First Friday report: Harrison Center to feature several special exhibits

Artist Johnny McKee has created a meditative collection of skyscape paintings which will comprise Prodigies and Portents, to be on exhibit in the Harrison Gallery when the Harrison Center hosts its initial First Friday of 2023 from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, Jan. 6. The exhibit’s title comes from a quote by Henry David Thoreau.

Other exhibits at the Harrison Center will include:

Visions of the Between by Alfredo Marin Carle in the Gallery Annex. An exhibit of acrylic paintings on paper, panel, and canvas exploring spirituality and Buddhist philosophy in the form of abstract compositions.

Samos Beta, a group exhibit in the Speck Gallery. This past September, eight Indianapolis area artists participated in the Samos School of Critical Thinking’s Artist Residency Program on the island of Samos in eastern Greece. The work in this exhibition is the culmination of the inspiration, reflection, and creation of each of these artists as they processed both their time on the island and their time in the studio upon returning.

Drawn to Neighbors, a group exhibit in the City Gallery. A series of portraits depicting long-term community members drawn, painted, and created during the Harrison Center’s weekly Storytelling Drawing Sessions. 

From Mud by Cierra Johnson in the Hank & Dolly’s Gallery. In this collection of mixed media artwork, the artist Cierra Johnson reflects on the concept of creating something from what seems like nothing.

REEVALUATION by Isreal Solomon in the Underground Gallery. Through this series of geometric acrylic paintings, the artist processes and reevaluates his relationships, work, and own worth and value. 

In-person gallery tours will open for visitors Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Online galleries will open on Jan. 7. Make an appointment or view the online galleries at harrisoncenter.org/buy-art. Special Senior Hours are every Friday from 2 to 4 p.m. No appointment is needed.

The following report was featured in the the December 2022/January 2023 edition of Urban Times:

Opening First Friday, Jan. 6. CCIC artist Stewart Wayne will present ALPHA ICONIC, a new body of work featuring paintings of entertainers who have dominated their field or genre, as well as gay art of “alpha” men, and a few animals and miscellaneous depictions of iconic events and moments. Wayne said he felt a strong pull to January as the first month of the year with “alpha” being the first letter of the Greek alphabet.

PHOTO ABOVE: The Harrison Center sits at the corner of Delaware and 16th streets in The Old Northside.