College of The Albemarle (COA) is pleased to announce that “Suburban Winds,” an exhibition of drawings and collages by Andy Harris, will open on April 3, 2023, in the Professional Arts Building at COA – Dare.
Using collage, Harris combines artistic will with chance encounter to create uncanny representations of daily life. There is an anywhereness to his works—they could be scenes of life across any city in the United States. Unexpected and vigorous texture in both brush strokes and collage work conveys the underground emotion and physicality that lies just beneath the surface.
“I find the moments that exist on the sidelines of everyday life satisfying; instances that often fail to grab our attention like highway construction zones, storefronts, suburban structures, discarded objects, trash,” shared Harris. “In my most recent drawings and collages, I’ve begun exploring my interest in the people of my neighborhood as well, citizens getting through a day at work or simply running errands. Through surveying the everyday experiences of living and surviving in my own community, I am defamiliarizing the familiar.”
Andy Harris is an artist based in Norfolk, Virginia as well as a visual arts educator for Virginia Beach Public Schools. He holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Virginia Commonwealth University, a Master of Arts in Special Education from Regent University and an endorsement in gifted education from the College of William and Mary. In 2021, Harris was named the Virginia Art Education Association’s Middle School Art Educator of the Year. To learn more about Harris, visit www.aharrisart.com or @andy.andy.harris on Instagram.
The exhibition will run from April 3rd through May 18th. The gallery is on the second floor of the Professional Arts Building at COA – Dare, 205 Highway 64 S., Manteo, North Carolina. The public is welcome to visit the gallery Monday through Thursday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The artist’s opening reception will be held on Monday, April 3rd, from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. at COA – Dare.
In addition to the opening of the exhibition on April 3rd, Harris will also provide a collaborative workshop that day at COA – Dare from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. with an hour lunch break. This workshop is free and open to the public. Please register at https://forms.gle/Uu5RuTCu3r6PXTVz5.
For information, please contact Tammy W. Sawyer, COA Director of Communications and Marketing, [email protected] or 252.335.0821 ext. 2420.