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Amy Pirkle and UA Creative Co-op Share Book Arts Exhibition at the CAC

BOOK ARTS BY AMY PIRKLE AND UA CREATIVE CO-OP FEATURED AT THE CULTURAL ARTS CENTER ON DEC. 5Amy Pirkle in her studio printing

(Tuscaloosa, Ala.) The Arts Council of Tuscaloosa will host The Things We Shared at the Dinah Washington Cultural Arts Center during the month of December. The exhibit, composed of works by UA faculty member and book artist Amy Pirkle, will open with a reception on Dec. 5, 2014 from 5 – 8 p.m. during First Friday and will conclude on Jan. 9, 2015.

Creative Co-op, a UA student group dedicated to promoting student artists and makers, will be featured in a temporary exhibit in the black box theatre space the evening of Dec. 5. Student art and crafts will be for sale including prints, artist books, ceramics, knitted hats, jewelry and more. The group will also perform a short demo and offer take-aways to visitors.

Amy Pirkle received the M.F.A. in Book Arts from The University of Alabama in May 2007. During her time in graduate school, she established Perkolator Press. As a printer and book artist, her primary medium is letterpress and reduction relief, but she often employs other printmaking techniques as well. Although her work stems from a long-standing craft tradition of fine press and fine binding, she also enjoys integrating newer forms of technology into her books. Familial relationships and memory are the major inspirations for her work.Amy Pirkle, "Things We Shared" exhibition at the DWCAC

Pirkle has enjoyed an active exhibition record, and her work resides in Permanent Special Collections in almost 50 universities across the U.S. including the Art Institute of Chicago, Brown, RISD, Vanderbilt and Yale. Her books can be found in “500 Handmade Books” (2008) and “500 Handmade Books,” Volume 2 (2013). Enjoying an active exhibition schedule throughout the U.S. and Australia, recent exhibitions include the Redland Museum (Queensland, Australia), the Hunter Museum of American Art (Chattanooga), the Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts (Wilmington) and the New Orleans Museum of Art. The artist currently teaches book arts, drawing and design at The University of Alabama for the Department of Art and Art History, University Honors and New College.

The title for Pirkle’s current body of work is The Things We Shared, and it explores the artist’s relationship with her identical twin sister. This exhibit includes the books “Eight Bedrooms, “The Twin Code” and “Hands,” as well as framed prints from the books. “Eight Bedrooms” (2013) examines the prominent role that memory serves in Pirkle’s relationship with her sister. “The Twin Code” (2014) presents many unspoken, yet implied, principles the two follow, and “Hands” (2014) features a poem written by her sister.

“As a book artist, I am most interested in creating a narrative for the viewer. Books are intimate; they demand a one-on-one interaction with the reader. Relationships and memory are the primary inspirations for my books, particularly those experiences I share with family members,” stated the artist.

The Arts Council Gallery hours are weekdays from 9 a.m. – 12 noon and 1 p.m. – 4 p.m. Admission is free.

The Dinah Washington Cultural Arts Center is located at 620 Greensboro Ave. in Downtown Tuscaloosa. For more information about the CAC, The Arts Council or Bama Theatre, patrons should LIKE the Facebook page The Arts Council – Bama Theatre – Cultural Arts Center and follow tuscarts on Twitter. Call 205-758-5195 or visit cac.tuscarts.org for further information.

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FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Kevin Ledgewood, Publicity
The Arts Council
(205) 758-5195, x6
pr@tuscarts.org
http://www.tuscarts.org