Nationally Renowned Artist to Unveil New Exhibit in Reston

RESTON, VA — Radcliffe Bailey, a nationally recognized mixed-media artist from Atlanta who is known for his collages and sculptures focused on African-American history, will be showcasing his work right here in Reston this spring with a new exhibition.

The Greater Reston Arts Center (GRACE) has confirmed that it will host the first D.C.-area solo exhibition for Bailey in a gallery called, "The Great Dismal Swamp," which will open April 21 and run through July 8.

The exhibition was made possible by a grant from the Arts Council of Fairfax County. The Great Dismal Swamp is the name of a large swamp in southeastern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina that served as a refuge for fugitive slaves.

"At GRACE, Bailey will present a selection of newly commissioned mixed-media works exploring his family history in Virginia, as well as the history of the state’s Great Dismal Swamp," according to a statement from GRACE. "The Great Dismal Swamp, a federally-designated national wildlife refuge in Southeastern Virginia, concealed and sheltered communities of slaves fleeing captivity on the Underground Railroad."

The gallery will explore the communities of freed and escaped slaves that lived in the swamp through paint, "evocative" objects and found images of African-Americans.

"Although deeply rooted in his personal and cultural heritage, Bailey’s work ultimately addresses universal themes of identity and ancestry, hurt and healing, displacement and endurance," guest curator Holly Koons McCullough, formerly of GRACE and now Executive Director at the Arlington Arts Center, said in the statement.

For more information, click here.

Image via GRACE