Upon entering the Christine Price Gallery in the Castleton Fine Arts Center, guests are greeted by 17 unfamiliar faces. Though they are made of oil paints and canvas, these life-sized portraits fill the Casella Theater entrance from wall to wall, as part of the gallery’s newest exhibit.
The works are the creation of local Vermont artist, Kate Gridley, whose “Passing Through” exhibition features a unique collection that capture the personality and life stories of 17 emerging adults.
Combined with simple media interaction, getting to know the characters spread throughout the gallery is exactly what the collection is about.
“What I am doing is honoring our adolescent and emerging adult generation through paint combined with photography and sound,” said Gridley. “’Passing Through’ honors seventeen young people whose stories and thoughts at a moment in time matter as they move forward into the world.”
Through the use of QR codes located next to each portrait, viewers can use their smart phones to listen to hand crafted interviews voiced by the person represented on the canvas. Allowing viewers the rare chance to interact with the art, Gridley took the time to get to know each individual.
“It’s very cool looking at their faces and hearing their voices. It makes me feel like I know them,” said Emma Faucher, a senior who took a moment to enjoy the gallery’s display. “The paintings are very realistic, down to the veins in their hands and the wrinkles on their shirts.”
From her studio in Middlebury, Vermont a place she has lived and painted full-time since 1991, Gridley channels her insights into capturing human character through her unique painting technique and use of light. Having studied in both New York City and Florence, Italy throughout the course of her life, she now regularly holds exhibits throughout New York and New England.
“Passing Through” is scheduled to run from April 4 through May 7. The exhibit encourages viewers to let life stop around them for a while to fully allow the interactive experience to introduce the characters portrayed as the artist intended.