Artist Statement:
I discovered volcanoes in a Geology class in college and became fascinated. I poured through books for illustrations of what was going on underground. There is so much heat and pressure that the molten insides of the earth must release by pushing through the surface in a great explosion. Volcanoes became a symbolic inspiration in my work.
My most recent paintings and the book that resulted are about bravery. The volcano, named Vagabond, has popped out of the ground and is flying through life facing fears and and experiencing adventure. The Buddhist teacher, Pema Chodron, writes about “groundlessness” as the feeling of no solid ground beneath our feet. To embrace this is her advice, rejecting the tendency to become attached to security and control. I am exploring these ideas in my current series.
Education:
1999 Atlanta College of Art, BFA in Printmaking
Press:
2023 Featured in issue #6 of Rattlesnake Magazine
July 2020, 80 Jours Voyages interview
Meredith Stoudenmire, interview d’une artiste
2019 Foundwork Guest Curator, Kalup Linzy
https://foundwork.art/guest-curators
“Stoudenmire’s works are powerful because they create a feeling of innocence and a sense of danger. Euphoric feelings experienced in childhood are paired with environments that appear to be on the verge of a nightmare. Maintaining their innocence and oblivious to the dangers surrounding them, the children in these works move through the forecasted perils unaffected. With no conclusions in sight, the viewer may find themselves fearing for her subjects and hoping they find their way to safety before what feels like the inevitable happens.”
Exhibitions:
Sept-Nov, 2022 Candy Machine, group show presented by Rattlesnake magazine, Greenville SC
May-July, 2022 Swan Coach House Gallery, Atlanta GA, Summer Invitational group exhibit
April-May, 2022 Greenville Center for Creative Arts (GCCA), Greenville SC, 3 person show entitled “Sight(s) Specific”
Oct 2-4, 2020 Artisphere Art Festival, Artists of the Upstate juried exhibit, 2nd place award for „Throwing Caution“
June 5-July 31, 2020 Artistry Gallery and Workshops, Greenville SC. Two person show entitled “Passing Peril”
Nov 5-Dec 31, 2019 Greenville Downtown Library, Greenville SC. Two person show, Art in the Library series
Sept 19-Oct 13, 2019 Warehouse Theatre, Greenville SC. Solo show in conjunction with the play, “The Crucible”