Cultural Arts Center’s new exhibit ‘Collide of Scope’ shows there is “positivity in darkness”

Sydney Friedt
Thu, 16 Nov 2023 02:01:57 +0000
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Artist James Terrell’s acrylic painting (above) is included in his collection titled “Collide of Scope.” His art works, which promote positivity through bright colors and vulnerable storytelling, will be on view at the Cultural Arts Center starting Friday. Credit: James Terrell

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the whole world appeared to stop. As schools and businesses closed and people locked themselves in their homes, many people experienced feelings of despair and hopelessness.

Some, however, were able to gain new insights into life.

Columbus’ Cultural Arts Center will present a free exhibit titled “Collide of Scope” from Friday to Dec. 30, showcasing the works of James Terrell — an artist hailing from Washington, D.C. — who reignited his love for art during the pandemic.

Though he has been creating art for 20 years and began teaching it after college, Terrell said his artistic experiences throughout the pandemic were especially transformative.

“Everything switched for me,” Terrell said. “I wasn’t used to being at home every day all day with my kids and wife. It made me start [to] appreciate her being the artist and stay-at-home mother she is. So my wife told me to use the time period to document what is going on in our household, make a whole new series of work and see what happens.”

The center’s overarching goal is to share a broad range of artwork that engages spectators and sheds light on artists’ creative processes, Tom Baillieul, the Cultural Arts Center’s exhibitions coordinator, said.

“We want people to see what is possible through art and leave the center feeling like they’ve experienced something,” Baillieul said.

Baillieul said “Collide of Scope” merges many styles and concepts in an intriguing way that shows another side to art, which is ultimately why the work was chosen for display.

“We look for art that shows a level of expertise, that pushes boundaries and may present an important theme,” Baillieul said. “Terrell’s proposal came in and went to our panel of jurors who based him on our criteria. He scored well above the line.”

Terrell said he always strives to create interesting and personable art that can attract a wide range of people. To make good on this ambition, Terrell said he experiments with different ways to intrigue the minds of viewers to interact with his artwork.

“My art is based on stained glass windows with the bright colors and the line work that I constantly saw in churches my dad preached at,” Terrell said. “I also really like optical illusion art in order to make the mind think. I incorporate fabric pattern designs too since my grandmother was a quilt designer.”

Baillieul said Terrell has a different art style compared to other creators the center typically displays, which only adds to his refreshing appeal as a contemporary artist.

“James has such vibrant colors, and he really draws heavily on his culture,” Baillieul said. “The richness of the geometric patterns in his work is abstract and representational at the same time. He’s created his own very unique image. He is an artist that challenges us.”

Terrell said “Collide of Scope” began as a personal piece centered around his family’s experiences with COVID-19 but grew to encompass his philosophies on both art and life at large.

“We all go through similar situations differently,” Terrell said. “Even though people are separate in characteristics like race and gender, we all are processing the same thing at the same time. I used this collection to process my feelings in a productive way.”

“Collide of Scope” shows that even in extreme darkness, there are still slivers of light, Terrell said.

“It was a dark time period, but there’s still dark periods of time in current-day society,” Terrell said. “I was trying to show that it is possible to get through situations by using your creativity or tapping into something that you’re really into that’s positive.”

The exhibit will be on view for free during the center’s normal hours of operation. More information about the exhibit is available on the center’s website.