Conversation with Artist Esteban del Valle

"Viable Option" by Esteban del Valle
Photo from estebandelvalle.com

Esteban del Valle has an exhibit and mural at the Sumter County Gallery of Art called "Breaching the Wall",  mostly based on the 2011 Chicago mayoral campaign of his father Miguel del Valle. 

"Beast of Burden Two" by Esteban del Valle
Photo by SCGA

Originally from Chicago, Esteban del Valle is an interdisciplinary artist living and working in Brooklyn, NY where he maintains an active studio and mural practice. He completed his MFA in painting at the Rhode Island School of Design in 2009, where he received a Presidential Scholarship and the Toby Devan Lewis Fellowship. del Valle has produced murals nationally and internationally, from California to Berlin, and his work has been featured on HGTV, NY1 News, News 12 Brooklyn, and the New York Times and has been included various exhibitions including Pulso: Art of the Americas at KCAD in Grand Rapids, MI, EMPIRIA at Superchief Gallery in NYC, Liars, Actors, and Believers at Cabinet in Brooklyn, NY, and the 2009 New Insight exhibition at Art Chicago. del Valle has also been the recipient of several visual arts residencies and fellowships including Hub-Bub in Spartanburg, SC, ISLAND, the Dejarssi Program, the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, and the Fine Arts Work Center. Most recently Esteban received a 2014-2015 New York Community Trust Van Lier Fellowship as part of his Smack Mellon Studio Program residency in Brooklyn, NY (Bio from SCGA). 

Photo by Alex Seel 

Before my ekphrastic poetry reading based on his exhibit at the Sumter County Gallery of Art, Thursday, May 21, 2015, 5:30-7:30 PM, I had a conversation with Esteban concerning his process and the state of art as expression. Parts One and Two of our talk are below on SoundCloud. For more of Esteban work, visit estebandelvalle.com. 

Conversation with Esteban del Valle Pt. 1

Conversation with Esteban del Valle Pt. 2

Conversation with Artist Antoine Williams

Artist Antoine Williams has an exhibit and mural at the Sumter County Gallery of Art. Antoine's exhibit "The Knife and The Wound" focuses on afrofuturism and race. 

Photo by goldenbellarts.com

Antoine is an artist and educator who received his BFA from UNC-Charlotte. Afterwards, he helped start a local art collective in Charlotte where he coordinated a number of community based art projects such as after school programs, concerts, murals and pop up art shows. In 2014 Antoine received his MFA from the UNC-Chapel Hill. He now lives in Chapel Hill, where he continues his studio practice while teaching painting, drawing, and art history (Bio from SCGA).

Before my ekphrastic poetry reading based on his exhibit at the Sumter County Gallery of Art, Thursday, May 21, 2015, 5:30-7:30 PM, I had a conversation with Antoine concerning his process and the state of art as expression. The talk is below on SoundCloud. 

Photo by Charlotte Magazine

Conversation with Antoine Williams