Rutter Family Art Foundation invites you to Work | Release for their upcoming exhibition, Native, featuring more than 20 artists with local ties to Norfolk and southeastern Virginia.
Defined, the word Native is the place or environment in which a person was born or a thing came into being. Generally considered the location in which someone originated, it is a word that denotes belonging and an ingrained ownership of a place, creating an invisible community. This exhibition explores the many facets of being Native, specifically within Eastern Virginia, and how the unique qualities of the land and culture distinctly informed the creation of the 21 pieces included in the show.
As a community almost entirely surrounded by water and rising sea levels, there is an ingrained lifestyle within Norfolk's nomadic culture. Being one of the world's largest ports creates a transient space between water and land, home and away, environment and industry. A landing point throughout history, these waterways have been arteries that flow deep into our nation and leave Norfolk and the surrounding region brimming with history and local lore. Whether one heralds from afar or has always called Norfolk home, the social and political cartographies spill into daily life and seep into the artist's studio. Works consider the uncanny pairings of flooded front porches and a pelt made of lost keys, sugary frosting and historic wallpaper, military mothers to Virginia Beach tourists, and the euphoric discovery of sunken treasure, only to find imported knock-offs. This survey of local artists was selected from an open call and encompasses a range of approaches to artistic practice, from self-taught artists to full time makers, from academics and educators to collaborative teams. Native is an innate glimpse into the ways in which sea and land have a significant impact on a sense of home and personal identity.