Dr. Yemonja Smalls is bringing her art to the Center for the Arts in Manassas in a current exhibit titled “It’s Complicated”, as well as a talk, book reading, and signing to follow in March.
The art exhibit will go from February 7 – March 27, followed by Yemonja’s talk in the Caton Merchant Gallery at the Center for the Arts on Friday, March 6, from 6 – 7 p.m. There will also be a book reading and signing by Yemonja on Saturday, March 14 from 2 – 4 p.m.
In her first east coast solo show, Yemonja selects and assembles mixed media to convey the complexities that color relationships. In this investigative show, she explores both a metaphorical and literal process of breaking, tearing, hiding, layering and cementing to yield insight into what creates and maintains unions. She presents reflections of life/death, self-love, soul-ties, and work-life balance, to name a few, for viewer dialogue.
Dr. Yemonja Smalls is an artist with very little formal artistic training. Originally from Hershey, PA, but a recent Chicago, IL to Baltimore, MD transplant, she works in the Maryland Department of Health’s Developmental Disabilities Administration.
Yemonja completed her pre-doctoral internship at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and the Kennedy Krieger Institute, and received her doctorate from Louisiana State University in clinical psychology. She is expanding her clinical skills with a master’s degree in Art Therapy from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and has interned at sites supporting adults with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, as well as African American teenage girls who experienced life trauma, and family caregivers who may be subject to secondary trauma, compassion fatigue and burnout.
Yemonja’s creations in various mediums have been exhibited in the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry, on the set of the famous Fox Hit TV show “Empire”, Harold Washington Library, South Side Community Art Center, Gallery Guichard, Howard University, Hill Center Galleries, the Sojourner Family Peace Center among others, and reside in various private collections across the nation.
The Center for the Arts is located at 9419 Battle Street in historic Manassas. The Center for the Arts is open daily from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Mon – Fri; and from 1 – 5 p.m. Saturday.
You can view some of Yemonja’s art here.
