The City of Roanoke, through the Roanoke Arts Commission, recently purchased two regional works of art selected from the 2019 Roanoke College Biennial Art Exhibition: Lotus by Sarah EK Muse and We Used What We Had by Haden King. Muse’s work is a hand-formed copper in-relief tile with patina and King’s is an acrylic and charcoal on wood panel. Both can be viewed in the North Lobby of the Noel C. Taylor Municipal Building. These purchases bring the City of Roanoke’s public art collection to 160 pieces, of which regional artists created 113. The Roanoke Arts Commission has purchased 22 works of regional art for the collection in the last 10 years.
A Roanoke native, Sarah EK Muse is a jeweler, designer, metalsmith best known for her bespoke jewelry designs and hand-formed copper architectural tiles. Each piece is thoughtfully made with a passion for the materials, the process, the person it is for, the story behind it, and the creative journey from the design concept to the final tangible hand-crafted work of art. Sarah’s work has been featured in various publications and exhibited in galleries and museums throughout the eastern United States. She is the founding member of the Southwestern Virginia Metal Arts Guild and a juried artisan member of the Artisans Center of Virginia (ACV). Her architectural tiles are also available at The Market Gallery. Sarah’s one-of-a-kind and limited edition designs are made by hand, using sustainable and re-purposed materials whenever possible, in her Roanoke studio.
Haden King was born, and currently works, in Roanoke. King received a BFA from Radford University in May 2018 and will be attending James Madison University in the fall to earn an MFA. King creates large-scale works of personal surreptitious stories from his childhood, using the viewpoint of a child but recreated by a more mature self, allowing for a playful feeling, alongside hints of danger and instability. King’s use of materials is driven by his process; the combination of wet and dry mediums allow variety and a buildup of layers, creating history. His large-scale work allows the piece to be entered, offering the viewer a feeling of tension, a moment of impending doom.
To find out more about these talented artists visit www.sarahmuse.com and www.hadenking.com. For more information about the City’s Public Art collection, please contact Susan Jennings, Arts and Culture Coordinator, at 853-5652 or by email at [email protected].