ONLINE ARTalk - Portraits and Healing with Artist Rudy Shepherd

Join artist Rudy Shepherd in a virtual talk about the nature of evil and healing in his paintings, drawings, and sculptures. Shepherd will talk about complex grey areas which exist between innocence and guilt as well as victims and criminals through his Portrait series which spans over a decade and includes hundreds of watercolor portraits of people such as George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and others. He will also discuss how his sculptures provide a healing counterpoint for forces of negative energy. Shepherd received an MFA in Sculpture from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and has exhibited his artwork nationally.

Before pursuing his artistic career, Shepherd was a pre-med student at Wake Forest University majoring in Biology. He is now an associate art professor at Penn State University.

The watercolor portraits mentioned above are often completed within days of the media's news cycle. Many of these portraits serve to mourn and humanize tragic losses and also raise awareness of systemic racial inequality and historic police brutality. 

Rudy Shepherd: Somebody’s Child and Induction Ceremony are on view at The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum through Sunday, November 29^th, 2020

ARTalks are dedicated to exploring the creative process through a series of lectures, films, and workshops that focus on art, architecture and design. This program is co-sponsored by the Ridgefield Guild of Artists and The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum.  

Please register below to receive the Zoom link to this program in your registration confirmation and reminder emails.