EXTENDED_Resilience exhibit finale

THIS MURAL EXHIBIT HAS BEEN EXTENDED THROUGH FEBRUARY 23

The mural finale will be on January 24 and 25, 2019 from 6-9PM with the artist and five other local and regional BOJUart gallery artists on hand to meet.

Resilience: a live interactive and immersive mural painting experience and recent paintings by Nico Cathcart at BOJUart gallery, Friday January 4 to January 26, 2019.

The artist will start the live mural painting and exhibit on First Friday, January 4, 2019 at 11AM and will be available from 6-9PM to meet and talk about the inspiration of her work and current exhibition. A live question and answer sessions with the artist will be held Thursday January 10 from 6-7PM and Saturday January 12 from 2-3PM.

Resilience is an immersive, interactive experience, curated by BOJUart Gallery, which pulls the viewer into the personal mythology of the muralist Nico Cathcart. Spanning four weeks in January 2019, the artist will be present, live-painting a mural based on her recent work involving birds. She is using these animals as a metaphor for resilience in the face of disability. The artist is in the process of becoming deaf through a genetic tone-based hearing loss. She first noticed the disability when the birds went silent. As an avid bird watcher, and hiker, she realized that the woods had become silent in places that used to be full of life. Now she uses birds in her work as a reminder to not take these things for granted, but also as a reminder to preserve in the face of hardship.

This exhibition will display some of her recent, never before seen, oil and mixed media paintings of birds done in the past year alongside the live painting, as well as framed studies for the mural in pencil, and gouache. In a first for BOJUart, the gallery is also asking the viewers to participate in the live exhibition by meditating on their own frustrations and setbacks, and setting them free by creating a bird to affix to the murmuration wall. Through the process of live painting, and by asking the viewer to take part, the artist is asking the observer to consider their own personal adversity, and subsequent resilience. We live in trying times, and it is good to be reminded of the strength of the human spirit, so that we might allow growth to be gleaned by hardship.

Once completed, interested enthusiasts will have the opportunity to purchase the complete mural, or one of the five 4’x5’ panels of which it is comprised for either indoor or outdoor application.

[media_image image=”{‹²›attachment_id‹²›:‹²›1772‹²›,‹²›url‹²›:‹²›//bojuart.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/PHOTO-CREDIT-Helio-Sun-Photography.jpg‹²›}” width=”300″ height=”200″ link=”” target=”_self” __fw_editor_shortcodes_id=”4947a977f9d9f9a82eeaa26e4ddc84c0″ _array_keys=”{‹²›image‹²›:‹²›image‹²›}” _fw_coder=”aggressive”][/media_image]Nico Cathcart

Nico is a painter, sign maker, and muralist hailing from Toronto, Ontario, who strives to discuss Feminism, Minority Empowerment, and Conservation in her highly-colorful works.  Currently creating and adventuring in southern wilds of Richmond, VA. She works with the themes of empowerment, and conservation often, and her work has been shown in many galleries and museums throughout the continent, including the MASS MOCA, Gallery 5, Glave Kocen, The Beard Gallery, The Dowd Gallery, 1975 gallery in Rochester NY, La Bodega Gallery in San Diego, District Local in Vancouver, and many more. She holds a dual BFA in Painting and Ceramics.  She is an active national-level muralist, with work in the Richmond Street Art Festival, Wall Therapy in CNY, Spirit Walls in Pittsburgh, and the Richmond Tattoo and Arts Festival as well as many businesses and restaurants throughout the Richmond Metro area. Nico most recently co-curated the exhibition “Fresh Paint: Murals inspired by the story of Virginia”, on display now through April 21st, 2019 at the Virginia Museum of History and Culture, and “Glitter and Grit”, a feminist exhibition at Gallery 5. Recently her work was featured in the book “Murals of Richmond”. You can find her work in many corporate collections including Capital One, Kutak Rock, as well as many personal collectors. When she is not painting, you can find her volunteering for many non-profits- Including Art on Wheels, Connor’s Heroes, Fetchacure, and the YWCA. (Photo credit: Helio Sun Photography)

Painting shown courtesy of the artist: Millie and William, oil on canvas, 48 x 30 inches

Nico also has many other recent works in the exhibit