Transparency and vulnerability are themes that run through the exhibit Fragile Vessels. Cheryl Derricote works on paper and glass, Nate Lewis on paper.

The exhibit runs Thursday, November 10 – Sunday, December 11
Panel Discussion: Monday, Nov. 14, 7-8 p.m.
featuring Kaye Whitehead, Matthew Mulcahy, Cheryl Derricotte and Nate Lewis
Artists' Reception: Tuesday, November 15, 5-7 p.m.

Fragile Vessels is an exhibit of work by Cheryl Derricotte and Nate Lewis. Derricotte’s work on glass and paper is shaped by home (or homelessness); natural beauty (or disasters), memories of happiness (or loss). Both glass and paper are translucent and seemingly fragile, yet they are hearty enough to survive the passage of time between civilizations. Originally from Washington, DC, Derricotte lives and makes art in the San Francisco Bay Area. She holds the Master of Fine Arts from the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS), the Master of Regional Planning from Cornell University and a B.A. from Barnard College, Columbia University. Awards include Emerging Artist at the Museum of the African Diaspora; Gardarev Center Fellow; Art Alliance for Contemporary Glass’ Visionary Scholarship and a D.C. Commission on the Arts & Humanities/National Endowment for the Arts Artist Fellowship Grant.

Lewis’ work is a visual reflection of the competing elements of genetics, the microbiological world, human intervention through medical care, and appeals to the divine which all have a stake in determining the outcome of patients in critical care units. He makes repetitive cellular cuts on paper that reveal these unseen competing elements, creating textures and movement that mirror the internal transformations of patients, their families, and himself. Lewis, originally from Beaver Falls, PA, lives and works in Washington, DC. He has been working as a critical care registered nurse for six years. In 2008, he began pursuing the arts through the music of the violin. In 2010, he began pursuing the visual arts. A self-taught artist, drawing inspiration from anatomy, physiology, disease processes and his nursing experience, he creates stunning, intricate sculptures out of single sheets of paper that visually combine the aesthetics of drawing, sculpture, etching, embroidery, and textiles. Lewis is represented by Morton Fine Art, DC.