Phaze 2 Gallery
Current Exhibition
Grace Ortega: In Memoriam
On View: March 3 – March 15
Opening Reception: Tuesday, March 4 | 5 – 6 PM
(event to follow in the Marinoff from 6 – 7 PM)
Gallery Hours: Monday – Friday | 4 – 7 PM
This exhibition brings together a collection of work made by our dearly departed student, classmate, and friend, Grace Ortega, in the wake of her passing.
Grace’s art always had something to say, and she wasn’t afraid to dig into difficult questions and feelings. In addition to that heaviness, though, levity can be felt throughout with little glimmers of silliness – googly eyes, glittery stars, moments of hope – which she described as her self-consciousness taking shape through her visuals. She loved working in the darkroom, and very quickly took to the cyanotype process as a method for both physically and conceptually working through personal struggles.
In her own words, here is a short artist statement Grace wrote last September about her work:
The artist (me lol) struggles with multiple mental health conditions. Viewers know this is a depiction of my inner mind. I am not in physical pain- but I am struggling internally and expressing that in a literal sense.
About Us:
The Phaze 2 Gallery is a cultural contact point between the Shepherdstown community and the outside world of contemporary art. We primarily exhibit emerging artists who are working to elevate the way our visitors think and see by challenging the popular concepts and traditions of their disciplines. Our intimate, versatile gallery venue offers artists the freedom to experiment and refine new approaches in their work before moving on to larger exhibition sites. As an instructional tool for the Department of Contemporary Art and Theater of Shepherd University, the Phaze 2 Gallery provides a discursive arena for our students, exhibiting artists, community, and art faculty.
For more information about the exhibit or to schedule a visit contact the Gallery Director, Caitlin Gill
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Center for Contemporary Art
Phaze 2 Gallery
92 West Campus Drive
Shepherdstown, WV 25443