4954 Old York Rd Philadelphia, PA 19140 rushartsphilly.org rushartsphiladelphia@gmail.com
About the Exhibition Lavett Ballard’s “ROOTS: From our Heads to our Soul” is a visual interpretation of what the word “Roots” means to the artist and investigates political and social inequities behind it. While investigating this there is also celebration that comes with the word when she thinks about familial roots. Lavett Ballard is famously known for her collages on wood. However, in this exhibition she expands beyond this medium and features works that are created with synthetic and human hair including sculptures.
“Roots, dependent on the frame of mind of the individual could bring up visions of planting something in the earth and the organic arteries and veins that supply sustenance to that which is planted. For me the word brought forth visions of my Family and my natural hair. Roots in relation to the state of our natural hair as it grows from our heads, and how society often forces women of color to decide how we style our hair as a political or statement of our cultural identity. The other Roots is our heritage, the ancestors and legacy they leave us, which helps form the Soul of who we are.
The work in this exhibit includes a not often shown Conceptual body of work created from synthetic and human hair in mixed media, and sculptural metaphors of African-American experience. The other body of work is my more renowned Mixed Media/ Collage art created on Wood slices, reclaimed wood fences, handmade and archival paper, that has been translated into visual narratives. These works highlight through two dimensional and Installation art the histories and stories of specifically females of the African diaspora.” - Lavett Ballard The exhibition opening reception will be Saturday, November 13th from 3pm to 6pm at Rush Arts Philadelphia Gallery located at 4954 Old York Rd, Philadelphia, PA 19141. The exhibition is on view from November 13th to December 30th, 2021. About Rush Arts Philadelphia Rush Arts Philadelphia’s mission is to build a community-driven art space that provides opportunities to both local artists and curators, focused on community revitalization and relevance to the people of the surrounding neighborhoods, and arts-based educational opportunities for local youth who can benefit from them the most.
About the Artist Lavett Ballard is an Artist, Art historian, Curator, and Author. She hold a dual Bachelor’s in Studio Art and Art History with a minor in Museum Studies from Rutgers University, she also has an MFA in Studio Art from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. Ballard’s art has been commissioned as a cover for Time Magazine special Woman of the Year double edition released March 2020. Among her accolades she is a 2021 Yaddo Artist residency fellow, named by Black Art in America as one of the Top 10 Female Emerging Artists to Collect. Ballard’s work has been in film productions and exhibited at galleries and museums nationwide. Ballards work has been acquired by prominent collections such as the African American Museum of Philadelphia, the Colored Girls Museum, the Grant Hill and Petrucci Family Foundation Collection, and Syracuse University Community Folk Arts Center, and Jule Collins Smith Fine Art Museum at Auburn University Collections.
Is This Seat Taken? Assemblage 4'x3'x2' $10,500
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Eye Level to the NA NA Assemblage 70x24 $2,000
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The Inheritance Mixed Media Inquire about pricing
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Evolution of the Nappy Sculpture 48" $1,050
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Butterfly Kisses MixedMedia/Collage 22x9 $3,250
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Gilded Goddess MixedMedia/Collage 22x30 $650
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Just As I am Mixed Media/ Collage 18x24 $4,500
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Virginia Mae MixedMedia/Collage 10x12 SOLD
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Four Little Girls Sculpture 30x24 $3,000
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Brownie Mixed Media/ Collage $5400
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Pardon Me Mixed Media/ Collage 16x20 $3,900
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Watch me be Great Mixed Media/ Collage 37x40 $9,100
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Natural Woman Mixed Media/ 41x36 $6500
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Blues Baby Mixed Media/ Collage 22x34 $4,550
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Bone Black Mixed Media/ Collage 21x22 $3,250
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Pressed Mixed Media/ Collage 16x20 $3,250
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Bone Black Mixed Media/ Collage 21x22 $3,250
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Pressed Mixed Media/ Collage 16x20 $3,250
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