“Intergalactic Soul” – Multimedia Afrofuturistic Exhibition

Intergalactic Soul, a multimedia Afrofuturistic exhibition, will be on view Jan. 27-March 15 in the Highsmith Student Union Art Gallery. A master class with the artists will take place at noon on Tuesday, Feb. 4 in Highsmith Student Union Room 223 (the 1927 Room), and a reception will be held at 6 p.m. that same day, also in Highsmith, in the Blue Ridge Room foyer. All these events are free and open to everyone.

Intergalactic Soul is the creation of Charlotte-based visual artists Marcus Kiser and Jason Woodberry, and Durham-based performance artist Quentin Talley. Their work broadly focuses on presenting contemporary conversations about American black experiences, using the aesthetic and conceptual prisms of popular science fiction and comics to chronicle the various adventures of their fictional protagonists Astro and Pluto.

The artwork explores a cosmic sci-fi theme that is driven by social, political and cultural undertones. With multiple exhibits across the country, this exhibit began in response to the 2014 police killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri.

About the Artists

Marcus Kiser’s work draws inspiration from a broad range of sources ranging from classical art to comic books and graffiti. A Charlotte native, he is an artist and graphic designer who is comfortable in an equally broad range of media, from studio art to books, product design, and three-dimensional printing. His work pulls from mass media and a collective urban-based conscience, heavily influenced by current social and political issues. Kiser has recently done work with Jordan Brand and Adidas, and he is currently the creative director for Mign design, a company that specializes in 3D-printed medical wearables.

Jason Woodberry is a digital illustration and mixed media artist. With a focus on software development and multimedia, Woodberry’s work has been featured in the 2014 Miami Art Basel, Jordan Hyper-tee program, hotelier La Maison Champs Elysees’ Parisian ad campaign, and more. In 2016, alongside Marcus Kiser, Woodberry was awarded a nine-month residency at the McColl Center for Art & Innovation. He has been included in the 2014/15 Arts & Science Council and Adams Outdoor Advertising ArtPop initiative. In addition to Woodberry’s fine art pursuits, his design and technical expertise is applied to his work as a developer and specialist in IT project management.

Quentin Talley is an accomplished poet, actor, director, and producer. He is the inaugural recipient of the 2012 LeadershipU Fellowship for emerging theater professionals, administered by Theater Communications Group and funded by The Andrew Mellon Foundation. Quentin is also the Founder and Artistic Director of OnQ Performing Arts in Charlotte, a non-profit professional theater dedicated to producing classic, contemporary, and original performance works that reflect the black experience. As a solo artist, Quentin recently released a new album entitled, #FreedomDay: A Musical Reparations Mixtape by The Talented Tenth of Mr. Talley.

Building accessibility information is available here.

Accessibility Contact: Highsmith Student Union, highsmithunion@unca.edu or 828.251.6990.