South Piedmont Community College celebrated the creativity and talent of its faculty today with the Faculty Spotlight Art Show, held on campus with a special reception from 12:30–1:00 p.m. It was held on the Old Charlotte Highway Campus in Building A in the main lobby. The event highlighted works by the Department Chair of Arts and Humanities, Ansley Adams; Visual Arts Program Lead, Morganne Van Voorhis; and Art Instructor, Ida Irby.
The showcase was not only a chance to view powerful and thought-provoking art, but also a reminder of the vital role that creativity plays in education and in life. Attendees explored works that blended personal expression, cultural history, and universal themes—demonstrating the depth of artistry among South Piedmont’s faculty.
Adams described her approach to art as one of openness and connection:
“Creating art can be challenging because it requires vulnerability and honesty about aspects of ourselves that are usually hidden or private. In my work, I strive to express universal but difficult experiences—such as loneliness, grief, and self-doubt. Art provides a way to explore these themes in a form that others can connect to through shared experience. By using visual representation, I aim to strengthen this connection, encouraging viewers to reflect on their own experiences as they engage with my work.”
Irby shared how her work draws deeply from both natural and historical sources:
“My studio practice is an exploration of time, memory, and material. To complete this collection of work I gathered materials imbued with history. Many pieces are fragments of Carolina’s natural landscapes, discarded texts, and iconography that seem to hold a silent geology of time. Each work is a constellation of these repurposed elements, harkening to ancient African ideas of time where the past is a cumulative, palpable present… Just as these collaged artifacts are recomposed into a new whole, the work is made anew with every subjective viewing, a dialogue between found history and present interpretation.”
The reception buzzed with conversation as students, faculty, and staff engaged with the art and with one another. The Faculty Spotlight Art Show stood as a vibrant reminder of how art inspires dialogue, invites reflection, and strengthens community.