Beyond the Material: Lockhart & Weisner
September 7-October 7, 2023
"Beyond the Material" featured two of Cincinnati's finest artists, Cynthia Lockhart & Mark Wiesner. This exhibition explored the concept of material manipulation, pushing of artistic boundaries and the transformation from the ordinary to the extraordinary.
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Cynthia Lockhart, Fiber Artist
Cynthia Lockhart’s fiber art is infused with a kaleidoscope of diverse influences such as: Nature, fashion, music, dance, travel, African and Cultural arts. Lockhart’s textiles are distinguished by their pulsating colors, which simulate the vivaciousness of her African ancestry, and by their irregular, organic shapes and circles. The artist's textile creations, which push the boundaries of the traditional quilt form are composed of colorful fabrics arranged in dynamic patterns. Her fashion and accessories design background provide the perfect platform for creating exquisite three-dimensional artwork. Lockhart's fiber art tells a story-one that encourages people to understand the diversity of people, cultures, and beauty in the world around them. In 2022, Cynthia Lockhart’s quilt, “Created to Be Me”, was accepted in the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s Renwick Gallery in D.C. In 2021, Lockhart received the Ohio Arts Council Individual Excellence Award and her art was featured at the Riffe Gallery, in Columbus Ohio. Her work is included in the collections of University of Cincinnati, Michigan State University and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. Lockhart’s work has been featured in “The Artist Magazine” numerous publications and private collections. She is a member of the Women of Color Quilters Network, led by Dr. Carolyn Mazloomi. Noteworthy is her inclusion in the “Encyclopedia of African American Artists”, and artwork on the cover of iconic fashion magazine, “Women’s Wear Daily”. Professor Lockhart taught Fiber Art Fashion, Art of Jewelry & Leather Accessory Design, Masters of Design Professional Development Seminar courses at DAAP, and Co-op courses at University of Cincinnati. Lockhart is on the Emeriti Board at the University of Cincinnati and serves as co-chair for the Emeriti Arts and Culture Committee.
Mark Wiesner, Sculptor
Mark Wiesner, a sculptor, is a native Cincinnatian. He is a graduate of Edgecliff College in Cincinnati where he received his BA with a concentration in Art and he went on to receive a Masters from the Ath-enaeum of Ohio in Religious Studies. He was a teacher at The Summit Country Day School for 39 years having taught within the Middle School and the Upper School and also served as the Department Chair. In 2005 he received the State Middle School Art Teacher of the Year Award from the Ohio Art Education Association and in 2015 he received the State High School Art Teacher of the Year Award. Mark shares a studio at the Pendleton Art Center with his wife Jan, who is also a sculptor. He is represented by Cincinnati galleries Caza Sikes Gallery and Millcroft Gallery and by Singulart, an international online gallery based in Paris, France. Mark and Jan have five children and seventeen grandchildren.
