BAM to Present 'Echoes of Silent Migration' and 'Taking Up Space'
JONESBORO – The exhibitions “Echoes of Silent Migration” and “Taking Up Space” will open to the public with a 5–7 p.m. opening reception on Thursday, Aug. 21, at Bradbury Art Museum (BAM) at Arkansas State University alongside the curated group exhibition “Stil/Leven, Still/Even.”
Members of the 6 Points artist collective will be present at Bradbury Art Museum for a panel discussion prior to the opening reception. Their talk will be at 4 p.m. following a 3 p.m. artist talk from “Stil/Leven, Still/Even” artist Kay S. Healy. The opening reception will immediately follow.
Admission to the reception and exhibitions is free. The shows will continue through Nov. 5.
“Echoes of Silent Migration” is a solo exhibition of printmaking and ceramics by interdisciplinary artist Somayeh Faal. The show explores ecological crises, especially the degradation of rivers and wetlands leading to desertification.
Faal was born and raised in Iran, and her current work is heavily influenced by the extensive drying of the Miankaleh Wetland in the Mazandaran Province of Iran. Tens of thousands of migratory birds –– primarily flamingos –– died from botulism in 2020 and 2021 in the Miankaleh Wetland due to the decreased water levels, which allow the botulinum bacteria to thrive. Upon further research, Faal learned about the destructive toll of water loss on animal populations around the world, which inspired her MFA thesis research at the University of Mississippi and the work on view in “Echoes of Silent Migration.”
“I see society as a space of artist’s responsibility and one that reflects much of what is back and forth between humanity and the world, both on a macro and micro level,” said Faal, who currently lives and works in Pennsylvania after graduating from the University of Mississippi in December of 2024.
“Taking Up Space” is a group exhibition by a Memphis-based artist collective called 6 Points, whose members are Sharon Havelka, Mary Jo Karimnia, Paula Kovarik, Carrol Harding McTyre, Jennifer Sargent and Mary K VanGieson.
These six women fortuitously came together in pursuit of a supportive, creative community for artists. Their practices and artistic disciplines vary. Three utilize fiber techniques in their work: Havelka works with repurposed fabric and trapunto quilting, Kovarik uses stitching to ‘draw’ the surfaces of her artist quilts and soft sculpture, and Sargent is a tapestry artist exhibiting hand-woven objects.
McTyre and VanGieson both work with paper; McTyre is exhibiting papier mâché sculptures, and VanGieson is exhibiting eco-prints made into cut paper collages and a sculptural paper installation.
Karimnia blends methods and materials, using seed beads and flocking to adorn digital prints made from mid-century postcards.
Of the exhibition title, the group explained, “In Taking Up Space, we recognize the ongoing marginalization of women — particularly as they age — within the broader narrative of the art world. This exhibition asserts our presence, embracing elevated craftsmanship with conceptual depth as an intentional means of engaging with and reflecting on the world.”
Also on view will be “Stil/Leven, Still/Even,” a curated group exhibition of contemporary still life.
Bradbury Art Museum is in Fowler Center, 201 Olympic Drive. Hours of operation are noon to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. Viewers may also schedule a tour of the exhibitions by contacting McMahan, mmcmahan@AState.edu or (870) 972-3434. More details about these shows are available online at BradburyArtMuseum.org.
