Convergence is the act of separate entities coming together to create something new; a unified whole. In biology it speaks to parallel evolutionary patterns where similar traits spontaneously appear across unrelated species, and the same phenomenon can happen across societies as well. Convergence happens when knowledge and methods from varied disciplines and cultures come together to spur new thought and innovation.
In a tumultuous era when we can feel divided from one another physically, emotionally, culturally, and politically, the idea of convergence represents hope. What can we do as artists to create bridges; to reach out and pull together rather than push apart? We invited artists to consider and interpret the idea of convergence for this exhibition. Convergence is on view at Art Center Morro Bay from April 7 - May 23, 2022, with an opening reception on Sunday, April 10, from 2-4 pm. Our Juror, Pamela Smith Hudson is a Los Angeles based mixed media artist. Her interest in encaustic painting began while working in the art material industry. Smith Hudson joined Enkaustikos as an instructor in 2012. She has a long affiliation with Ampersand Art Supply and recently became a part of the Ampersand Artist Ambassadors program. She has been teaching encaustic painting at Los Angeles California Museum of Art and Otis Art and Design Extension program for the last 8 years. Smith Hudson has previously juried the Buenaventura Open Encaustic Competition in 2015. She has collaborated with the Broad Museum on an encaustic educational video in conjunction with the Jasper Johns Retrospective Exhibition. She was also involved in collaborating with the Getty Museum on an educational historical perspective on encaustic painting. |
All artwork used by permission of the artists. All rights reserved.