My Scars Exposed
Works by Donald Black Jr.

September 12 – October 4, 2014

Reception: September 12 – 6-8 pm
Artist Talk: September 24 – 6:30 pm

I was the kid who never left my scabs alone; I picked at them.  I’m not sure if I was attracted to self-inflicted pain, but what I do know is that I was attracted to the breaking of patterns on my skin and the mark that would be left behind.  I liked the permanency and mystery of scars.  Then there are, what I call, the unmarked scars.For a long time I did not know these scars existed because I tucked them before I had a chance to ignore them.  My environment even blanketed these scars because where there is drugs, murder, guns, scarce food and income – there is little time to stop and examine or care for wounds.  I just survived and I kept on going. The smartest thing I did in survival mode was the decision to create art.

As a result, art has become the antagonist of my emotional and psychological scars.  It forces me to “pick at”, to “open up”, and to “aggravate” all of my damaging wounds. It requires me to closely examine the effects of the scars in relationship to who I am.

My residency at Zygote will be an exploration of my scars and my obsession with process.  The work will be displayed through the photogravure process. This process echoes my attraction to permanency and mark making. —Donald Black, Jr.

Donald Black Jr. is a Cleveland artist who works with video, installation, and photography.  He is an alumni of Cleveland School of the Arts and studied commercial photography at Ohio University. Black received third place in Nikon’s international photo competition.  His work explores family relationships, racism, environment, and identity.  Storytelling and technical process is key in Black’s work. He is currently a member of acerbic, which is an interdisciplinary group of artists who go against the proper order of things.

Collector’s Affection

August 8 to 31, 2014
Reception: August 8 — 6 to 9 pm

Collector’s Affection showcases works from over a dozen local artists included in the private collection of John Farina and Adam Tully.  Selected artists include Michelle Murphy, Mark Brabant, Hilary Gent, George Kocar, and many more.  Works from the collection will be shown alongside recent works from each artist.

This exhibition is generously supported by John Corlett.

The Collectors: John Farina & Adam Tully have been collecting art together since they met nearly eight years ago. Adam actually became an instant collector when he met John, who had already begun his collecting of Cleveland art many years earlier.

The collection they have amassed over this time now numbers over 350 pieces – almost 90% of which is art by Cleveland artists. There are a few pieces by some of Cleveland’s well known ‘Cleveland School’ artists such as William Sommer and Paul Travis, but the bulk of it is made up of recent contemporary work.

“We bought a bigger house last year to accommodate our collection and, well, we’re already full,” says Farina, “but that hasn’t stopped us from continuing to add to the collection.”

Frankly, there’s not enough room here to mention every artist in the collection. There’s plenty of work by lesser-known, emerging artists mixed in with many of the most established names in Cleveland’s art scene. “We buy what we like,” says Tully, “it is more about our enjoyment than anything. Every piece is valuable to us.”

Simon dePury once said “[Art] collecting is a beautiful disease and is also totally incurable.” Judging from their collection, it would seem that John & Adam are obviously afflicted with the ‘disease’ and don’t have any interest in being cured.

Bio: John Farina and Adam Tully are avid art collectors with more than 350 works in their collection. Together, they are members and supporters of the Print Club of Cleveland, Zygote Press, the Cleveland Museum of Art, SPACES, ARTneo, Waterloo Arts and the ALS Association – just to name a few. They are also owners of the Maria Neil Art Project, a gallery located in the Waterloo Arts District. If you’re at any gallery openings or art events anywhere in Cleveland (and beyond), you will likely run into them.

John is in his fourth year as the President of the Board of Directors of SPACES. He recently chaired the search for a new Executive Director and is currently leading a Capital Campaign effort for a new location for SPACES. He is also the Interim Executive Director for ARTneo and has managed five successful countywide levy campaigns. Every March you can also find John managing the crowds at the Cleveland International Film Festival.

Adam has his Masters in Library Science from Kent State and is a graduate of the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, majoring in Double Bass. You’ll find him playing in the session band at nearly every concert for the North Coast Men’s Chorus. When Adam is not out gallery hopping, playing his bass or volunteering somewhere, he is usually buried in a book or his PlayStation. He is the operations manager at the Brooks Brothers store in downtown Cleveland.

John and Adam live in Collinwood with their two cats, Emma Peel and Hex. Oh, and lots of art.