MARA DUVRA TO BE SEEN / TO BE MANIFOLD

On view in the 2007 Emerson Gallery February 11 to April 6, 2019

Juxtaposition Arts (JXTA) proudly presents the work of Minnesota-based visual artist Mara Duvra in the 2007 Emerson Gallery on view from February 11 to April 6, 2019.

Her current body of work, Tending: meditations on interiority and blackness, is focused on centering softer visual representations of women of color, using poetic and ephemeral imagery to understand Blackness beyond public identities. This work addresses what it is to be hyper-visible and simultaneously unseen.Tending is about the quiet and quotidian, the still and meditative. With photographic images, poetry, found objects, and small sculptural arrangements, Duvra creates an environment that encourages stillness and contemplation of interior landscapes. The installations and corresponding texts introduce wonder and imagination into the handling of black identities. In this project, Duvra uncovers poetic representations of tenderness, calm, and creativity in order to create a rich anthology of representations of blackness.

The opening reception and artist talk will be held on Thursday, February 14: doors open at 6PM, and the artist talk will take place at 7PM. Gallery admission and all events are free and open to the public.

Open hours & artist talk during NCECA 2019: Saturday, March 30, 2019
Open Hours: 12:00-4:00PM
Artist Talk: 1:00PM Emerson Gallery, 2007 Emerson Avenue North, Minneapolis, MN 55411
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About the Artist:

Mara Duvra is a visual artist and writer. Her research-based practice combines photography, poetry, and video to create installations that explore stillness and interiority as critical modes of self-study. Duvra’s current body of work, Tending, uses poetic and ephemeral imagery to understand Blackness beyond resistance or public identity. Originally from Maryland, Duvra received a BA in Studio Art and Psychology from the University of Maryland, College Park, and an MFA in Studio Art from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. Her work has been featured in local galleries such as Soo Visual Arts Center, Public Functionary, and Yeah Maybe, and she was an Artist-In-Residence at The White Page. Duvra is currently a Jerome Emerging Artist Fellow, a Minnesota State Arts Board Artist Initiative recipient, a curator at the Waiting Room at Gallery 71, and an instructor of painting and drawing at Saint Paul Academy and Summit School.

Artist website: http://www.maraduvra.com/

About Juxtaposition Arts:
Founded in 1995, Juxtaposition Arts develops community by engaging and employing young urban artists in hands-on education initiatives that create pathways to self-sufficiency while actualizing creative power. JXTA’s work builds North Minneapolis’ cultural, financial, and social capital by training the local youth workforce in creative industries and investing in the equitable development of North Minneapolis and the West Broadway commercial corridor. JXTA offers free year-round arts learning programs for youth, community events, and jobs for teens in the core program JXTALabs. After completing the rigorous 12-week Visual Arts Literacy Training (VALT), youth aged 14-21 are eligible to apply for an apprenticeship in one of the JXTALab micro businesses. JXTA employs 70 young artists and 30 adult artists and staff annually. For more information, please visit www.juxtapositionarts.org.

Juxtaposition Arts’ current contemporary arts programs are made possible by a host of individual donors and the generous support of AchieveMPLS, Best Buy, Bush Foundation, General Mills Foundation, George Family Foundation, Harvard Club of Minnesota, The Kresge Foundation, McKnight Foundation, Minneapolis City of Lakes, Minneapolis Foundation, Minnesota State Arts Board, Otto Bremer Trust, Rosemary and David Good Family Foundation, Surdna Foundation, Target, Twin Cities LISC, , and funded in part by the arts and cultural heritage fund as appropriated by the Minnesota State Legislature with money from the Legacy Amendment vote of the people of Minnesota November 4, 2008.