The Lyndon House Arts Center is honoring the legacy of Nancy Lukasiewicz, who dedicated decades of her life to the arts and creative community in Athens, by renaming its South Gallery as the Nancy Lukasiewicz Gallery.
Lukasiewicz moved to Athens in 1973 from California, and she earned her master’s degree in fine arts at the University of Georgia. At that time, she and her husband Ronnie led the restoration of the historic Ware-Lyndon House, and under their direction and vision the space was transformed into a cultural center for art education, hosting exhibitions and providing artist support. In 1994, Lukasiewicz championed a significant expansion of the facility, which was funded by a Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax. Although Lukasiewicz retired in 2016, her impact on the art community has continued on.
The center is hosting a celebration of the renaming on Tuesday, Oct. 21 at 5:30 p.m. A group of local artisans commissioned a handcrafted bench created by artist Abraham Tesser to honor Lukasiewicz, and it will be placed in the lower atrium as part of the celebration as a token of appreciation for her leadership and inspiration.
While visiting for the event, there are four fresh exhibitions up across Lyndon House to view. At the end of the month, three new exhibitions—“Shawn Ireland: Arts Center Choice Award Winner,” “FIBER 50: Celebrating 50 Years of the Athens Fibercraft Guild” and “Public Works: Athens Public Art Behind the Scenes”—will open with a reception on Thursday, Oct. 30 from 5:30–7:30 p.m.
WONDER: In the lobby case is a collection of Susan Perry’s small-scale sculptures made of handmade paper and bamboo. Inspired by traditional Chinese kites, there is a perceived potential for movement despite the stationary nature of the sculptures that give them a lightness. The materials remain raw and lean into their natural element. Perry is inspired by the Japanese philosophy wabi-sabi, which finds beauty in imperfection and the natural cycle of growth and decay, and embraces a connection to nature in her work.
PLASTIC TENSE: In the atrium cases, Katie Kameen’s works recontextualize secondhand plastics into art materials through which she communicates her personal experiences. The wearable and interactive sculptures combine highly saturated and muted colors while also retaining the familiarity of their history inside of their new expressive form. Kameen approaches her dynamic compositions through the careful consideration of colors and shapes. Because the pieces invite interaction, whether by holding, wearing or touching them, they encourage the viewer to think about their own relationship with plastics. Kameen’s self-expression within her pieces explores the connection between consumer culture and domesticity.
INTERWOVEN NARRATIVES: The West Gallery displays collaborative works by twin sisters Sachi Rome and Tokie Rome-Taylor, who delve into two main themes within this exhibition: the caul and double consciousness. The sisters use photographic realism and abstract expressionism to visually explore elements of Southern folklore. The exhibition invites its viewers to reflect on identity and the struggle to reconcile societal expectations and internal narratives, especially from the perspective of Black Americans. This liminal space of spirituality is a recurring element, and its narratives seek to provide a deeper understanding of how the African American experience has been shaped.
CARVING OUT LIMINAL PATHWAYS TOWARD FRAGMENTATION: The South Gallery also features a two-person exhibition, pairing the abstract sculptural paintings of Sebastian Garcia Huidobro with the brutalist architecture-inspired sculptures of Rachel Lea Seburn. As the forms lean, stack and interconnect, the sculptures of both artists explore balance, co-dependency, growth and weight. Huidobro’s work has an organic element, combining soft and hard materials to mimic microorganisms. However, Seburn’s sculptures emphasize the man-made, inspired by Northern Alberta’s architecture.
SEAMS TO BE: Curated by Didi Dunphy, the group exhibition in the Lower and Upper Atrium features works by Adah Bennion, Annie Green, Cathy Fussell, Eliza Bentz, Honey Pierre, Jaime Bull, Jamele Wright Sr., Jasmine Best, Kate Burke, Kelly Taylor Mitchell, Sonya Yong James, Trish Andersen and Victoria Dugger. Highlighting contemporary artists in Georgia who are inspired by textiles and use needle and thread in different ways, the exhibition illuminates how traditional fiber techniques can be used to create innovative works. A curator and artist talk will be held on Thursday, Oct. 16 at 5:30 p.m.
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