UMVA Showcase – Spring 2025: Elizabeth Starr, Yvonne Maiden, Donna Festa, Taylor Newbeck

Elizabeth Starr

I have always loved to see the presence of words in visual arts, words worked into the design, to become part of the form, as well as a message. These particular words (lies) were birthed from acute frustration, and even shock, at what I was hearing from media reports and reading in the news. If art could scream, this was what screamed out of this artist last summer. I jumped into the process of covering paper with “lies”: lies as a visual entity on paper, as well as a negative, forceful message. Maybe I needed to create this art as a way of removing some violent emotions churning within me. I have found art making to be an amazing cathartic exercise, a way to process heavy emotional struggles. So these two paintings are a visual record of my hysteria and exasperation from discerning a landslide of untruths pouring over my country. The artist, as well as most people, cannot control wild humans wreaking havoc. Yet the artist does have an edge in dealing with nightmares and skullduggery and tricky con men—we can paint the dragons red, we can creatively blast the lies with color, forms, and cunning designs, and we can expose what is untrue in a language understood at the level of the heart for those who care to look, and for those who care to feel.

 

Yvonne Maiden

Art and process are inseparable. In my work, the act of making is as vital as the final form. Bird Wash and The Bird Thinker emerge from this dialogue, exploring themes of renewal, introspection, and transformation. Rather than presenting a linear narrative of personal reflection, I chose to share a short text that serves as an extension of that process, offering a glimpse into the interplay of thought, material, and meaning.

Remember the Bird

Female or male? The plaster torso suggested neither, yet it was unmistakably a mature being. Atop its head perched a large plaster bird, nearly equal in size to the figure itself. The bird’s claws were broad and deliberate, resting firmly against the forehead—not in aggression, but with a presence that could not be ignored.

The sculpture stood elevated on four cement blocks in the center of the studio. Behind it, blank canvases lined the wall, waiting.

Something about transcendence, a spiritual awakening, I kept telling myself. Just go with it.

That was about when my husband arrived, offering to help shift some of the bulkier materials in the studio.

I gestured toward the sculpture. “Whatcha think?”

He paused, taking it in. His eyes moved from the weighty bird to the grounded torso, his expression unreadable. Then he said, “That bird must have a real job pulling that person out of the muck.”

I was stunned. A complete reframe.

And so, the question arose—what would pull a person out of the muck?

The philosophical search was on. Turning to the writings of artists and thinkers . . . from the Stoics to Laurie Anderson, I began to find my way.

I came to understand that being pulled out of the muck was not about a force outside ourselves, but rather something within—a resource that required definition and attention.

So as I began to compile a list from my readings and references, the bird came to be a symbol for humankind virtues and capacities.

The virtues of . . .

Compassion

Kindness

Courage

Clarity

Dignity

Integrity

Generosity

Honesty

And the attributes of . . .

Resilience

Empathy

Love

Through these virtues and capacities, we find our footing. We create meaning. We find the light. And perhaps most importantly, these qualities are essential for the continuance of humankind.

Yes, the times we are living in are difficult. Often, it is hard to find one’s own breath. But perhaps keeping our focus on these virtues and capacities can lighten the weight of the questions and challenges we face.

We will find our way.

Just remember the bird.

 

Donna Festa

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sick, hopeless, disgusted, and fearful are only four words that describe life in the United States at this time. The shock of the election results turned many stomachs. Those of us with PTSD are taking it particularly hard, avoiding the news in this new era of hatred and cruelty. These images speak for themselves. Some faces are decaying, others are sick or grieving. They all describe today’s ugliness and discontent.

 

 

 

Taylor Newbeck

As an artist, especially one who works a full-time job on top of other responsibilities, I often feel as though I have to keep pushing myself to create in whatever spare time I have. Every moment spent relaxing is time where my inner monologue informs me that I am wasting my time, and that I have to constantly be producing or else I am failing. This constant self-pressure often results in an “Anxious Burnout” where I push until I hit my limit and I feel myself break down mentally. This is reflected in my artwork of the same name. The bright use of colors is meant to reflect a brain in overdrive, constantly working with all cylinders firing. The melting is representative of the brain pushing its limits, of always being on, leading to a destruction of the self.

As we live in a capitalist society, there is an added pressure to always be productive and if you are not making your art to sell or promote yourself, it can count as time wasted. With the rise of inflation, working full time and often making just enough money to cover one’s expenses, it is hard to afford the liberty of relaxing and decompressing, since that time could be spent making art that one could sell to make extra income. It affects my mental health as there is always the added pressure of trying to make more money to put away in the event there is an emergency, especially in regards to health, where insurance is not universal and may not cover expenses needed.