“Groundlessness” by Julie Cardillo to open at the Museum’s Nature Art Gallery on Friday, November 4
For immediate release ‐ November 03, 2016
Contact: Emelia Cowans, 919.707.9837. Images available upon request
RALEIGH — The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences’ Nature Art Gallery presents, “Groundlessness” by Julie Cardillo, Friday, November 4 through Sunday, November 27. A Gallery reception will be held Friday, November 4 from 4 to 6 p.m. inside the Museum Store. *The store will also close at 6 p.m. following the reception. Cardillo says her work communicates a complicated and sometimes paradoxical world. “The environment tells us a story and we use nature to create narratives in our lives,” says Cardillo. “My interest lies not in the practical aspects of nature as a critical resource but instead, our society’s ability to imagine the world through the environment.”
When approaching a painting, she begins her process by looking to nature for visual associations, pattern, and allegories. At times her pieces reflect images of nature in film, fairytales, religion, natural sciences and ornamentation. At the root of her artwork is a desire to be more connected to her surroundings. Cardillo says her experience is that the term “natural” is contradictory and multi-dimensional.
Cardillo, who lives in Raleigh and teaches art at Ravenscroft School, received her Bachelor of Arts at Penn State, a Master’s from Brandeis University and a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Pennsylvania. Her work has been featured at the Nasher Art Museum in Durham, ArtSpace Gallery in Raleigh, and the Smithsonian National Zoo.
The Nature Art Gallery is located on the top floor of the Museum Store (1st floor, main building). Store hours are Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.; and Sunday, noon to 4:45 p.m. All exhibited art is for sale. For more information about the Nature Art Gallery, call 919.707.9854.
The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences (11 W. Jones St. and 121 W. Jones St.) in downtown Raleigh, is the state’s most visited cultural attraction. It is an active research institution that engages visitors of every age and stage of learning in the wonders of science and the natural world, drawing them into the intriguing fields of study that are critical to the future of North Carolina. Hours: Mon.- Sat., 9 a.m.-5 p.m., and Sun., noon-5 p.m. Admission is free. Visit the Museum on the Web at www.naturalsciences.org. Emlyn Koster, PhD, Director; Susan Kluttz, Secretary, N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources; Pat McCrory, Governor.
About the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources
The N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (NCDNCR) is the state agency with a vision to be the leader in using the state’s natural and cultural resources to build the social, cultural, educational and economic future of North Carolina. Led by Secretary Susan Kluttz, NCDNCR’s mission is to improve the quality of life in our state by creating opportunities to experience excellence in the arts, history, libraries and nature in North Carolina by stimulating learning, inspiring creativity, preserving the state’s history, conserving the state’s natural heritage, encouraging recreation and cultural tourism, and promoting economic development.
NCDNCR includes 27 historic sites, seven history museums, two art museums, two science museums, three aquariums and Jennette’s Pier, 39 state parks and recreation areas, the N.C. Zoo, the nation’s first state-supported Symphony Orchestra, the State Library, the State Archives, the N.C. Arts Council, State Preservation Office and the Office of State Archaeology, along with the Division of Land and Water Stewardship. For more information, please call (919) 807-7300 or visit www.ncdcr.gov.