for the exhibit was based on technique, palette, and its connection to the theme. The pieces range from expressive and geometric abstraction to landscapes, photography, portraits, representational, and sculpture. The subject of many pieces range from climate change, social injustice, and dealing with the pandemic. I was touched by the artists’ stories and about finding their voice and motivation to overcome health issues, traumas, and feelings of isolation to create their work for submission. I applaud all the artists who submitted work, and I thank IEA for the opportunity to jury the wonderful art for this exhibit.”

Pamela Smith Hudson is a Los Angeles-based mixed media artist. Her interest in encaustic painting began while working in the art material industry. Smith Hudson joined Enkaustikos as an instructor in 2012. She has a long affiliation with Ampersand Art Supply and recently became a part of the Ampersand Artist Ambassadors program. She has been teaching encaustic painting at Los Angeles California Museum of Art and Otis Art and Design Extension program for the last eight years. Smith Hudson previously juried the Buenaventura Open Encaustic Competition in 2015. She has collaborated with the Broad Museum on an encaustic educational video in conjunction with the Jasper Johns Retrospective Exhibition. She was also involved in collaborating with the Getty Museum on an educational, historical perspective on encaustic painting.

You can view Pamela’s work at www.pamelasmithhudson.com www.facebook.com/ PamelaSmithHudsonArt www.instagram.com/pamsmithhudson

You can view an online gallery of the exhibition at convergenceiea.weebly.com