New Feature Exhibition in April March 09 2018

Sara Pedigo
Apperceptions

On View: April 7 - 28, 2018
Opening Reception: Saturday, April 7, 4-7 PM
Artists Talk: Friday, April 20, 11 AM

ABOUT THE EXHIBITION

For Sara Pedigo’s inaugural solo exhibition at Arts on Douglas, she will present a survey of recent works that depict quiet, contemplative beauty in everyday scenes.  She explains that her work is the culmination of a “search for contentment and pleasure in undramatic everyday surroundings, emanating from a desire to generate gratitude for living.”  Sara elaborates, “Collectively, my artworks serve as a testament to being both mentally and physically present in the world; a direct consequence of recognizing the perplexing paradigm known as death. My revelation of life’s fragility has transformed my worldview and manifested in a practice of continually seeking gratification through the act of looking.”

Sara Pedigo, Their Windows Filling, oil on canvas, 24 x 24 inches
Sara Pedigo, Counterpoints Made, charcoal on paper, 24 x 18 inches

Quality of light is central to Sara’s art and her scenes are often illuminated in early morning or late evening light. For example, in Their Window’s Filling, light appears to be low in the sky as it pours into the room, with complementary swatches of highlights and shadows making their way along the floor and up the wall, adding warmth and dimension to the scene. Even her black and white charcoal drawings capture this intricate play of light and shadow to create luminosity and depth, as can be seen in the piece titled Counterpoints Made. The importance of light, however, is best described in Sara’s own words. In the closing line of her artist statement, she states, “Light mediates our perception of the world and is highly influential in my life and to each of my artworks. Light is the singular requirement for all life and is the source of our perceived experience. Light is the arbiter of color, form, space, and ultimately visual memories.”

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Sara Pedigo grew up in the American South. She received her MFA in Painting from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, in 2007. She is currently an Associate Professor at Flagler College located in Saint Augustine, Florida, her undergraduate alma mater. Pedigo has exhibited nationally, with solo exhibitions at Furman University, Greenville, SC; College of Southern Nevada, North Las Vegas, NV;  Wynn Bone Gallery in Annapolis, MD; and Barton College, Wilson, NC. Group exhibitions include the Cue Foundation, New York, NY; First Street Gallery, Neptune Beach, FL; Blue Mountain Gallery in New York, NY; Manifest Gallery in Cincinnati, OH and the Naples Art Museum in Naples, FL. In 2006, she was included in the Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition at the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery in Washington D.C. and received a Joan Mitchell Foundation MFA Grant. Her artwork has been the cover art for the following publications: Ivory Tower: A Journal of Poetry published by the University of Delhi, Play Button: Poems by Liz Robbins published by Cider Press Review and Minetta Review: a literary and arts publication at New York University.