"An Artist Cannot Fail; It Is a Success To Be One." ~ Charles Horton Cooley .......... "!! LIVE ART OUT LOUD !!" ~ D. DelReverda-Jennings

D.  DELREVERDA-JENNINGS   ......   INTERDISCIPLINARY ARTIST:

::   LIVING ART OUT LOUD   ::

I have been making art in some manner for as long as I can remember and do so passionately...  I consider the Visual Arts field to be an invaluable and sacred profession..without art where would we all be, as it is an integral part of our daily lives...    

A native of Alaska, I was raised as a youth in Chicago and educated in parochial academy institutions.   From that timeline,  I have since traveled a creative and an artistic journey influenced by the kaleidoscope of cultural nuances...  I currently work as an arts administrator, facilitator and free-lance in a number of arts disciplines throughout the Midwest.

Primarily Self-taught, I work from a diverse repertoire, this lends to my being a prolific visual artist that has been a practicing creative for well over two decades.... I absolutely relish the whole of the experience.

My signature figurative sculptural work is organic, extremely detailed and textural, resulting in ethereal pieces evocative of ancient entities with some of the techniques relating to ethnic craft archetypical of ancient West Africa...  I create large Decorative~Functional "FrameMirror Work" artpieces (my own concept and design) inclusive of handwrought, incised, highly charged, worked and reworked (chased and repousse`d) surfaces, deeply variant, tactile compositions of metalwork and often hand-tooled leather.

I create welded works, wall relief's, original castwork, printmaking, fetishes, totems, collage, carvings, assemblage and constructions, functional-utilitarian objets d'art, installations, public art works, claywork, mixed-media, illustration, photographic works, textiles & fiber, textural abstract compositional works, and compelling 2-Dimensional narrative paintings which primarily address my lineal connection to and illuminate the importance of African American, Caribbean Latina/o,  Afro-Caribbean and Afro-Latin's in the context of the African-Diasporic culture and the divine feminine/Women's art of the Diaspora.   I often incorporate symbolism and reflections of African, Native Alaskan and Taino cultures.

I fashion my work utilizing a wide spectrum of media and materials ("Steel to Stone/Paint to Paper), integrating vibrant hues, organic patinas, complex surfaces and incised reliefs, handwrought treatments and emphasized textures.  I have also brought facets of my complex textural work to my exclusive artisan "Statement" design jewelry line (begun in 2010) which feature handwrought precious and semi-precious metals, semi-precious stones and mixed-media..that speak in bold character and substantial elements, capturing the spirit of the contemporary woman seeking pieces of distinction in wearable artistry.

As Founder, Independent Curator/Administrator/Artist Consultant for the annual "FLAVA  FRESH ! " juried, multiple Art exhibition presentation series, I present the six month long, annual Indianapolis, IN., art events project as part of my mission and initiative to bring about a greater awareness, appreciation, inspiration, support and exposure for visual artists; especially those undiscovered, under-represented, emerging, mid-career and Artists’ of Color through a series of commercial, professional art exhibition venues.

I am blessed to have received numerous awards and honors and was inducted into the acclaimed national publication series, "Who's Who in Indianapolis_6th  Edition in 2009.  Was awarded a  number of Mayoral Proclamations for my "FLAVA  FRESH !" juried, multiple Art exhibition presentations, sustaining the exhibition as a month long, Indianapolis community_October event, which will be continued annually.   I am listed in the 2010 International Dictionary of Artists, my sculptural work was selected to be showcased in the Black Art In America (BAIA), Commemorative Book in Tribute of Oprah Winfrey, "A Time, A Season,"  and I was honored to have been selected as an Arts Council of Indianapolis (ACI) _Creative Renewal Arts Fellow (CRF) in the recent past.    I have been the recipient of a number of Indiana Arts Commission (IAC) - (IAP) Awards throughout the last decade.    In 2012, I was selected as one of Forty-four Contemporary African American Artists, renowned and emerging, to create my own interpretive rendition of a bust of President Barack Obama for "Visions of Our 44th President" the historically significant and avant-garde art collaboration with the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History and Peter Kaplan of Our World. LLC.     "Visions of Our 44th President," is a collective sculptural  exhibition created to recognize and celebrate the historical significance of the first African American President of the United States of America.

My work has been exhibited internationally in Canada and the Caribbean, have participated in national group and solo exhibitions.  Select pieces of my work are held in both private and corporate collections.

Selected Exhibition Venues - Regionally; ___Have exhibited in a good number of professional commercial art venues such as the Museum of Science and Industry_Chi, IL. / the Dayton Visual Arts Center (DVAC)_Dayton, OH. / Sinclair College _Dayton, OH. / The King Arts Complex_Columbus, OH. /  work showcased on Home and Garden Television's (HGTV) syndicated popular series "That's Clever!" and on the DIY Network. / Artworks showcased in "Dreamtime: Universal Achetypes," a WFYI  TV-20 ~ PBS documentary movie, and my work has been shown on numerous regional television broadcasts and in Florida as well as highlighted in numerous print publications.

In Indiana; ___Selected Exhibition Venues have included:  The Arts Council of Indianapolis Corporate Offices. / The Arts Council of Indianapolis ~ Indianapolis Arts Garden. / the Hoosier Salon Patron Association and Galleries_INDPLS, IN. / the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art_INDPLS, IN. / Dean Johnson Gallery_INDPLS, IN. / Four Star Art Gallery_INDPLS, IN. / the Indiana Historical Society_INDPLS, IN. / Indiana State Museum_ INDPLS. / The Art Museum of Greater Lafayette_IN. / Clowes Memorial Hall of Butler University_ INDPLS, IN. / Indiana University~Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) _IN. / Indiana Black Expo, Inc. / Indianapolis Marion County Public Library (IMCPL). / IMCPL's Annual "Meet The Artists" Gala and Art Exhibitions. / URBANE  D'ART Inc.  Art events and venues. / Celebration Of Spirit 1, 2, 3. / FLAVA  FRESH  I - IX !

An Independent Art Curator and Juror, I also serve as a Regional Indiana Arts Commission Advisory Grants Panelist Juror, an Indiana Artisan Project Grants Juror, as well as a Scholastic Art and Writing Awards Adjudicator.    I am also a speaker and have lectured at prominent academic entities including IVY Tech Community College and as a keynote speaker at IUPUI.   As an author and poet, I received an IAC ~ IAP Literary Grant_2011-2012,  and a Marguerite Press Literary Award in 2003.   My 2011 book, "HORIZON: CONTEMPORARY INDIANA ARTISTS' OF COLOR," was purchased by the Indianapolis Marion County Library (IMCPL) and selected to be included and showcased in the "Nina Mason Pulliam Indy Special Collections Room."

Am former Chairwoman of the Indiana Black Expo, Inc., Cultural Arts Pavilion, "Artists' Market" from the inception of the venue in '04 through ‘08, and was also the Chairperson for the IBE Inc., "Classic Saturday Art Fair's" two year run, '05-'06. Was awarded a 2002   I.C. Master Artist Fellowship, have been a vocal activist/advocate for the Arts, for Arts Inclusion and Artists' of Color and an active member of a number of local/regional/national arts organizations including the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art. / the Hoosier Salon Patrons Association and Galleries. / Woman Made Gallery. / the Fund for Women Artists Inc. / the African American Visual Arts Guild (AAVAG). / Indianapolis Downtown Artists and Dealers Assoc., (IDADA). / MELANGE . / former member of "I AM" Artists Group, Indianapolis. / past member of the Alaskan Metal Arts Guild (AMAG). /

As a Regional Arts Editor/Journalist/Poet/Writer - Author for the last seventeen years...through the compounding of Arts disciplines, the artists themselves, their work, my interaction with these individuals and the connectiveness of artistry, my life is impacted 24/7, 365 days of the year with constant creativity....Art is my life, my love, an internal force, passion, focus and precedent.


I create to be heard; to manifest my joy, to tell my story...to feed my spirit and satiate my creative inner child...I create because I am driven...and hope that others who experience this sharing of my artistic magic will come away with the same appreciation and enthusiasm that I receive in conceiving and producing each piece.

JUST COMPLETED PARTICIPATION IN:     Featured Artist and Author in " MEET THE ARTISTS'  XXIV "_2012, an annual two month long art exhibition presented by the Central, Indianapolis Marion County Public Library (IMCPL).     This event is an initiative of the IMCPLibrary's African-American History Committee (AAHC).    __Tony Radford /Curator/Committee:

WHAT I'M WORKING ON NOW:   ___  ONGOING;   

Pieces for my upcoming Solo Exhibition, "CAUGHT BETWEEN THE SUN AND HEAVEN:     "RITE OF PASSAGE_FGM - TRAPPED BY TRADITION Series," a number of new sculptural pieces that deal with the atrocity of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and Physical Abuse which will be shown in a solo gallery exhibition at the GALLERY 924 @ the Arts Council of Indianapolis in 2013  ...  In addition to a number of large paintings and an installation or two for confirmed upcoming exhibitions in 2012 and 2013 including the Twenty-Fifth Anniversary Celebration of MEET THE ARTISTS' XXV  _2013,  @ Central, Indianapolis Marion County Public Library (IMCPL).

Blessed with the support of an Indiana Arts Commission _IAP Grant in Literature, I have published " HORIZON: CONTEMPORARY INDIANA ARTISTS' OF COLOR, " the first volume of an ongoing series of collective biographies under this title, in hopes of bringing about greater awareness and appreciation for Indiana native or resident Artists of African descent practicing visual art disciplines, and for the creatively rich artistic heritage and culture from which they are inspired.      I gratefully acknowledge the Indiana Arts Commission (IAC) and the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), a federal agency, for their generous support.     The new book will be available in 2012, as well as an earlier book of poetry, "BABYLON ROOT," at the Central, Indianapolis Marion County Public Library's, Annual February Gala presentation of the "Meet The Artists  XXIV" Exhibition, with the Opening Reception being held on Saturday, February 18, 2012.   < See "My Events" for Details:

ALWAYS WORKING ON: ____ "FUNDING" issues in relation to facilitating the creation of more and larger artpieces as well as working in traditional media such as bronze.      Acquisition of a large , secure commercial exhibition/storage / Studio Space (8,000 - 10,000+  sq. ft. +)  ...  !$$$!$$$!$$$!$$$!  ...  ASHAY!

 

RECENT, CURRENT AND UPCOMING EXHIBITIONS INCLUDE:

FLAVA FRESH IX !  _2012 - 2013,   Annual Juried, Contemporary Art Exhibition Presentation Series. __Indianapolis, IN. /

SPEAK!  WOMEN SHARING VOICES THROUGH ART @ THE ELIJAH PIERCE GALLERY:   Creative Women of Color (CWoC). ,  with BETTYE STULL ~ Independent Curator:    Exhibition/Workshops through August 25, 2012._2012.       King Arts Complex. __Columbus, OH. /

VISIONS of OUR 44Th PRESIDENT:   _2012.    The Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History. __Detroit, MI. /

"CAUGHT BETWEEN THE SUN AND HEAVEN"  __  Solo Exhibition.    Gallery 924.      _2013.   The Arts Council of Indianapolis.     __IN. /   

MEET THE ARTISTS' XXV  _2013.     Central, Indianapolis Marion County Public Library (IMCPL).   The Twenty-Fifth Anniversary Celebration.    Sponsored by the IMCPLibrary's African American History Committee (AAHC).    __IN.   >>>  Featured Artist ~ Paintings. /

__The SullivanMunce Museum__"Hoosier Master Artists; Past and Present,"  March through June, 2011,  _INDPLS~Zionsville, IN. / ... The Indianapolis Arts Garden., _Arts Council of  Indianapolis (ACI). _IN. / ... "TRANSCENDENCE,"  August  2011 at Gallery 924 ~ Arts Council of Indianapolis (ACI).,  IN. /  ... Indianapolis Marion County Public Library (IMCPL), _North. / ... FLAVA FRESH VIII ! Annual Juried, Multi Art Exhibition Presentation of local, regional, national visual artists., _INDPLS, IN. /   ...  Clowes Memorial Hall of Butler University.,  _INDPLS, IN.  /  Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) ~ Cultural Arts Gallery (CAG). _INDPLS. /  Central, IMCPL ~"Meet The Artists XXIV"_2012. _INDPLS. / 

VIEW VIDEO'S  ► ► ►

 ►  VIEW THE  "MEET THE ARTISTS  XXIV " (MTA) 2012 EXHIBITION INTRODUCTION__Channel 16/17 TV__IMCPL's 'Between The Lines.' : 

___  http://www.imcpl.org/arts/?page_id=1156 .

►  VIEW THE " TRANSCENDENCE "  EXHIBITION INTODUCTION VIDEO  from GALLERY 924.  _   Featuring FLAVA  FRESH VIII !  Artists__Local, Regional and National.  __ D.  DelReverda-Jennings ~ Founding Artist/Independent Curator: __ Indianapolis, IN.

___  http://www.artscouncilofindianapolis.org/gallery924/ .

►  CHECK OUT A PAST EXHIBITION TELEVISION SHOW PROMO FOR FLAVA FRESH VII !    
___  http://www.wishtv.com/dpp/indy_style/kitchen/flava-fresh .

►  VISIT MY BLOG and VIEW an example of my Artist information initiative of over seventeen years: " ARTISTS'  INITIATIVE " ...... Which will be Updated Bi-Monthly With New Information, Resources, Events and Opportunities for Artists of All Disciplines...... Subscribe!

" ARTISTS'  INITIATIVE "
___  http://www.ddelreverda-j.blogspot.com

___ http://www.ddelreverda-j.blogspot.com/p/living-art-loud.html  .

!!! My New Book_2011 !!!    The first volume of an ongoing series of collective biographies under this title celebrating Indiana's AA Visual Artists.

ZEN ~ PEARLS OF WISDOM - SWAY Series: _ Detail ...... By ... D. DelReverda-Jennings ......   :: Sculpture ::    Non Ferrous Metal / Precious Non Ferrous Metal / Mixed-Media / Natural Elements  / 36"  Circumference /.