The FL3TCHER Exhibit opened on September 30 and will run till December 6.
The FL3TCHER exhibition was created to forward the legacy of a former student, artist, graphic designer and the Dyers’ son, and brother, Fletcher H. Dyer, a 22-year-old, who was killed in a motorcycle accident on Nov. 5, 2008.
“Something he was passionate about and what he made well about his artwork was always usually socially and politically engaged work… but he found that that was usually a challenge, and a lot of people put up some roadblocks about his work because it was opinionated, or he wanted to push buttons or get people thinking about social issues,” shared Spenser Brenner, exhibition coordinator.
The FL3TCHER Exhibit, renowned for its exploration of contemporary social and political movements, focuses on featuring a diverse array of artworks that address global issues. While the exhibit had no specific theme for entries, the presidential election has attracted many works that highlight the importance of voting and democracy.
“Even if it something where it could potentially be maybe not the best experience, maybe you are challenged, a lot of these artists might be sharing opinions that you never thought about, maybe it’s something that you completely disagree with categorically, depending on your values, but it’s a thoughtful discussion and just knowing how diverse this world is, everyone has their own opinion,” said Brenner.
The juror, Megan Dee will be here for the juror talk and there’s an award ceremony and then just a broad reception. Dee will be there to give her point of view on her own artistic perspective and to talk about why she selected these works.
“In the museum, we give out two awards to Appalachian artists, and that kind of fits into our mission because we’re all about Appalachian culture and identity. So as you go through, a lot of these opinions are from our neighbors and community members,” Brenner mentioned.
More than $2,000 in awards will be presented during the exhibition reception and juror talk on Thursday, Nov. 7, at 5 p.m. at the Reece Museum.
For more information about Fletcher Dyer, visit fletcherdyer.com/about. For more information about the exhibit, visit FL3TCH3Rexhibit.com.
