Trauma Dump Opening Reception
Join us for the opening reception of “Trauma Dump”, a duo show with Luz Angel and Joseph Smolin exhibited at Modal Coffee & Hostel’s gallery space. Come and enjoy coffee, beer, or wine as you experience the latest works by Luz & Joseph.
Show curated by Rae Clark and poster design by Deltalys Media.
This show is presented by The Queer Arts Initiative and the new works Joseph Smolin is showcasing were created with support from the South Carolina Arts Commission and Metropolitan Arts Council.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
JOSEPH SMOLIN
Joseph Smolin, born in Birmingham, AL, is a painter and multimedia artist. He has shown work in numerous spaces around the Southeast. His duo show with Virginia Russo, Invisible Planet, was created for the main gallery at the Greenville Center for Creative Arts. He also worked with Griffin Cordell to create NO SLEEP THEME PARK, an interactive and immersive art exhibition that debuted in the Metropolitan Arts Council Gallery. He co-founded and contributes to the nonprofit art magazine Rattlesnake, which aims to highlight a diverse set of underground voices in the South. When he’s not painting, Smolin takes pride in building community as a curator, live painter, and teacher. He currently lives and works in Greenville, SC.. Learn more here.
LUZ ANGEL
Luz Espinoza is a multimedia printmaking artist based out of Greenville, South Carolina. They graduated from Clemson University in 2020 with a Bachelors in Fine Art. Their artistic drive was deeply influenced by their mother’s and father’s line of work, a fashion modiste and a wood craftsman respectively. Luz uses paper and digital collage, illustration, and a variety of printmaking methods such as screen printing, intaglio gravure, photopolymer gravure, and monotype techniques in their work. The subject matter of their work typically revolves around their personal interests such as music, science, the macabre, and seeking out a reaction from the viewers. Their most recent exhibition in 2023 was hosted by local Greenville cinema arthouse Gutpunch Cinema, as well as local press and art magazine Rattlesnake Press at the Artistry Workshops & Gallery in downtown Greenville. In that show, titled Here on Out, Luz was able to explore the themes of nostalgia and exhaustion through the cyberspace that they inhabit in the digital world. Luz strives to merge whimsical, bright, and playful atmospheres with a sharp, vivid, and melancholic subject matter.Learn about Luz here.
TRANS(MISSION): A Frequency of Growth
Enjoy the works of Bex Miller & Max Ramsey as they use their artistic energy to celebrate Pride! Original pieces, as well as large and small prints will be available to purchase along with a raffle to raise money for the QAI.
QUEERFEST 2024
Join the local LGBTQIA+ Community for the premier kick-off event of PRIDE 2024 at Modal as we highlight over 15+ non-profits serving the Upstate along with artistic talent, musicians, and performers sponsored by the Queer Arts Initiative. This family-friendly event offers a celebration LGBTQ+ arts and community! Enjoy LIVE music from local performers and browse a curated art exhibition showcasing queer painters and ceramic artists. Don’t miss special drag performances and an after party at Swanson’s Warehouse.