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Home » News » Recap: “Art as Social Commentary” at Gadsden Arts Center & Museum

Recap: “Art as Social Commentary” at Gadsden Arts Center & Museum

Published October 1, 2018

On Friday night, the Art as Social Commentary exhibition, hosted by the Department of Art, opened at Gadsden Arts Center & Museum. The exhibition features two artists: Mark Messersmith and Carrie Ann Baade.

The exhibiton will be ongoing until December 15th at the Gadsden Arts Center & Museum.

In response to the social ills of the world, artists Mark Messersmith and Carrie Ann Baade have created bodies of work that challenge humanity’s impact, and relationship with, the environmental, sociological, and economic climates. In stark contrast to many contemporary artists who have distanced themselves from traditional, representational painting, Messersmith and Baade create richly detailed oil paintings that incorporate traditional techniques, iconography, and symbolism rooted in Medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque painting. Mark Messersmith’s moody, chaotic landscapes feature crimes against the environment and indigenous cultures and evils specific to Florida and its unique ecosystems. Carrie Ann Baade creates imaginative, surrealist meta-narratives detailing her view of the apocalyptic climate the world has adopted due to religious and sexist dynamics.

FSU MFA & BFA Art students, Elton Burgest, Toni Ardizzone, Kelly Hanning, Brian Holcombe, Caroline Manuel, and Michelle Wilcox had art on display in the Zoe Golloway Gallery in the Gadsden Art Center. Using a variety of mediums, these students also explored the theme of art as social commentary. Elton Burgest said “being an African American, opportunities like this were the reason I came to FSU.” Burgest, as well as the other students in the exhibit are extremely grateful to the gallery curator, Angie Barry, for her hard work and assistance in putting together this exhibition.