FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Create Appalachia Announces the Opening of a New Exhibit: Imaginary Realism: Digital Images by Cynthia Decker
Gallery at Create Appalachia’s Kingsport Center for Art & Technology
225 W Center Street, Kingsport, TN 37660
Exhibit opens Friday, April 12, closes Monday, June 3
Free Admission, weekdays 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM
Opening Reception: Thursday, April 18 from 6 to 7:30 PM
April 8, 2024: Create Appalachia welcomes Asheville-based artist Cynthia Decker to their Kingsport gallery with an exhibit of digital artwork featuring surreal environments, fantastical imagery, and an expert demonstration of digital tools in the hands of a creative. This exhibition will be displayed in the Gallery at Create Appalachia’s Kingsport Center for Art & Technology, 225 W. Center St., Suite 115, Kingsport and runs from April 12 to June 3. A family-friendly opening reception will follow on April 18, 2024, from 6:00pm – 7:30pm. Exhibit-themed mocktails and light refreshments will be served.
“I think of my images as a calculated combination of the familiar and the impossible,” says Cynthia Decker in her artist statement. “My images are how I see feelings and experiences, and It’s my hope that you can see how they fit within your own life story as well. I am inspired by the everyday, by life lessons, small moments, and big ideas. My goal is to take these inspirations and present them to you the same way I see them in my head—as objects for you to discover, and places you could walk into and explore.The digital medium is finding its place in the art world, and it’s my hope that artists use, value and enjoy all available means of creative expression, whether that’s digital or physical. I hope that artists and art lovers everywhere continue to push the boundaries of what constitutes a fine art medium.”
“This exhibit illustrates perfectly the artistic possibilities of digital work,” says Katie Hoffman, Executive Director of Create Appalachia. “It’s right in line with our mission. Even unpacking the art was a joy–Katie Edwards, our wonderful curator, arranged for this show. She and I pulled one gorgeous, imaginative delight after another out of those boring brown shipping boxes. This art is lush, gorgeous, and beautifully intricate. It’s spectacular as visual work, but Cynthia’s clever labels raise each piece to another level, pulling the viewer into the ideas behind each one. There’s precariousness, hope, humor, pathos–and so much more! There are so many layers to this work that you really have to view it multiple times. I can’t wait for people to come in and see this. It’s a crowd-pleasing show that will appeal to people of all ages!”
For more information, please email Katie Hoffman at katie@createappalachia.org.
Create Appalachia strives to make the Appalachian Highlands a better place to live and work by supporting innovation and entrepreneurship centered around the arts and creativity. We work to sustain an environment that will generate new businesses, provide jobs in arts-based businesses, and highlight the important role that creativity plays in the region’s economic vitality. A robust schedule of exhibits at the Kingsport Center Gallery is one of the many ways that Create Appalachia provides support and opportunities to regional entrepreneurs and creatives, though the organization also offers professional programming, technical resources, coworking and private offices, and unique collaborations with are partners. Create Appalachia serves Northeast Tennessee, Southwest Virginia, and neighboring counties in North Carolina and Kentucky.
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Press Contacts:
Katie Hoffman, Executive Director
katie@createappalachia.org
423-329-4742
Katie Edwards, Exhibit Committee Chair & Exhibit Curator
magiccitykatie@gmail.com
336-409-8934
