On Dwelling and Yearning / Shannon Ferguson i Ivy Manska

You are cordially invited to the opening of an exhibition by students from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, which will take place on May 20 at 1:30 PM in the CONCRETE Gallery.

This exhibition marks the continuation of a vibrant international exchange between the E. Geppert Academy of Art and Design in Wrocław, Poland, and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, USA. For over 15 years, this bilateral agreement has facilitated a dynamic dialogue between emerging artists from both institutions, fostering cross-cultural collaboration and artistic growth.

In May, Wrocław welcomes Shannon Ferguson and Ivy Manska, two graduate students from UT Knoxville's esteemed printmaking program. Their residency encompasses a diverse array of printmaking techniques, including lithography, intaglio, and relief. Through their work, they explore themes such as the search for comfort and the intricate relationships between identity and landscape, unified by motifs of domesticity and ephemerality.

This exhibition not only showcases the individual artistic journeys of Ferguson and Manska but also embodies the enduring partnership between these two institutions. It stands as a testament to the power of international collaboration in enriching the global art community.

Shannon Ferguson is a printmaker and interdisciplinary artist from Fairview, Texas. She graduated Summa Cum Laude with a BFA in Studio Art from Syracuse University in 2020. After graduating, she spent time as a Navasota Artist-in-Residence in Navasota, Texas. Ferguson makes work investigating the search for physical and emotional comfort as a person living with chronic pain and advocates for conversations surrounding invisible illness and accessibility. She has shown her work around the world in film festivals and juried exhibitions. She is currently a MFA student in Studio Art with a concentration in Printmaking at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville where she works as a letterpress technician in the UTK letterpress shop and teaches Intro to Time Based Art in the art foundations department.

Ivy Manska is a graduate student at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. She obtained a BFA in illustration from the College for Creative Studies, and has channeled this passion for drawing into lithography and intaglio. Ivy is currently a teaching assistant in Intro to Time-Based Art and a technician at the UTK Letterpress shop. Originally from Detroit, Ivy now calls Tennessee home, and her work explores how cultural, environmental, and ancestral influences—both vast and subtle—shape notions of escapism, longing, and a deep reverence for the unfamiliar.