The FL3TCH3R exhibit at the Reece Museum will be entering it’s 7th showcase of international art inspired by Fletcher Dyer, socially conscious art student who passed away in 2009. The recurring annual theme for the exhibition focuses on social and politically engaged art, and entrants this year have come from all around the world.
“Each new year, in the spring, after each exhibit closes in December, we search for the next year’s internationally renowned juror,” Barbara Dyer, co-director of the FL3TCH3R exhibit and Fletcher’s mother, said. “Once found, we start preparing the new year’s design, call for artists and place ads in over 20 venues where artists look for new opportunities. We usually receive anywhere from 325-375 separate artworks from 110- 140 artists, and our juror uses the online system to review and select around 65-85 artworks to be exhibited at the Reece Museum.”
Artistic expressions for the 2019 exhibition were considered from over 27 states across the U.S. as well as seven other countries. The pieces were selected and filtered through by juror Sue Coe, a longtime activist and illustrator known for her depictions of violence by the Ku Klux Klan, AIDS, terrorism in Northern Ireland, famine in Africa and more.
“The most poignant artwork we received this year were posters from a young person, Chakming Wong in Kowloon, Hong Kong,” Dyer said. “Chakming’s work represents the ‘fight for our human rights and freedom since the extradition law protest.’ This truly represents the best of socially and politically engaged art in these contemporary times. It is the zeitgeist/spirit of the times that always pops up in the entries received each year.”
“Please do not forget what Hongkonger did for freedom,” Chakming stated. “Please remember the way we fight. Please give a hand to support! We, Hongkonger, cannot win this battle by our own. We need you to stand with us. Hope this campaign can let more people in the world support us!”
Other commons themes appearing in the art received this year span across many sociopolitical issues that are long lasting issues and issues that are new such as: child abuse, school shootings, Brett Kavanagh, environmental issues, Jeffrey Epstein, social media and more.
The exhibit continues to grow and expand as there are more than $1,000 for this year as well as the Fletcher H. Dyer Scholarship for art students.
“We always partner with the Reece Museum to do programming throughout the tenure of the exhibit, and so each year we try to offer events such as panel discussions, guest artist talks, performances, etc. that tie in with themes from the exhibit’s artists’ works,” Dyer said. “We also strive to offer new awards in the names of former art patrons, educators and artists each year that honor the participating artists monetarily and in spirit, while looking far and wide each year for internationally reknowned jurors who have activist visual sensibilities and who are practicing artists in their own right.”
The exhibition is lead and directed by the Dyer family. Fletcher’s mother Barbara, sister Carrie and father Wayne have their roles in the exhibit to ensure that the exhibit not only achieves its goal artistically, but that it honors and represents Fletcher and his personality as accurately as possible.
“We are Fletcher’s family – his mother, father, and sister,” Dyers said. “We believe we are in a perfect position to know Fletch and his passion and goals in life the best. Soon after we lost Fletch due to his passion regarding bringing awareness to socially responsible issues, we came to the conclusion that the best way to honor Fletch’s memory and legacy was to create a juried exhibit based in statement oriented social and politically engaged visual/performing art.”
This year’s FL3TCH3R exhibit opens on Monday, Sept. 30 and will last through Friday, Dec. 13.
