Welcome to Brand 48

Sound on!

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Our 48th Annual National Juried Exhibition of Works on Paper this year leaves the physical space of the gallery at Brand Library & Art Center and engages you at home with a variety of virtual offerings. You will still encounter 2D and 3D artworks that use paper in ways that highlight the wide range of artistic responses to this challenging medium but you might be doing this while watching a short video, attending our virtual opening or viewing a panel discussion featuring our award winners.

Even in this time of pandemic uncertainly, the response to our call for artists demonstrated that creativity cannot be dampened; the 108 artworks in the exhibition were chosen from 890 entries nationwide. You will see artworks political and personal; joyful and serious; representational and abstract. Take some time to read the artists’ statements included in the catalog to better understand each individual’s creative process.

There is something here for everyone to enjoy and we thank you for joining us.

Debra Thompson, Chair of Brand 48

Shannon Currie Holmes, Exhibitions Supervisor

Juror’s Statement - Dan McCleary

It has been an honor and a challenge to judge this year's Brand Annual National Juried Exhibition of Works on Paper. I have selected 108 artworks from 890 submissions. The selection was difficult, but it was a pleasure to look at work that was created by artists who come from across the United States. I received no biographical information about the artists and I was glad to respond to the work free of this knowledge. It is important that all the artists who entered their work are aware that my decisions were entirely subjective and many wonderful pieces did not end up in the 108 works selected to be part of the Brand 48 exhibition.

I offer my congratulations to all of the artists who entered this competition. It takes courage to submit your work to be judged by one person’s very idiosyncratic and non-objective selection process. Thank you for your trust.

Works on paper have an intimacy that is very different than painting on canvas, but I had to make all of my selections without being able seeing to see the physical artworks since Brand 48 will need to be totally virtual. Even with this limitation, however, this will be an interesting exhibit and it will still give testimony to the power and strength of the individual artistic voice.

- Dan McCleary, Artist and founder of Art Division