Two exhibitions at arts center illuminate the Black experience

Published 1:30 am Wednesday, February 2, 2022

Two exhibitions, “Face Values” by Marita Dingus, and “Swimming Against the Current” by Byron Stewart, will have an opening reception from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 4, at Vashon Center the Arts (VCA), with both artists present.

“The exhibitions by two accomplished Black artists are part of the work VCA is doing to recognize Black History Month and also to show VCA’s commitment to amplifying the work of Black artists year-round,” said gallery director Lynann Politte.

Bryon Stewart is a Black, self-taught artist who has painted and drawn for more than 30 years. The bulk of his formal training took place in high school — he graduated from Vashon High School (VHS) in 1991 — and attributes his art education to his VHS art teacher Martha Woodard. (See story, this page.)

Marita Dingus defines herself as an African-American feminist and environmental artist. Primarily creating mixed media sculpture, she uses discarded materials to create her “dolls” — variously sized figures made of discarded trash, with hand-painted faces.

The found parts and discarded materials used by Dingus come together to create sculptural forms intended to reflect the totality of the Black American experience, drawing on relics from the African diaspora.

“My approach to producing art is environmentally and politically infused: neither waste humanity nor the gifts of nature,” Dingus has written. “…The discarded materials represent how people of African descent were used during the institution of slavery and colonialism then discarded, but who found ways to repurpose themselves and thrive in a hostile world.”

Dingus also said that in her work, she seeks to mitigate waste and pollution in all her work.

“This is a creative challenge, but a commitment I incorporate into my professional and personal activities,” she said.

Dingus’s work at VCA is paired with that of Stewart, whose exhibition, “Swimming Against the Current,” is a visual representation of a running conversation the artist has with himself and others about the origin of man and his place in the universe.

The show includes large acrylic paintings filled with symbolism and other paintings of brightly colored koi and “thought flowers.” As a science-loving child, Stewart lived in a home also containing astrology ephemeris and a Bible. This combination of influences set the stage for his home being filled with fascinating conversations about the universe and humanity.

Both exhibitions will be on view until Feb. 27. Regular gallery hours are 12 to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday.