Meet Justin Bryant, Thea's November Art Department Artist

The next installment of the Art Department, a quarterly exhibition series hosted by Thea Foundation, will feature the work of Justin Bryant in an exhibition titled "Myriad Subtleties." The exhibition will be up November 1 through November 26 in the Thea Foundation gallery, and a reception will be held Friday, November 1, 2019, from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m. at Thea Foundation, $20 at the door covers heavy hors d’oeuvres by Ben E. Keith, an open beer and wine bar and the chance to win a free print by Bryant as well as free tickets to Thea’s next Art Department.

Born in Stuttgart, Ark., Justin Bryant received his BFA in Studio Art from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock in 2012 and his MFA in Studio Art from Louisiana State University in 2018 and was a participant at the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture (’17). Bryant’s recent work investigates the past and present imagery of African-Americans to reflect a multi-contextual narrative of poetry, personal narrative, and history. In his work, he uses found objects, painting, drawing, and video to suggest a fugitive notion of blackness. Bryant is currently a full-time instructor at the University of Arkansas - Pulaski Technical College and is a 2019 Interchange Artist Fellow for the Mid America Arts Alliance.

The “Myriad Subtleties” exhibit is a collection of works inspired by a poem titled “We Wear the Mask” by Paul Laurence Dunbar. Of his exhibit, Bryant says: “As a painter, I am interested in a similar methodology used by Dunbar in his poem. This method makes as a concern how things are kept and dispersed in black culture; centering a protective sensibility.”

For the opening reception, all items will be available for purchase, and Bryant will be present to discuss his work and inspirations.

Note:​ The November 1 opening reception for “Myriad Subtleties” will be 21+ and guests should be prepared to show their identification prior to entry. Bryant’s exhibition will be on display at Thea Foundation November 1 through November 26, 2019. Thea Foundation is located at 401 Main Street in North Little Rock. Gallery hours are M - F, 9 a.m. - 12 p.m., 1 - 5 p.m. For more information, visit​ ​theasartdepartment.com​, call 501-379-9512 or email amanda@theafoundation.org.

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