Artist and Student Ardella Reliford’s Work on Display through September 30;
Public Invited to Open House on September 25
An exhibit on Antioch University Midwest’s (AUM) campus is bringing attention to the often overlooked paintings and visual images of African-American women. Part of the Antioch Art & Lecture Series, “faces that are never seen…” is an exhibition of work by student and artist Ardella Reliford, who is pursuing a master’s degree in Special Education at the University. The exhibition is currently on display through September 30 and the public is invited to a special reception from 5 to 6:30 pm on September 25 at 900 Dayton Street, Yellow Springs, Ohio. There is no cost to attend.
“I made an effort to paint subjects that are unknown, but represent an important segment of the population: African-American women who lived, worked and sometimes died without making a headline in the news or an important invention,” Reliford said. “Yet their contributions were just as great, and continue to be part of the glue that holds our society together.”
Reliford believes that “art transcends cultural boundaries and reflects the innermost aura we all possess,” which she demonstrates in her work. Reliford specializes in using recyclable items to create her art and, in addition to traditional techniques, experiments on “uncommon surfaces” such as a pancake griddle or a clothes iron.
She was born in the Delta region of Holly Springs, Mississippi and raised in Terre Haute, Indiana on a small farm. Reliford was the first in her family to attend college and graduating, taught art for a number of years in Dayton, Ohio public schools as well as area charter schools. She is also published author with her novel, Lacroix, in 2000 and her illustrated children’s book, Mr. Peevy Forgets, in 2001.
