PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
The Arts Council of Tuscaloosa
Contact: Kevin Ledgewood
pr@tuscarts.org
205-758-5195, x6
EXHIBIT OF WORKS BY LAQUITA THOMSON WILL BE FEATURED AT THE DINAH WASHINGTON CULTURAL ARTS CENTER DURING AUGUST
(Tuscaloosa, Ala.) The Arts Council of Tuscaloosa will host an exhibit of works by artist Laquita Thomson at the Dinah Washington Cultural Arts Center. The display of cyanotypes will be open to the public Aug. 5-26, 2016 in The Arts Council Gallery. An opening reception will be held on Aug. 5 from 5-8 p.m. during First Friday.
The exhibit will feature cyanotype photograms from Thomson’s “Renovation” series and straight cyanotypes from the “Photographing the South” series. She often explores alternative photographic processes such as cyanotypes, printing outside in the sun. For the two series presented here, Thomson used the sun, as well as a light table for developing the images. Adobe Photoshop was used in both series to convert the images to size-specific negatives that were then had printed on transparent film by professional firms. She then used these negatives with coated rag paper that resulted in the cyanotype imagery. All work was completed in the studio and outside at Freed-Hardeman University in Henderson, Tenn. The cyanotype photograms feature subject matter taken from images and tools used when Thomson was renovating her old house. The straight cyanotypes originate from among thousands of images she takes in the South almost daily.
Laquita Thomson is an Associate Professor at Freed-Hardeman University in Henderson, Tenn. where she teaches Studio Art and Art History. Her academic background includes the M.F.A. in Painting/Printmaking from Auburn University, the M.A. in History from the University of Alabama-Huntsville,theM.A. in Art Education from the University of Alabama-Birmingham, and theB.F.A. in Studio Art from the Mississippi University for Women. She has presented multiple solo exhibitions in North Mississippi, West Tennessee, Alabama and Georgia. Her work is included in the permanent collections of the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts, Huntsville Museum of Art, Mobile Museum of Art, Jule Collins Smith Museum of Art, Georgia Museum of Art, Morris Museum of Southern Art and Mississippi Museum of Art. Her multiple awards and participation in juried exhibits include an Award of Honor at the 1994 American Pen Women 37th Biennial National Art Exhibit at the Cork Gallery, Lincoln Center, New York City.
Visit tuscarts.org/firstfriday_artnight to view a list of Tuscaloosa Galleries open during First Friday.
The Dinah Washington Cultural Arts Center is located at 620 Greensboro Avenue in downtown Tuscaloosa. For more information about The Arts Council, Bama Theatre or CAC, patrons should LIKE the Facebook page “The Arts Council – Bama Theatre – Cultural Arts Center” and follow tuscarts on Twitter. Call 205-758-5195 or visit tuscarts.org for further information.
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