Nostalgia and humor can be risky terrains in the art world. After all, there’s an awful lot of Future Things to be serious about these days, and artists are very good at reminding us of that. But if you gaze at the offerings in Bri Peterson’s forthcoming exhibit “Stay Gold,” you might be convinced there’s value, too, in bringing “a sense of joy to the present.” That’s the way Peterson — a California native and longtime Arkansan who’s done illustration work for the Arkansas Times — puts it in her artist statement, which frames the exhibit’s levity as a departure from her typical artistic turf:
I typically work in more serious subject matter, revolving around themes of nature and human connections. Stay Gold is a series of artworks that step away from serious subject matter and encourages viewers to recount positive experiences. My body of work consists of mixed media pieces that highlight pop culture moments from my childhood, growing up in the 1990s. Through this series I was reminded to find joy in creating, positively reminisce, and to laugh at my own jokes more than anyone else.
@Bumble_Bri_ArtworkAnd, as someone who’s obsessed with a few of this exhibit’s touchstones — Alan Jackson, Dolly Parton, the 1996 comedic sci-fi film “Mars Attacks!” — I’m all in.
@Bumble_Bri_Artwork
@Bumble_Bri_ArtworkThe exhibit opens with a reception at THEA Foundation (401 Main St.) in North Little Rock’s Argenta District, 5:30 p.m.-8 p.m. on Thursday, June 6.
