UW Students Work Accepted to National Art Exhibition

Ross Everett thinks it was worth it.

The University of Wyoming senior recently had his “A Nightmare Epic” piece selected for the sixth annual juried exhibition “Was It Worth It” at the RedLine Contemporary Art Center in Denver.

Everett, of Monticello, Fla., will earn his bachelor’s degree in fine arts from UW this fall and is a Denver native.

“This experience means a great deal to me,” he says. “There is the simple validation of being recognized for something I have always been passionate about and have put a great deal of hard work into. This also is a continuation of a deeply felt belonging in the Rocky Mountain region, where I was born and have always felt at home. I cannot put into words the significance for me in being honored with an inclusion of my work into RedLine’s juried exhibition.”

The 10-foot drawing is in the style of a science fiction novel cover from the 1970s or ’80s that is tattered and garage sold, according to Everett. The drawing features the Hindu death goddess, Kali, and her avenging female spirits.

“It is about my personal identity as a white man with many Eastern beliefs, as well as the tendency America has to fictionalize and disregard nonwhite cultures,” he says. “In addition, Kali is a symbol of terrifying and violent feminine energy, but also of empowerment and protection of women, which seems particularly important today.”

The exhibition features works from more than 50 artists across the country and was curated and juried by Ivar Zeile. The title of the show inspired Zeile to reflect on the vast culture and history of making, showing, purchasing and collecting art, according to him. The show opens Saturday, Aug. 10, with a reception and will run until Sept. 8.

RedLine fosters education and engagement between artists and communities to create positive social change. The center was founded in 2008 to support emerging artists and provide creative opportunities for local residents. Viewing art and arts education through a lens of social issues, the organization ensures equitable access to the arts for under-resourced populations by working to fulfill a vision of empowering everyone to create social change through art.

For more information on the exhibition and the center, visit https://www.redlineart.org/upcomingevents//was-it-worth-it.