Dare County Arts Council to celebrate female artists during Women’s History Month

For the month of March, Dare County Arts Council’s Gallery in downtown Manteo will host two special exhibitions featuring Outer Banks female artists Holly Overton, Dawn Gray Moraga, Jasmin Miller and Kinga Rojek-Wojtowicz.

A spectrum of topics including climate change, social and political injustices, mental health and consumerism will be explored through paintings and drawings by Holly Overton, Dawn Gray Moraga and Jasmin Miller in their exhibition Her Ironic World.

“I believe the role of art is to share the absolute truths of the current times and to remind people that there is good in the world, and our show aims at both,” said artist Holly Overton. “I have really enjoyed collaborating with Jasmin and Dawn over the past year to develop the theme of our show and support each other’s process, and I am grateful to share the fruits of our labor with the community that each of us call home.”

While Overton’s work will direct your gaze to the human influence on the natural world by juxtaposing hyper-realized roses within scenes of environmental concern, Moraga’s Blue Dress Series highlights women who have made a great impact on society.“The Blue Dress Series I am working on is about different women throughout history that are represented in a blue dress with a controversial or heroic parallel to the situation represented,” said artist Dawn Gray Moraga. “I’ve never done a body of work that made me this nervous, so I am guessing that I am on the right path.”

Miller’s charcoal and conte portrait series The First Decade reveals psychological highs and lows by way of portraits.

“This will be my first art show as a stay-at-home mother of two tiny children, and one of the biggest accomplishments outside of that title in a long time,” said artist Jasmin Miller. “I hope viewers take the time to look at each piece and really take it in. Look for the metaphors, pay attention to how you feel when pondering, and allow a seed to be planted. Each of our series has plenty of depth to pass along, and we invite you to let your curiosity explore.”Her Ironic World will open in the Courtroom Gallery on Friday, March 4. Students from Calvino Studios will be playing background piano music during the opening reception.

Kinga Rojek-Wojtowicz’s solo exhibition, Nature’s Medicine Cabinet, will also open on Friday, March 4 and will be on display in the Vault Gallery.Nature’s Medicine Cabinet highlights a flow of paintings depicting the feeling of traveling in time and reconnecting with nature.

“My art is an invitation to ignite the joy to explore the limitless cures hidden in nature,” said artist Kinga Rojek-Wojtowicz. “I hope you will enjoy coastal nature’s abundance of therapeutic benefits through my paintings.”

The opening receptions for Her Ironic World and Nature’s Medicine Cabinet will be held from 6pm to 8pm on Friday, March 4. The receptions are free and open to the public. Visitors will be able to meet these talented artists during the opening receptions.

Her Ironic World will be on display through Friday, March 25 and Nature’s Medicine Cabinet will be on display through Saturday, March 26. Dare County Arts Council’s Gallery is open Tuesday-Friday 10am-5pm and Saturday 10am-4pm.

For more information about these exhibits, please call (252) 473-5558 or visit DareArts.org.

Dare County Arts Council is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts organization dedicated to encouraging the arts in Dare County through advocacy, enrichment and opportunity.