“My Ancestors Sent Me,” Harry Rivera solo exhibit

Join us for a Soft Opening of our new expanded exhibition space as we welcome painter Harry Rivera for a solo show! We’ve almost doubled our square footage at Art Garden with a new gallery, more working studios, and a workshop space large enough to accommodate social distancing for limited classes, returning soon!

Our first guest artist in the expanded exhibit space, Harry Rivera, makes “art as a tool for helping viewers escape the societal matrix of obligation and return to a more authentic, internal motivation. [His] art is designed to spark a dormant sense of soul and oneness.” Bold and highly textural, expressive and symbolic, these large and powerful works explore personal and universal themes, all using recycled and repurposed materials.

The exhibit will run April 10 – May 31. The Open House on April 10th will be a relaxed reception, from 11 am – 6 pm. Harry will be in the space on April 10th for the open house to share about his work. We’ll also be hosting a plant sale or two with his small business, Purple Lotus Gardens, throughout the spring. Check our social media for updates!

~~~ All gallery and garden activities socially distanced, with masks required.
~~~ With our new expanded space, we don’t foresee too many issues in observing a safe capacity limit, but we’ll be keeping a close eye on it. Our choice to stretch the reception into an all day open house is also a precaution to that end. You’re welcome to call ahead and check in.
~~~ The exhibit will be available to view and shop virtually on our website. Private in-person viewings can be scheduled as well. Email [email protected] with inquiries.

Artist Bio:
Harry Rivera born in ‘77, raised in Brooklyn, New York. In his adolescence, Rivera was immersed in raw street culture of gangs, graffiti, stick-ups, and unrelenting urgency. At fifteen, he was sentenced to a year at the Riker’s Island Juvenile Detention Facility. During his time at Rikers, a teacher introduced him to the philosophies of the Black Panther movement, and to the broader idea of black consciousness. Since then, he has expanded the ideas he met with there to incorporate what he refers to as his “Indigenous Self”, focusing on his Puerto Rican heritage. He views his art as a tool to help its viewers escape the societal matrix of obligation and return to a more authentic, internal motivation. His art is designed to spark a dormant sense of soul and oneness that he believes many people today do not spend time cultivating. Rivera is a father of 4, a beginning farmer living in Marshall NC with his partner and youngest son. Where they have chickens and grow a large majority of their own food. They have a small business called Purple Lotus Gardens. If you want to follow along @fx6surfingworldz @purplelotusgardens

Cover art: crop of “Calmness Before the Storm,” acrylic and recycled materials, by Harry Rivera.