Beverly & Sam Ross Gallery
CURRENT ART EXHIBITION AT THE BEVERLY & SAM ROSS GALLERY
Fall 2024 BFA Exhibition
December 13, 2024 – February 14, 2025
Opening Reception: December 13 • 5:00 – 8:00 pm
Ciridany Genchi Cortez was born in Mexico and raised in Georgia. As the daughter of immigrants, she had challenges; yet she obtained guidance from others. In her youth, she received a scholarship to pursue art at a nearby art studio. She continued art until she attended her freshman year of high school and placed a halt and later continued to practice it again. She is now a student at Christian Brothers University, studying in Visual Arts with a concentration in Art Therapy. She is an active participant in the Stars organization, from which she received the All-Star recognition in 2024. She was awarded the 2025 Christian Brothers University Lasallian Fellowship which is one of the top awards in her college. Ciridany Genchi Cortez will complete her studies in December 2024, although her formal graduation will occur in May 2025.
ARTIST’S STATEMENT
Inspired by her surroundings and the experience of growing up as the daughter of immigrant parents and navigating hardship in her life, Ciridany Genchi Cortez explores the idea of breaking down barriers and motivating a feeling of optimism using art forms, installation, making, and sculpture. Based on anti-immigrant behavior and cultural background, her works of art provide a glimpse of how one could visualize the difficulties and rough edges immigrants experience. Despite all the difficulty and obstacles, the outcome of those who have followed the same road encourages humanity the despair to hope of future endurance. For this reason, she uses butterflies as a symbol of the courage and determination that many people share in the face of adversity.
Piper Grokulsky is a painter and mixed-media artist from Memphis, TN, who explores themes of memory, dreams, and reality. She received her BFA from Christian Brothers University and has been recognized for her artistic achievements, winning five awards over three years in the fine arts section of the university’s literary journal. She has also taken part in group exhibitions with the Memphis Art Salon. Through her work, she transforms the intangible into physical form, blending memories, dreams, and reality into expressive layers of oil paint, collage, and sculptural objects. Her use of vivid colors and recurring motifs creates a visual language that invites viewers to engage with the complexity of human experience.
ARTIST’S STATEMENT
I am a painter and mixed-media artist working with oil paint and recycled materials. My work explores the blurred boundaries between reality and the dreamworld, transforming the intangible confusion of life into physical form. Rooted in my experience of blending memories, dreams, and reality, my art reflects a constantly shifting perspective where time, people, and events overlap. This interplay is expressed through layered collages, expressive paintings, and sculptural objects, each embodying the way disparate elements merge to form a cohesive whole.
The people and places I encounter deeply influence my work. Vivid colors dominate my pieces, reflecting the intensity of experiences as they unfold. Yet, when I look back, these moments blur, mirroring the dreamlike way I process memories and view the world. Recurring motifs, like distorted hands, symbolize the tension between power and vulnerability—or the absence of it—offering a window into the complexities of human connection.
My process begins with writing, serving as a journal for my thoughts, emotions, and experiences. I then source imagery and text, pulling together elements that visualize my story. Collage is central to my work, where I distort and exaggerate forms to create a chaotic yet intentional foundation for my paintings. The fluidity of oil paint allows me to build layers that mirror the ever-changing nature of memory and perception. In my abstract paper sculptures, I repurpose and blend recycled materials—mainly receipts and found objects—transforming everyday items into symbols of forgotten stories.
I invite viewers to reflect on the blurred line between reality and memory, and encourage finding meaning in the chaos of confusion. Through saturation, distortion, and abstraction, I aim to evoke a sense of connection to the complexity of personal experience. My work reflects my personal journey, where seemingly contradictory qualities—fluidity and meticulous attention to detail—come together. As I continue to evolve as an artist, I strive for my work to reflect the constant adaptation and shifting of the world around me.
MADAMEFRAANKIE: Intertwine
October 28 – December 20, 2024
Artist Talk, Monday, December 9 • 5:30 pm
MadameFraankie is a photographer based in her adopted hometown of Memphis, TN. Her work, often candid, explores narrative preservation within the Black experience. The subject matter is influenced by the desire to challenge the social and ethical norms within American Culture. Through themes of normality, softness, and “reaching back,” she aims to re-contextualize Black narration and photographic storytelling. She is currently exploring alternative photo-processing techniques and opening her practice to include a mixed-media approach. Using cyanotype methods, watercoloring, and fabrics, she creates a permanent channel for the mediums of her ancestors to play an active role in the work.
The Beverly + Sam Ross Gallery is located on the lower level of Plough Memorial Library in the center of campus on the Buckman Quadrangle, easily accessible from the Central Avenue parking lot and the East Parkway entrance. All exhibits are free and open to the public.
CONTACT
Scott A. Carter, MFA
Assistant Professor and Gallery Coordinator • (901) 321-3243 • scarte20@cbu.edu
