Marine biologist Heather Robertson Stoker creates art to invite people to share her passion: shells.
Stoker digitally enhances and paints photographs of her personal shell collection onto Art Deco-style posters in bold colors, emblazoned with a shell’s common name and the scientific name of the marine invertebrate that inhabits the shell.
“I find the topic of marine biology so interesting that I want to make it accessible to people who maybe aren’t familiar with it, and I think art is a good way to do that,” Stoker said.
Art for the Masses, an annual show organized by the University of North Carolina Wilmington to connect the community to local, affordable art, drew Stoker’s attention because it aligned with her mission to engage people to think about shells and the marine life that depends on them.
Stefanie Mancuso, interim associate director of campus life arts and programs, said arts and programs staff members partner with the art and art history department to bring local, original fine art to the public in a comfortable setting at affordable prices.
“For us, it’s about awareness. Sometimes art doesn’t seem accessible,” Mancuso said. “To put the name on it and appeal to the masses, to have it on campus makes it a little more accessible.”
Submissions are juried into the show to ensure quality, and the jury of art professors, student artists and other arts and humanities professionals honed in on the event’s fine arts focus this year. From jewelry to baskets to woodworking, artists had to demonstrate a certain level of intricacy and involvement to be accepted. The jury carefully weighed about 150 submissions, selecting 99 artists to participate in the show.
Because fewer artists will set up shop during the event, each artist will be offered more space to exhibit and sell work this year, a change Mancuso said many artists requested in past years.
Artists must keep prices below $250, but unlike many other shows, they can retain all profits from sales made during the event. The $50 fees charged to all accepted artists are funneled into other public art programs at the university, including Sculpture on the Commons, a juried competition for sculpture students and opportunity to exhibit work.
Art for the Masses will take place Nov. 22 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Burney and Warwick centers on UNCW’s campus. The event is free, but donations will be accepted.
Parking will be available in Lot M, across from the baseball field, and Lot E, outside the Fisher Student Center.
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