Join us for a Closing Reception, 07/01, 5-7pm. Free & open to the public. Note: Any artwork left for firing may be picked up during this time.

“As an artist, mother and art educator, many parallel concerns have emerged. Through my artwork I am asking the following questions: What is passed on? What transcends our lives and persists in our children and in future generations? What words, moments, and relationships inform our consciousness? What is the role of compassion in education and creativity?

These questions are existential and as such are best explored in artwork with open ended interpretations. Through the process of teaching and creating art I have found that compassion and connection to others allows the transference of thought and meaningful understanding of the world. The characters and symbols in my artworks are playing out these stories. They represent the parts of each of us that give and receive knowledge. They also express some moments that are lost in translation and the confusing result of mixed messages that we all must navigate.
I’m interested in how things beyond words impact our consciousness and are transmitted person to person, moment to moment. Our aesthetic experiences through touch, smell, sound, sight and taste inform our lives in ways that are difficult to comprehend. These artworks explore that process of seeking knowledge that transcends generations, time and individuals, and tries to connect with essential truths about our “Cognition Transmission”. Through this body of work I will investigate these questions about what we Pass On, and open up the experience to viewers through discussion and participation.”

April is the Senior Supervisor of Visual Arts for Portsmouth Public Schools. She received a Master of Fine Arts Degree from Norfolk State University and Old Dominion University and a Bachelor’s Degree of Fine Arts from Old Dominion University.