Miranda Kelly Sheets, a senior pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, will hold her senior exhibition of work produced and inspired by her effort to understand human suffering, hunger and the regenerative power that she has perceived in God. The exhibition is titled “Lift up your head” and will be held at East Tennessee State University’s Slocumb Galleries April 10-13. A reception for the artist will be held on Thursday, April 13 from 5-7 p.m.
“The work has been an adventure to make,” Sheets said. “Most of the processes used in making the stuff are new to me; skills that I’ve picked up in the last few months. I got to use power tools, collect materials in the forest and work very physically to get these things made.
The show is an installation made up of some objects that are rooted in craft and some images that I found along the way that have helped me in the process of figuring out what I’m doing with this work.”
Drawing most of her inspiration from the collision of the hope that she sees possible and the reality of our suffering, needy, desperate world, Sheets said that the work was a growing process for her. “As I worked in all these labor intensive processes; weaving, carving, stitching and repetitive mark-making, I was able to contemplate what need, suffering and hunger are and to move toward compassion in my own life.”
Another large influence on her work exhibited in “Lift up your head” is the story of Jesus feeding 5,000 people with five loaves of bread and two fish and Sheets said that many of the images included are taken directly from the story. To help others feel what she has felt about the story, she will be including baked bread to be taken freely by those viewing her exhibition.
“The inclusion of the baked bread seems to put everyone at the same human level,” said Ericka Basile, a fellow painting major who attended Sheets’ critique of this work. “I can look over at someone I don’t know eating the same bread as I am, and think ‘Hey, you’re just like me.’ “
In addition to baked bread, refreshments will be offered at her closing reception.
Slocumb Galleries is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

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