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The Art Institute of Virginia Beach Presents the Annual Faculty and Staff Art Exhibit

A very talented group of artistically inclined faculty and staff are showcasing their work during this year’s Annual Faculty and Staff Art Exhibit at The Art Institute of Virginia Beach, a branch of The Art Institute of Atlanta. The exhibit features the works of 15 faculty and four staff members. The opening reception for the exhibit is Friday, August 10, 2012 from 5pm-7pm. Hors d’oeuvres will by provided by The International Culinary School at The Art Institute of Virginia Beach.

The works displayed represent an eclectic range of mediums, styles and genres ranging from multi-media pieces, installations and hand-made books to oil and acrylic paintings, photography and illustrations.

The aesthetically disparate, yet synergistic works provide a glimpse of the vast talent and creativity of both staff and faculty. The featured artists include faculty who teach in what most of us think as traditional “art” courses such as Foundations and Photography, as well as faculty teaching in the Graphic Design, Media Arts & Animation, Interior Design and Culinary Arts programs. Several staff also showcase their artistic talents.

The featured work includes an installation of heart-shaped pieces entitled Fragments by Miro Kirov. The pieces are made of different materials including broken pieces of mirrors, pearl bits and wooden letters representing the similarities of form, texture and pattern to those in nature. The artist explains that “while the shapes distinctively resemble hearts, I see in them many things from nature: hollow trees, bird’s nests, lakes, caves and sea shells...the almost surreal nature of the pieces create a sense of peace, security and homeyness.”

Another featured work includes Relaxed, by Andi Helfant-Frye, a large format drawing in soft charcoal which explores everyday attitudes with the primary interest being body language and the way people communicate without words. “I love feeling the potential color in these works without it actually being there,” expresses Helfant-Frye foundations faculty member and gallery coordinator.

Between Two Natures by Danielle M. Feliciano, the piece chosen for the exhibit’s postcard, depicts the inner struggle that takes place between two opposing ideologies or decisions. In this piece, Feliciano expresses her view on the misconceptions perpetuated about the predator and prey animals focusing on the dichotomy that exists in our perception of innocence and violence which is often blurred, she explains that “truly meaningful decisions are never as clean cut as they first appear – we struggle with our inner natures and the battle is never truly put to rest.”

The 19 featured faculty and staff artists for the exhibit include:

Thomas Beverly

Jenny Contakos

DongDong Dai

Diana Dalton

Paulette Dykes

Mehgan DeSanto

Derek Eley

Danielle Feliciano

Jeffrey Floyd

Peter Giscombe

Andi Helfant-Frye

Miro Kirov

Kate Kronick

David March

Mary O’Neil

Neal Moran Robinson

Heather Tuttle

Gerrie West

Julie Williams

The exhibit is open to the public at no charge Monday through Thursday, 9 am-7 pm, Friday 9 am-5 pm and Saturday 9 am -1 pm and runs through October 20, 2012.

The Art Institute of Virginia Beach, a branch of The Art Institute of Atlanta, is located at Two Columbus Center, 4500 Main Street, Suite 100, Virginia Beach, VA 23462. For information, visit www.artinstitutes.edu/virginia-beach, call 877.437.4428 or email  aivaadm@aii.edu.

The Art Institute of Virginia Beach, a branch of The Art Institute of Atlanta, is one of The Art Institutes, a system of private, non-profit schools throughout the United States. Programs, credential levels, technology, and scheduling options vary by school and are subject to change. The Art Institute of Virginia Beach, a branch of The Art Institute of Atlanta, Two Columbus Center, 4500 Main Street, Suite 200, Virginia Beach, VA 23462 © 2020 The Arts Institutes International LLC. All rights reserved.