jOY

an exploration of joy in photography and art

Maegen Hurtado & Carla Locke

October 29 - December 11

One of the richest sources of joy is getting totally immersed in an activity and putting all our soul and talent into it. The joy of creating or accomplishing something can give us an incredible boost of power.

Artists: Maegen Hurtado & Carla Locke

Below you can browse a photo walkthrough of the works on display as well as individual works for sale in this show!

Works listed for sale are available for purchase in-person, or online by request. To schedule pick up of work after the close of the show, simply email our Gallery Director Tirzah Legg at tirzah@fava.org for pick up at your convenience. Drop off of work may be available at the closing of the exhibition for local areas.

COME SEE US IN-PERSON

Meagen Hurtado

Bio:

Maegen Hurtado is a passionate, digital marketer and graphic artist living in Elyria, Ohio. She was born and raised in Lorain, Ohio and is an only child. Maegen earned her B.S. in Communication Technology with a minor in Graphic Design from Eastern Michigan University. She started her graphic arts career at a local advertising agency in Elyria, Ohio and eventually started her corporate journey working at various corporations that range from B2B magazine publishing, web development, medical device and now focusing on digital marketing and customer experience for a company based out of Dublin, Ohio. Along with her corporate endeavors, she has also maintained a side web development and graphic design company for over 20 years. Maegen also enjoys trying out new experiences and is not afraid to step out of her comfort zone to jump into something different. She is currently President of the Board for FAVA (Firelands Association for the Visual Arts) and is transitioning into her second term.

Artist Statement:

“All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better.”

- Emerson

Life is full of lessons. Lessons that can help shape your next move or deter you from reaching true and pure happiness and joy. I never thought I would be asked to do an exhibition. I reserved this notion to those people who are ‘true’ artists and creatives who know their artistic purpose. Now that the opportunity has presented itself to me I’m grabbing it, savoring it and crushing it. This experience deserved a theme to ground the purpose in our art selections.

The focus is on jOY. I find jOY in the little things. I find jOY in new experiences. I find jOY in people. As you walk through this room you will see expressions of jOY in the pieces displayed. For me, the photography symbolizes moments where I felt pure jOY capturing moments that moved me or truly captured the essence of that event.

I also decided to take on a new experiment, pour painting. I always wanted to start a project with a blank canvas and create something. I wasn’t sure the exact method, but this technique was very appealing and allowed me to experiment with color and literally get my hands dirty. What’s interesting about these pieces of art is that I curated a special Apple Music Playlist titled ‘jOY’. I listened to this playlist while creating each piece. If you see a QR code around the exhibit hall, scan it to gain access to my music for inspiration!

The additional pieces are a collection of experiences and passions that make my heart expand and trigger memories of happiness that truly tell my story of building a life of jOYful moments, relationships and ultimately a world that is surrounded by jOY.

Carla Locke

Bio:

Carla Locke, born in 1973, lives in Oberlin, Ohio.

An Army brat raised by avid photographers, Carla has traveled the world, absorbed in nature, taking pictures for her entire life. Her appreciation for the serenity of nature and her desire to capture the details of nature make her photographs both detailed and joyful.

Off and on throughout her life, Carla has pursued photography. In the past few years, Carla has obtained a variety of photography equipment and has taken photography workshops to learn more about her cameras. Previously, with the advent of smartphones, she set her interest on composing better photographs. She believed that technology made good photography accessible to everyone. In college, she studied photography for a Winter Term project.

She studied biology at Oberlin College, continuing her studies at Lorain County Community College and Bowling Green State University. Her interest in natural science connected her with her typical subjects – landscapes and animals. Throughout her studies, she took various art classes in drawing, painting, and other media. She often works in digital media at work and for fun.

Artist Statement:

Through the ups and downs of life, I have always retreated to nature as a form of meditation. Whether on a walk through the woods or standing next to a body of water, I am always fascinated by light: the way water reflects light, the way the clouds and trees filter light, and the way an array of colors changes in the light.

I find peace in the seeming calm of nature and the hidden (or not so hidden) world occurring right under my nose. When I stand still long enough, I can see the flurry of activity happening around me. This puts my position in the greater world in perspective, resets my focus, and allows me to move past any obstacles.