Exhibits & Events

The Creative Genes exhibition presents 4 groups of genetically related artists from diverse backgrounds and narratives who all shared the experiences and exposures to positive environments which fostered creative growth. In addition, writers participating in the recent Volta Center’s “Mapping the Headwaters” workshop, will reveal their thoughts of creative lineage in words. Visitors will have a rare opportunity to see these pieces, which have been drawn from artist studios, archives and collections specifically for this exhibition, some of which have not been widely exhibited before.

Clifford Eberly, curator of the exhibition and HACG Exhibitions Associate, said "The Creative Genes represents my ongoing interest in the necessity to establish safe, creative environments for people to develop positive mental and physical practices through art. The works in the exhibition provide a deeper understanding of relationships between the concepts of nature and nurture in artmaking from a variety of viewpoints. I believe it is vitally important to provide people with tools for creative agency, to improve our collective well-being. The absolute key to developing creativity is access to supportive, positive environments. You may have parents and grandparents on both sides who were or are creative but without constructive environments, creativity is less likely to develop”.

Exhibition Highlights
The exhibition will feature an array of works that explore creativity between siblings and family members. Hicks Art Center Gallery is honored to collaborate with the Moravian Archives, PFFCAA and Volta Center for Writing Arts and all the artists in the exhibition to bring this important cultural and historical exhibition to the public. Participating visual artists include Friedrich Renatus Frueauff, Agnes Clara Frueauff, Bernadette McBride, Constance McBride, Alison Saar, Betye Saar, Lezley Saar, Carl Wagner and Kenoka Wagner.