The “FL3TCH3R Exhibit” makes its 11th-annual appearance on East Tennessee State University’s campus.

Fletcher H. Dyer, the exhibit’s namesake, was an ETSU senior working towards his Bachelor of Fine Arts with a concentration in graphic design. In 2009, Dyer was involved in a motorcycle accident and, as a result, passed away on Nov. 5. In his memory, ETSU art professor emeritus and Fletcher’s father, M. Wayne Dyer; mother, Barbara H. Dyer and graphic designer sister, Carrie A. Dyer, established the “FL3TCH3R Exhibit” in 2013.

“When Fletcher was making art as a student, in many cases he had an issue with those around him not knowing enough about the current events, not being angry at things he thought people should be angry about and not speaking up to issues he thought they should be speaking up to. Dyer was pushed to not do his opinionated work that he felt strongly about and in some cases was shunned from showcasing in certain exhibits because it was political. Therefore, his family felt the best way to honor Dyer was to provide a platform for similar artists around the world,” said Spenser Brenner, exhibition coordinator for the Reece Museum.

The theme of the show is social and politically engaged art, featuring works from 68 artists around the world. It explores current trends and has a mission to serve as an avenue for societal transformation through exposure to societal and political points of view. Ten of the over 80 works on display are from a Ukrainian exhibit held by ETSU alum founded non-profit Restore Ukraine, with each artist channeling from perspectives that were changed and scarred by the war.

“A lot of the art talks about heavy issues, such as violence, personal grief or triumph, war atrocities, racism, sexism, inequality, issues with politics and the government structures and, in other cases, issues with culture, such as living in a certain environment. But what makes it interesting and really unique is every single year a different juror is selected to look over all the submissions, in this case 280 works submitted and looked over by this year’s juror, Adam DelMarcelle,” said Brenner.

Headshot of FL3TCH3R juror Adam DelMarcelle (Contributed/FL3TCH3R Exhibit).

Adam DelMarcelle is an educator, artist, activist and assistant professor of graphic design at Wilson College in Pennsylvania. As an artist, DelMarcelle focuses on the opioid crisis, sourcing from the loss of his brother, Joey, to a fentanyl overdose.

The exhibit is being held at the Reece Museum through Dec. 8 from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. during the week. The museum is also hosting special guest, Adam DelMarcelle, on Nov. 2 at 5 p.m. for a public talk and an awards ceremony to follow.

Author