OCTC's Dayman Art Gallery Hosting "WaterWays" Art Exhibition by Allena Marie Brazier

Opening Reception: Tuesday, January 28, 2025 | 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM

by Katie Powers

Owensboro, KY (01/21/2025) — Owensboro Community and Technical College (OCTC) invites the public to join us for the opening reception of WaterWays, an art exhibition by celebrated artist Allena Marie Brazier. This special event will take place on Tuesday, January 28, 2025, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in the Dayman Art Gallery, located on the upper level of the Learning Resource Center (LRE) on OCTC's Main Campus at 4800 New Hartford Road, Owensboro, KY 42303. Refreshments will be provided.

This exhibition is a collaboration between OCTC's Visual Art department and Student Affairs division. It celebrates Black History Month and offers an opportunity to experience the thought-provoking work of Allena Marie Brazier, who will be joining us from St. Louis, Missouri. We encourage the community to come together for a warm OCTC welcome and an early kickoff to Black History Month celebrations.

"At OCTC, we are committed to celebrating the richness of human experiences and perspectives. We are thrilled to share this exhibition with our community as part of our Black History Month celebrations," said Sharmy Davis, Dean of Student Affairs at Owensboro Community and Technical College.

About the Exhibition: WaterWays

WaterWays highlights the navigable bodies of water that connect people, places, and histories. Through her abstract artwork, Brazier explores how waterways serve as tools for navigating physical, spiritual, and emotional landscapes, as well as memory and freedom.

"We are proud to host this exhibition at OCTC and to welcome Allena Marie Brazier to our campus. Her work serves as a meaningful reminder of the power of creativity to connect us to history, our landscape, and to one another," said Dr. Scott Williams, President of Owensboro Community and Technical College.

About the Artist: Allena Marie Brazier

Allena Marie Brazier, a native of East St. Louis, Illinois, is an accomplished artist, curator, and writer. She holds an MFA from Washington University in St. Louis and a BFA in Sculpture with a minor in Art History from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. Her work has been featured in notable exhibitions such as Belonging: Cross River Art Exhibition, Existence of Coziness, and Turn Upon Them: Reveal to Heal.

Brazier's has received the International Sculpture Center's Outstanding Student Achievement in Contemporary Sculpture Award. She serves as the 9th Katherine Dunham Fellow with the St. Louis Arts and Education Council, and was named the Inaugural Curator-in-Residence at Washington University. In addition, she is co-organizing an Educational Exhibition titled Make the River Present at the Contemporary Art Museum-St.Louis along with many other co-collaborated events. Allena has also self-published several faith-based books, including Making Faithful Habits. Brazier brings a multidisciplinary perspective to her work, reflecting themes of community, faith, and memory.

OCTC AFA-Visual Art Program Coordinator, Abbi Ruppert added, "Allena and I have been friends for over seven years, growing as artists and individuals since our undergraduate days at SIUE. I deeply admire her intuition, material sensibility, and gift for building meaningful connections. With her strong sense of identity and spirituality, Allena is the perfect artist to present Waterways, an impactful and culturally relevant exhibition for Black History Month at the Dayman Art Gallery."

Don't miss this enriching opportunity to engage with powerful artwork and honor the contributions of Black artists during Black History Month.

For more information about the exhibit, please contact OCTC Associate in Fine Arts - Visual Art Program Coordinator, Abbi Ruppert at abbi.ruppert@kctcs.edu.

Media Attachments