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    Let the Light In

    Addison Graham's Stormwater Post-MFA Residency Exhibition is on view from August 21 - September 8, 2024.

Stormwater Post-MFA Residency Program

The Stormwater Post-MFA Residency Award is given to a Studio Art MFA candidate who has demonstrated sustained excellence in their studio practice and successfully completed their thesis exhibition. Selected by faculty, the recipient is awarded a summer residency at the SVAD Studio at Stormwater Studios, culminating in a public exhibition.

2024 Artist-in-Residence: Addison Graham

Exhibition Title: Let the Light In
Exhibition Dates: August 21 - September 8, 2024
Opening Reception: August 22, 5:00 - 7:00 p.m.

Artist's Statement

As an artist, I delve into the themes of landscape, memory, emotion, and perception, exploring how they intertwine to craft intangible and transformative experiences. My childhood was spent amidst the Ouachita and Ozark mountains in Arkansas, a period that fostered a deep-rooted connection to nature. This personal bond with nature, always intertwined with human-made structures such as power lines, architectural features, and pathways, forms the essence of my work. I am particularly interested in exploring the influence of human interaction on nature. This includes the effects of buildings, walkways, and invasive species. This theme is a recurring focus in my art, and it invites the viewer to reflect on the fragile equilibrium between natural landscapes and man-made structures.

Emotions and the environment combine to create transformative, intangible experiences. How can a landscape evoke nostalgia? Why do humans associate specific outdoor environments with their experiences? I employ a rich variety of mediums to investigate these questions, orchestrating colors, shapes, and light dispersion. This use of diverse materials and colors creates complex environments, much like the ones we inhabit, that capture the visual effects of time and weather.

Artist Biography

Addison Graham is a fine artist from Fort Smith, Arkansas. She received her BFA from Arkansas Tech University in 2020 and recently graduated from the University of South Carolina with an MFA in Studio Art.

Graham has received a multitude of awards including a scholarship to the Penland School of Craft, distinguished service for her university, and the post-graduate MFA residency at Stormwater Studios. Her artwork has been showcased in various galleries and museums across Arkansas and internationally in Taiwan. One of her notable achievements was participating in the inaugural student solo exhibition at the Fort Smith Regional Art Museum in 2019. In 2023, she was selected as a printer for visiting artist Mark Dion for a two-layer screenprint.

During her summer breaks, Graham interned at The Half and Half, a local, award-winning screen-printing company specializing in music merchandise and fine art reproduction. She also teaches printmaking workshops at the Columbia Museum of Art. Currently, Graham is an adjunct professor for entry-level drawing and painting classes at the School of Visual Art and Design.

Challenge the conventional. Create the exceptional. No Limits.

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