Echoes of Memory by S. Alexandra Simental and Carla Taylor

April 4-26, 2025
Echoes of Memory by S. Alexandra Simental and Carla Taylor
Opening reception: Friday, April 4, 5:00-9:00 PM
Gallery hours: Mon-Fri 9-5; Sat 10-1. Closed on Mon Apr 21 for the holiday.
Additional hours: Thu Apr 10, Fri Apr 18, and Thu Apr 24, 5-7 PM (Gallery 1010 openings); Thu Apr 17, 6-9 PM (jazz performance)

This new collection of 2D works invites viewers to examine the fragmented perspectives of memory. With subtle shifts in color, texture and line, each artist peels back the layered visions of the unseen. Echoes of Memory seeks to reflect on the reverberations of emotion and the passages they lead and return to.

BIO: S. Alexandra Simental (b. 1994, West Virginia, USA) is a Mexican American painter and multidisciplinary artist. Through the usage of paint, sound, and installation, she investigates the intersection of art and psychology. In 2021, Simental earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in visual art, with a specialized focus on sculpture, from Marshall University. She also completed a minor in psychology, to delve deep into the complexities of the human experience. After discovering the surreal possibilities with paint in her final year of undergraduate study, Simental embarked on an enriching journey to Alfred University and their joint studio facility in Düsseldorf, Germany. There, she completed her Master of Fine Arts degree in painting in 2023. Currently, Simental serves as a Studio Technician at the historical Arrowmont School of Arts & Crafts in Gatlinburg, TN. Simental’s artwork has been in a multitude of exhibitions, both nationally and internationally. Notably, her work has been displayed in the 13th Annual Best of West Virginia
Open Juried Exhibition in Beckley, WV and Minimum Capacity in Atlanta, GA. Overseas, her paintings were displayed in Kunst Jetzt Weltweit, in Essen, Germany and in CENSOR/SENSOR in Düsseldorf, Germany. For more information, visit studio-simental.com or Instagram @s.alexandra.simental

ARTIST STATEMENT: A long exhale, a prolonged glance that shifts out of focus, thoughts of then, now, if, and when. How is it exactly that we perceive? In my paintings, I question how the mind works: how one can experience the space they occupy while simultaneously visualizing a memory or idea. How do the past, present, and future intersect? Is the way we process information today overloaded, and do we need to be distracted? Since the rise of digital technology, humans have been bombarded by information. What was once a passing glance at a newsstand or short phone call to a friend has now become an endless log of scrolling. Humans have less control of what they consume and many are addicted to this retrieval of stimulated words and imagery. Unpacking how this modern way of living is affecting our psyche and reorienting the overlooked qualities of daily life is fundamental to my process. Painting allows me to distill imagery and slowly process the sensations of memory and feeling. Gathering imagery that reflects these ideas is seemingly random, but I consider the location, time, event or mood of each image and what narratives they tell together. Memories bellow and whisper, back and forth, to and fro. It is sometimes unclear why one memory led to the next, but the emotions and feelings that spawn echo throughout. Unravelling how contemporary society can sometimes feel desolate despite the overwhelming amount of information surrounding us is my central focus. I look for the things that connect us even when we are alone, as how we navigate mental health today is imperative to our future.

BIO: Carla Taylor is a multi-media artist based in Johnson City, TN. Her practice spans printmaking, textiles, ceramics, and collage. Her current body of work uses these diverse techniques to explore the cyclical nature of loss and renewal within the human experience, specifically focusing on the role of women as caregivers and their need for safety and repair. Through repetition of symbols and the female form, she emphasizes these themes while also venturing into abstraction—capturing the “residue” or “essence” of human emotion. Her layered, tangled imagery evokes wild yet fragile spaces, illuminating the depths that often lie beneath the surface. Carla has presented her artworks in both solo and group exhibitions, both regionally and nationally. Some notable exhibitions include “From These Hills: Contemporary Arts in Southern Appalachian Highlands” at the William King Museum and “Woman’s Work” in Woodstock, IL. In 2023, Carla curated an exhibition titled “Good Grief”, featuring 22 artists expressing unique perspectives on loss, which was a part of the Tennessee Triennial. Her work has also been featured in Art Seen Magazine and several editions of the Hand Magazine, a publication dedicated to alternative photographic processes and printmaking techniques. She is currently represented by the Grand Bohemian Gallery in Greenville, South Carolina, and maintains a studio at Atelier 133 in downtown Johnson City. Carla holds an MFA from the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art and a BS in Psychology from John Brown University. For more information, visit carlataylorart.com or Instagram @ctaylor.art

ARTIST STATEMENT: Art is a record of presence—a reflection of where we have been, the emotions we carry, and the moments that shape us. While my practice began as a way to give voice to my pain, it has evolved into a recognition of resilience. Through it, I navigate life’s opposing forces—the sorrow that engulfs us and the beauty that sustains us.

Working across printmaking, collage, ceramics, and textiles, I move fluidly between abstraction and narrative, examining these cycles of loss and renewal. I am drawn to the expressive potential of line, layering tangled marks through both indirect printmaking and direct gestures to develop an abstract visual language of emotion and memory. In my narrative work, I incorporate recurring symbols and the female form to deepen these themes.

I seek to capture the tensions beneath the surface—overwhelm and release, chaos and control, fragility and resilience. Each piece becomes both a marker of my own understanding and a reflection on how we move through shifting emotional states. I hope my art creates a sense of emotional resonance, offering a space for reflection and empathy so that we all feel less alone in our journey through life.