An Evening with Suzanne Stryk, Acclaimed Author and Artist

Sponsored by Create Appalachia and The Kingsport Office of Cultural Arts

Thursday, November 17 at 6 PM

Renaissance Center, 1200 E Center Street, Kingsport, TN

Admission is free, but reservations are encouraged

Don’t miss this chance to meet and learn from Suzanne Stryk, critically acclaimed regional artist and writer. This event, presented by Create Appalachia and the Kingsport Office of Cultural Arts, will feature an artist talk. a small pop-up exhibit of Stryk’s past and present work, and readings from her recently published book The Middle of Somewhere: An Artist Explores the Nature of Virginia (Trinity Press, 2022). A meet-and-greet with the author and book signing will follow the program, and local independent bookstore Atlas Books will be on hand with copies of the book for purchase.

In the introduction to The Middle of Somewhere, Stryk says: “There’s no such thing as the middle of nowhere. Every place is the middle of somewhere for some living being.” Her art reflects keen observations regarding the presence—and the power–of nature. A beautiful and effective mixture of visual and written art, The Middle of Somewhere centers on Stryk’s creative process, which eventually produced her critically acclaimed art exhibit “Notes on the State of Virginia,” followed by The Middle of Somewhere. The Virginia Museum of Art, recognizing the value of this exhibit, recently purchased it in its entirety for its permanent collections.

This will be an evening to remember! Stryk’s approachability and her infectious enthusiasm make her programs a delight for people of all ages. It will be a special treat for those who enjoy art focused on nature and the outdoors.

For those who wish to sample Stryk’s book ahead of time, Create Appalachia has donated copies of The Middle of Somewhere to the Kingsport Public Library and the Johnson City Public Library. There is also a copy on reserve at the Create Appalachia’s Kingsport Center for Art & Technology (225 W Center Street, downtown, in the old City Hall Building). Come sit and read a spell on one of our comfortable couches or chairs!

For more information, contact Katie Hoffman (katie@createappalachia.org) or Hannah Powell (hannahpowell@kingsporttn.gov).

OFFICIAL ARTIST BIO: Suzanne Stryk was born in Chicago and currently resides in Southwest Virginia. She’s had solo exhibitions in locations throughout the country, including the National Academy of Sciences (DC), the Morris Museum of Art in Augusta (GA), the Eleanor B. Wilson Museum in Roanoke (VA), and Gallery 180, The Illinois Institute of Art in Chicago. Her paintings have hung in over 60 group shows, including those at the The Anchorage Museum of Art (AK) and The Butler Institute of American Art (OH). A mid-career survey of the artist’s work, “Second Nature: The Art of Suzanne Stryk,” spanning the years 1990-2005, was organized in 2005 by the William King Museum in Abingdon, Virginia, an affiliate of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.

The artist’s images have appeared in numerous publications, including Art Papers and New American Paintings, with full portfolios in Shenandoah, The Kenyon Review, Orion, and Ecotone. Among the collections that own her work are the Smithsonian (DC), The David Brower Center (Berkeley, CA), The D’Arcy Wentworth Thompson Collection (Scotland), and the Taubman Museum of Art (Roanoke, VA). Her series of drawings “Genomes and Daily Observations” appears in the Viewing Program at The Drawing Center (NY, NY). She is the recipient of a 2007 George Sugarman Foundation grant and a 2010-11 Virginia Commission for the Arts Individual Artist Fellowship for her project “Notes on the State of Virginia.” The travel and art-making involved in this project inspired Suzanne’s first book, The Middle of Somewhere: An Artist Explores the Nature of Virginia (Trinity University Press, 2022).