On View: January 12 through February 10, 2018
Reception: Tuesday January 30, 3-4:30pm
Artist Talk by Shelia Wilson: Tuesday, January 30 at 11:30am
Three Sisters:
Linda Brewer, Senora Lynch, and Shelia Wilson
The A.D. Gallery is pleased to present a collection of multi-media, traditional, and contemporary art by three Native American Woman Artists: Linda Brewer, Senora Lynch, and Shelia Wilson. The exhibition features work originally displayed by the Guilford Native American Art Gallery in Greensboro, North Carolina and was organized with help from Rick Oxendine, Executive Director of the Guilford Native American Association.
The title of the show is borrowed from the original exhibition and the Native American legend of the "Three Sisters” of corn, beans, and squash. Known as the "sustainers of life" these are the basic foods of sustenance. They are seen as three beautiful sisters because they grow in the same mound in a garden. The corn provides a ladder for the bean vine. The squash vines shade the mound and hold moisture in the soil for the corn and beans. The well-being of each crop planted is said to be protected by another. Although the legend varies among tribes, it usually references these sisters who should be planted together, eaten together, and celebrated together.
Linda Brewer, who is a member of the Lumbee Tribe, credits the many people that have inspired and encouraged her to pursue her dream of creating pieces of art. "God blessed me with the talent, family members were my biggest supporters and critics, friends believed in me, and my twin sister was always there to offer encouragement. All of these things were my inspiration to become what I always wanted to be — an artist." One quote from the famous Georgia Okeeffe sums up the way Linda feels about her work: "I found that I could say things with COLOR and SHAPES that I couldn't say any other way — things I had no WORDS for." Linda received her education and art training at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke where she earned her BA in Art. She teaches art for K-6 at Piney Grove Elementary School in Lumberton, NC. Linda and her husband of 36 years, Virgil, reside in Lumberton. They have three children and five grandchildren.
Senora Lynch is a Warrenton County artist and member of the Haliwa-Saponi Tribe. Senora has been making pottery since she was a young girl is also known by her Indian name, Wicco Quio, which means "Water Flowing Over Rocks". Her hand-built work is based on traditional coiling methods and tells a story as does most Indian pottery. Her style of pottery is magnificently unique and one of a kind. Her pots and sculptures made from red and white clay use contrasting slips of red and white, and they are intricately and carefully etched with traditional and original designs. Senora works in her home studio and spends a lot of her time sharing her talent and her work through demonstrations, teachings and workshops. Her work can be found in many public and private collections throughout North Carolina and the United States. She is married to Dalton Lynch and they have one daughter, Qua.
Shelia Epps Wilson grew up watching women quilt at her Grandmother Jewel Epps' home. During the winter months there was always a quilt in some stage of completion. Shelia's inspiration to become an artist herself came in 2006 when she attended a four-day boot camp at Duke University's Center for Documentary Studies. Sappony Quilts: Covers of Love was the title of her first documentary project. This exhibition contains a large display of Wilson’s newest body of veteran quilts, which detail the story of Native American veterans. Shelia is a member of the Sappony Tribe in Person County and she and her husband Larry reside in Burlington, North Carolina. They have five daughters and eight grandchildren.
