The Academy Art Museum, in collaboration with Brea Soul, presents Exchange: A Pop-up Art Show. In its second year, Exchange will host ten artisans and creative entrepreneurs from around the region at the museum on Saturday, August 5 from 12-5 pm. The pop-up will include a variety of artworks, industry experts, a food truck, a community photo booth, youth giveaways, and adult beverages. From paintings and photography to fashion design and ceramics, there is plenty of art for the community to browse through and take home. Exchange celebrates artists, and takes on many characteristics associated with the idea of “community” – exchange of ideas, craft, and support!
Gentry Pack
Featured Artists
Returning as a Fan Favorite, Gentry Pack, (a.k.a G. Pack) is an artist, illustrator, animator, graphic designer and clothing designer for his company, For Glory. From Baltimore, MD, Pack received his BA in Studio Art & Design from the University of Maryland. With a strong influence from the early Venetian, Baroque, and Renaissance periods, G.Pack focuses on combines classical compositions and techniques with modern-day figures, and symbolism deriving from contemporary Black culture.
K.JEAN is a visual artist based in southern Maryland that specializes in drawing, painting, murals, fashion design, and accessories. Her painting style combines multiple art movements, such as abstract, surrealism, mixed-media, and expressionism. She uses unconventional materials and embraces non-binary identities in fashion, extending beyond traditional boundaries. She hopes to inspire others to do the same through her unique vision.
Yusuf Kazmi is a multi-medium artist specializing in cinematography, photography, and visual arts. Yusuf’s passion for visual arts is delivered through CCKASE, the artist’s brand approach to visual storytelling in producing captivating videos and designing unique clothing pieces.
Kait McNeil is an abstract painter from Canada and is now based in Maryland. Her creative process flows strongly through worship music and is inspired by nature, timeless designs, and architecture. McNeil desires to evoke inspiring and uplifting emotions and joy through her artistry with earthy tones, textures, and unique color palettes with soft, moody undertones.
Originally finding his voice through music, Kassim is a Nigerian-American self-taught digital artist from the DMV. Although known for his rap style and performances in the community, he began to teach himself digital art-making techniques using A.I. and code in 2023. Instead of fearing change and the unknown, he embraces it with the goal of pioneering the intersection of tech and hip-hop.
Black Squirrel Company
Featured Makers
Black Squirrel Company – Returns as a Fan Favorite! Based out of Washington, DC, Renata Philippe opened the doors of Black Squirrel Company as a creative outlet in 2014. Philippe creates improvisational sewn quilts and functional art (personal & home accessories). After earning a BS in Apparel Design from the University of Delaware, she worked as a commercial retail merchandiser/store planner and communications engineer for organizations including IKEA, Restoration Hardware, and the U.S. FDA.
Hilary Bruns is a ceramist and began taking pottery lessons in New York City in 1979. Her career as a TV news producer became all-consuming, so she returned to clay as a creative medium once retiring in Easton, MD, and discovering the Academy Art Museum in 2004. Burns has received awards and continues to showcase her artwork at local shows and from her home studio.
Nomen (which means “NAME”) – Was founded in 2016 out of Tomisin’s (also known as “Tomiboxers”) profound desire to share and explore stories about culture and identity. The brand is a medium to express himself and create art centered on African culture, drawing inspiration from his Nigerian heritage. Being interested in fashion from a young age, Tomisin recognized a streetwear brand as the perfect outlet to amplify his artistic voice. Each Nomen piece and collection is grounded in shedding light on the past as we continue to live and create stories for the future.
Khadija Brand – Pulling from her South Asian roots, Khadija creates wearable, hand-painted art using traditional textile techniques.Giving a classic yet modern twist to textile arts, she started her brand to revive and introduce people to an ancient art form in the U.S. Khadija often collaborates with women artists from her native home country to continue passing this art form on to future generations. Based in Northern Virginia, her work varies from different textures to different color schemes.
CreTAYtive Customs – Based in Easton, MD, Taylor Wheatly started CreaTAYtive Customs to provide creative solutions for her local community. Specializing in realism and expressionism, Taylor Wheatly’s mission is to grow the brand into an all-purpose creative service.
Brea Soul
About Organizer/Event Curator, Brea Soul
Brea Soul is a digital native who has been bringing visibility to arts and culture for over a decade. She received a B.A. in Fine Arts and an M.S. in Strategic Communications from the University of Maryland, College Park. Originally, from Trappe, MD, and now residing in Miami, FL, Brea serves as Perez Art Museum – Miami’s Marketing Manager. Through Soul Studios Gallery, Brea curates artful experiences dedicated to creating opportunities for emerging creatives and among communities with opportunity disparities.
The Academy Art Museum enlisted local creatives to design and execute summer programs at the museum from June through September. AAM’s Community Programmers include Kerry Folan, Francisco Salazar and Brea Soul.
Programs and Dates:
June 22, July 13, & August 10: Summer Book Club with Shore Lit
August 5: Exchange: A Pop-Up Art Show
September 22: 48-Hour Video Race
About the Academy Art Museum
As the premier art museum on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, the Academy Art Museum presents high-quality exhibitions and a full range of art classes for visitors of all ages. Past exhibitions have featured artists such as James Turrell, Robert Rauschenberg, Mark Rothko, Pat Steir and Richard Diebenkorn. The permanent collection focuses on works on paper by American and European artists from four centuries including recent acquisitions by Graciela Iturbide and Zanele Muholi. Arts educational programs range from life drawing lessons to digital art instruction, and include lunchtime and cocktail hour concerts, lectures and special art events, as well as a Fall Craft Show celebrating 26 years. AAM also provides arts education to school children from the region and is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. To continue the institutional movement of offering free public programming and to give barrier-free access to art, AAM eliminated admission fees in 2023.
Location: 106 South Street, Easton, Maryland
Hours: Tuesday-Wednesday 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, Thursday-Friday 10:00 am to 7:00 pm, and Saturday-Sunday 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. Closed Mondays and Federal holidays.
Admission: Free
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