701 Center for Contemporary Art Presents:
Artist Talk + Q&A Session by Yvette L. Cummings
And a conversation with Palmetto Place Children’s Shelter
Artist Talk + Q&A: Sunday, August 26, 2 p.m.
Exhibition: July 12 – August 26, 2018
The event is free and open to the public, but reservations are required via [email protected] or 803.319.9949.
As headlines are littered with news of human trafficking, sexual abuse, bullying, workplace and school violence, the 701 Center for Contemporary Art (701 Whaley Street, 2nd Floor, Columbia, SC), is contributing to the conversation in search for solutions, beginning with an exhibition running from July 12-August 26 and ending with a closing Artist Talk by 701 CCA Prize 2016 winner Yvette L. Cummings. This talk will be joined by a conversation with Palmetto Place Children’s Shelter, whose mission is to “provide a safe and supportive environment for children and teens who have faced abuse, abandonment, neglect and/or homelessness.” This joint conversation between Assistant Professor of Painting/Drawing at Coastal Carolina University, Yvette L. Cummings, and Palmetto Place Children’s Shelter, will be on Sunday, August 26, at 2 p.m. in the 701 CCA Gallery on the 2nd floor of 701 Whaley Street. The event is free and open to the public, but reservations are required via [email protected] or 803.319.9949.
Palmetto Place Children’s Shelter was founded in 1977 as an emergency shelter for children who needed safe haven from child abuse and neglect. Their residential home has provided services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for the last 40 years and more than 7,000 children have called Palmetto Place their home. In 2016, they were able to expand the original home adding space for more children and teens who have faced abuse and neglect. They were also able to open a second location that serves the homeless teen and at-risk youth populations in the Midlands. Palmetto Place now has two houses and more than 50 beds for our state’s most vulnerable children and teens.
The exhibition, Uncovered, is a collection of original paintings, installations and hand cut paper collages of images illustrating Cummings’ transition from child abuse to the dynamics of motherhood, and echoes “the complicated path of youth, beauty and femininity” as she experienced it. “The goal of the work,” says Cummings, “is to create a non-confrontational presentation of tough, current and ongoing subject matter that makes viewers aware of their discomfort” as they possibly relate to similar or even shared experiences. This exhibition includes work created during her residency at 701 CCA, which she received for winning the 701 CCA Prize.
The 701 CCA Prize, organized by 701 Center for Contemporary Art in Columbia, S.C., is an art competition and exhibition for South Carolina artists 40 years old and younger. The project
identifies and recognizes young professional South Carolina artists whose work is exemplary in its originality, shows awareness of artistic developments and is of high artistic merit. The call for artists was recently announced for the fourth installment of the 701 CCA Prize 2018 and the deadline for eligible artists to apply is September 1st. Application guidelines and how to apply can be found on the 701 CCA website.
As the 701 CCA Prize 2016 winner, Cummings received a six-week paid residency and solo exhibition at 701 CCA. This exhibition features work created during her residency, which she completed in May of 2018. Yvette L. Cummings received her Masters of Fine Arts degree at the University of Cincinnati’s School of Design, Art, Architecture, and Planning. While still enrolled at DAAP she was director of the 840 Gallery, interned at the Contemporary Art Center of Cincinnati, and was the recipient of the Wolfstien Travel Fellowship to Spain. She was awarded the Stephen J. Dalton Teacher of the year from USC in 2011. Her work has been exhibited in multiple group and solo exhibitions throughout the south and Midwest.
Her technique and medium are a dedication to discernment. “I use pattern as a way to visually flatten the space, often referring to memory,” says Cummings. “When multiple patterns are layered in a piece, a camouflaging occurs that mimics the way we live our lives in the open, but we often cannot see through the layers to the traumas.” The artist uses damask and floral patterns to flatten the spatial aspects of the work. These very traditional, elegant patterns create a visual abstraction and represent the confusion that occurs over time and space.
701 CCA is a non-profit visual arts center that promotes understanding, appreciation and enjoyment of contemporary art, the creative process and the role of art and artists in the community. The center also encourages interaction between visual and other art forms. 701 CCA is located at 701 Whaley Street, 2nd Floor, Columbia, SC 29201. During exhibitions, hours are Wed-Sat 11–5; Sun 1-5. For more information, visit www.701cca.org.
For further inquiries or high resolution images, contact [email protected] or call (803) 319-9949. Please check the 701 CCA website for additional information on the exhibition and associated events.