Fairbanks Arts Association presents two solo exhibitions by 

Anvil Catlin Williamson & Sarah Manriquez

 

On View at the Wandering Bear Gallery // February 7 – February 29

Opening Reception // Friday, February 7, 5-8pm

Artist Talk with Sarah Manriquez // Monday, February 10, 7pm

Join Fairbanks Arts Association for the opening reception of two solo exhibits by local artists at the new Wandering Bear Gallery and enjoy refreshments, arts and conversation!  Anvil CAtlin Williamson’s exhibit Pressed inspires thoughtfulness through mixed media sculptures. Fairbanks-based photographer Sarah Manriquez exhibits Through Our Eyes, a project encouraging individuals affected by homelessness to share their story through photography. 

Anvil Catlin Williamson – Pressed 

It is with pressure that truth is often revealed, and transformation occurs. 

Pressed represents a collection of narratives about existing in an increasingly inflammatory culture where modern expectations create more opportunities for failure and image is more easily valued over reality. 

The subjects you see are confronted with truth and suspended in the space where control and acceptance press together. 

Through ceramic and mixed media sculpture I explore the human condition and whether our sense of purpose is innate or the product of our individual experience. 

I use animal imagery in order to utilize associations with base instinct and survival, often combined with mechanical or industrial components as symbols of external influence. 

By drawing the viewer into a detailed narrative moment, I hope to stimulate both a sense of social empathy and also introspection regarding the origin of purpose in their own life. 

About the Artist

Anvil grew up in Washington state but has resided in Fairbanks, Alaska for over a decade and considers herself an adopted Alaskan. 

She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Alaska Fairbanks in 2016 and committed herself to the arts full-time in 2017. 

She strives to inspire thoughtfulness and empathy through her mixed media sculpture and is passionate about teaching others to be creative makers.

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Sarah Manriquez – Through Our Eyes

Often, the homeless and other disenfranchised groups lose their ability to control their own narrative. Their stories are constantly being told for them and not by them. The Through Our Eyes project is a nation wide project that encourages participants to tell their own stories the way they want them presented in the world. Disposable cameras were given to local people in Fairbanks who were experiencing homeless this past August with one simple instruction- photograph your life. 

The purpose of the Through Our Eyes Project is three-fold: emotional, physical and spiritual. We want to provide joy in creating art. We want the photographers to feel the gratification that comes with being part of something bigger than they are. We want to provide awareness & support. We want communities to engage with different groups of people, learn how to love them and support organizations who serve them. We want to provide hope for those who are hurting. 

The photographs remind us that we all share the human experience no matter our circumstance. 

#ThroughOurEyesProject #TheCamerasAreDisposable #ThePeopleAreNot

About the Artist

Growing up on a tropical island off the coast of Honduras in Central America, Sarah was never without a black, plastic disposable camera in hand. Since moving to Alaska in 2012, Sarah has worked as a photo editor with the Sun Star, assistant photographer for the University of Alaska Fairbanks, and served as the 2019 photo assistant to official Iditarod Photographer, Jeff Schultz. Sarah’s images have been showcased in dozens of exhibitions around the world. 

Her group exhibition on display at the Wandering Bear Gallery is raising funds to travel the work and bring the project around the state of Alaska. 

Sarah has made a home for herself in the Interior and currently lives and works in Fairbanks, AK. 

Also join for Sarah’s Artist Talk on Monday, February 10, at 7pm in the Wandering Bear Gallery!

For this artist talk, Sarah has invited Jason Williamson, the founder of the Through Our Eyes project who will travel to Fairbanks to speak at the artist talk! 

About Jason Williamson

Jason Williamson received his BA in Art with a focus on photography from Winthrop University in Rock Hill, SC. After completing his undergraduate degree, he spent the first decade of his career in digital advertising. Williamson left his position working with over thirty newspapers as a corporate director of digital advertising to become a pastor. He received his Master’s degree in Missiology from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY.

Williamson is married to Elizabeth and has three children, Rylan, Bailey and Skylar. His passion for photography began in 1996, and he loves street, abstract and concert photography with a photojournalistic flair. When he’s not working on a personal photography project, Williamson enjoys adventures with his family, collecting vinyl records, drinking coffee and eating sushi.

Williamson said, “I’ve worked on a lot of incredible projects in many countries, many that have changed lives. But, the Through Our Eyes Project might be the best thing I’ve been a part of. I’m thankful for everyone who made this project become a reality, especially my family sharing my time with this labor of love. I’m proud of the photographers who participated. I’m encouraged by the communities who embraced the project and confronted the homelessness in their streets.”

 

Fairbanks Arts programs are made possible by individual and corporate contributions, the City of Fairbanks Hotel/Motel Bed Tax, Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska State Council on the Arts, and Fountainhead Development, Inc.