Warp Weft Water Weeds

The Van Every/Smith Galleries are pleased to present Warp Weft Water Weeds, a solo exhibition by Elizabeth Bradford. The exhibition highlights the talent of an artist who has spent fifty years diligently working within our own community, capturing the evolving landscapes she holds dear. Over twenty monumental canvases created over the last few years will be on view, each filled with exquisite details and vibrant, pulsing colors.

Bradford often describes being in nature, whether hiking, kayaking, or painting en plein air,  as “cures for pain.” Many also find solace in nature, but what happens when the places that normally bring us comfort are threatened, transformed by time, (over)development, and climate change? Though Bradford’s paintings are undeniably beautiful, with intricate details painted in vivid color, these pressing concerns lie at the heart of her work. She makes evident the wildness, weirdness, and fragility of nature, asking us to reflect on our relationship with the land, perhaps with the goal of gently guiding us to take responsibility to protect and preserve these sanctuaries.

Elizabeth Bradford (American, b. 1950) studied art at Randolph-Macon Woman’s College, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Charlotte, and at Davidson College. She has participated in artist residencies at the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, Amherst, VA; Moulin à Nef, Auvillar, France; Skopart Foundation, Skopelos, Greece; and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, IL.

Bradford’s many solo exhibitions include those at the Cameron Art Museum, Wilmington, NC; Blowing Rock Art & History Museum, Blowing Rock, NC; the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, NC; Davidson College, Davidson, NC; and Hood College, Frederick, MD. Bradford’s work is included in museum, corporate, and private collections across the US.

Elizabeth Bradford: Warp Weft Water Weeds is accompanied by a 240-page, hardbound catalogue featuring essays from Dr. Emily Stamey, Curator of Academic Programming & Head of Exhibitions at Weatherspoon Art Museum, UNC-Greensboro; Dr. Leo Mazow, Louise B. and J. Harwood Cochrane Curator of American Art, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts; and an interview between Bradford and Tyler Green, award-winning historian and critic who has produced and hosted The Modern Art Notes Podcast since 2011.

If you are interested in purchasing an exhibition catalogue, please contact Marisa J. Pascucci.

Exhibition, programming, and publication are made possible through the generous support of the Wells Fargo Foundation.