By Cassandra Hardman, Staff Writer

Published in print Apr. 1, 2015

The Winston-Salem Enrichment Center hosted the opening night of their “Fuzzy Dreams and Robot Things” exhibit Friday night. The exhibit opened at 5:00 p.m and featured many different types of art. I had the pleasure of meeting the Enrichment Center’s director Valerie Vizena, who was kind enough to show me around and introduce me to a few of the Artists of Gateway Studios whose work was featured in their exhibit.

As one enters the exhibit from the gift shop, Corey Williams’s work adorns the first wall on the right. Her work featured various types of pieces. There were three framed paintings hanging that Williams said she had did with just colored pencils onto regular sheets of paper. Williams also had a few canvases hanging which featured acryllic paint renderings. One of her pieces and perhaps her most memorable, “Tico’s Taco Truck,” was a painting of a taco taxi that had a truck with a huge taco placed on top.

The extra creativeness added to her taco painting were animals surrounding and driving the truck. The inspiration for the work was not her love for tacos, as one might expect; rather, Williams explained, “I saw another picture of a taco taxi, and the animals came from a book I’m reading.”

The exhibit featured another painting by Williams entitled “Owls at Dusk”; Williams explained that owls are in fact her new favorite things. She showed me two owls she painted and with the use of clay was able to create a 3-D effect on the owl she titled “Hoot”. She had also made an owl out of fabric, which she had sewn together. “I just learned to sew, this was my third piece.” Williams said.

Directly across from Williams was another wall full of paintings from artist Tripp Collins. Eight canvas paintings of his in many different sizes hung on the wall and another creature of art was on display directly below. One of Collins pieces “Boogie Bear” was selected as the art that was used on the exhibit’s program.

Another of his pieces, “Robo Breakin’”, depicted Michael Jackson and others doing the robot in the highly popular “Thriller” costume.

Amongst Williams and Collins work there was many other amazing paintings and sculptures from other artist like the “White Bunny” a piece from Diana Robbins, “Black Cat” from Sarah Ashby, who both had numerous different clay sculptured pieces featured in the exhibit. Greensboro artist Jeff Beck’s work was featured on the back walls of the exhibit. Beck had many canvas paintings but one of his most notable works was “The Siren,” a sculpture decorated with alcohol inks and acrylic paints.

*The exhibit’s opening was enhanced by a food sampling provided by the Center’s Culinary Arts students, followed by a live performance by the Center’s Percussion Ensemble under the direction of Aaron Bachelder.

“Fuzzy Dreams and Robot Things” will remain in exhibit until May 8. Gallery hours are Tuesday through Friday from 11:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. and viewing appointments are available. For more information about the exhibit or the Enrichment Center and their mission visit their website at http://www.enrichmentarc.org or call (336) 837-6832.