Sherrill Roland on Layers
• – • 21c Museum Hotel
About the speaker
Artist Sherrill Roland was born in 1984 in Asheville, North Carolina. In 2009, he received a Bachelor's degree in Fine Arts from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. In 2013, while Sherrill Roland was a graduate student at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, he was wrongfully accused of four felonies. Before an indictment was reached, he finished his first year of grad school. After nine months, the four felony charges were dropped to four misdemeanor charges. This caused Roland’s case to be presented only in front of a judge, rather than with a jury as well. He was deemed guilty and served 10 months and two weeks at the D.C. Central Detention Facility. During that time, Roland missed the birth of his daughter and the passing of his grandmothers.
Though Roland’s art is not primarily religious, Roland is open about the fact that prayer and reading the Bible were things that helped him get by. While in prison, Roland initially struggled with the concept of innocence. He believed that he was different from the other men serving time at the D.C. Central Detention Facility. Through his conversations with the men there, and through religion, he came to realize that he is not as innocent as he believed and that no man is perfect; Roland recognized the judgements he had made about those who are incarcerated.
In 2016, his conviction was exonerated. Upon initially returning to North Carolina, Roland considered a career change and didn’t want to continue with art school. Roland found that being in jail had left him paranoid and distrusting of others. After talking to his professors about his transition period and his doubts about art, he realized that he can use art as a means of self-reflection and to bring his experiences incarcerated to light. For his Master’s in Fine Arts thesis project, Roland wore an orange jumpsuit everyday on campus. During this performance art project, he documented his interactions and encounters with both peers and campus faculty. Roland created guidelines to follow for his thesis project that mimicked the rules he had to obey in prison. He thought of his studio space as his cell, and the art building as the block. When walking to and from places on campus, Roland couldn’t stop and talk to people, or else he had to go back to his “block.” Over time, students and faculty at the University began responding to Roland; having conversations with him about his time incarcerated as well as sharing their own stories of loved ones who had been in the system. Roland also kept note of how people acted when seeing him in the orange jumpsuit, which included stares, side-eyes, and even people running away from him.
In 2017, Roland received a Master’s degree in Fine Arts from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. To conclude his art education, in 2018, Roland attended an art residency at the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture in Skowhegan, Maine.
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Event Details
⏰ Doors open at 8:30 a.m. Enjoy free coffee and treats from our fantastic partners, and meet other folks in the creative community. The presentation will begin at 9 a.m. and will last 45 minutes with time after for Q&A.
💗 Spread the love and bring a friend.
☕ Reduce waste and bring your own mug!
Local partners
Our friends at Brand Fuel are a brand merchandise agency with a B Corp certification. They have invested 26 years in our community, creating branded gear worth remembering and are committed to sustainability, trust, originality – and a lot of fun. Trust us, you want them at your party ;)
MRC is a full spectrum graphic design studio with a focus on hand-crafted, out-of-the-box brand experiences for clients passionate about their business. They build iconic brands for kindred spirits.
Oak City Studio is the Official Audio Partner of CreativeMornings RDU!
At Counting House restaurant, local cuisine meets bold flavors and playful execution. A seafood-driven menu set amongst the art of today, designed to provide you with an easy-going escape that will feed your soul. The bar and lounge is a welcoming place to taste innovative cocktails, sample local craft brews, and explore broad bourbon and wine lists.
Reestablishing the warmth and vitality of a historic gem, Counting House combines contemporary design with architectural details including the building’s original terrazzo floors and arched windows.
Counter Culture Coffee is dedicated to finding and bringing to market the most exciting and delicious coffees in the world. We approach our work with a passion for the ideal of coffee perfection, a dedication to real sustainability, and a commitment to cutting-edge education throughout the coffee chain.
Standing tall and proud in the center of downtown Durham, 21c Museum Hotel is a multi-venue contemporary art museum offering more than 10,500 square feet of art-filled exhibition and event space, a full-service boutique hotel with luxurious guest rooms, and home to Counting House restaurant.
Phillip Teasley is an award-winning filmmaker who has worked with clients such as Amazon, ESPN, The Design Network, FOX Sports and more. He is currently looking for projects that will push his storytelling ability, as he believes that the secret to creating impactful videos is purpose and resolve! He is CreativeMornings/RDU Lead Videographer and we are so grateful to have him on our team!
Emily Bennett is a Lifestyle, Food & Beverage, and Brand Photographer based in Raleigh, North Carolina. She is passionate about storytelling, and the power stories have to disarm and invite us into a deeper understanding of ourselves and each other. Her work is inspired by the coast, long walks, and dinner parties. She is our Lead Photographer, and we are so glad to have her on our team!
CreativeMornings/Raleigh is fiscally sponsored by VAE Raleigh, a 501©3 nonprofit. VAE envisions a more equitable creative community where everyone has the resources needed to thrive. VAE produces, funds, and exhibits socially-engaged art through community collaboration.
From the arts to food to nonprofits, WALTER tells the stories of our community. WALTER is available on racks around Raleigh, online at waltermagazine.com or by subscription.
Adobe is CreativeMornings’ new Global Partner! Adobe recognizes the impact CreativeMornings is having on the global ecosystem of creativity and they’re committed to reaffirming their support of creatives all around the world. This is huge!
Just like our local partners make our events here in the Triangle possible, Global Partnerships are the fuel that power us as an organization. They ensure that CreativeMornings can continue to grow and thrive around the world.
Additional details
Our global theme for February is Layers.
Simplicity provides clarity, but layers give our work a richer complexity and depth.
Musicians fuse melodies, harmonies, and rhythms to create more dynamic compositions. While other artists use a juxtaposition of colors, textures, images or materials for greater visual impact. The creative magic happens when those choices conjure different interpretations and emotions.
Because people have layers too. Just like a collage is created by overlapping layers of found materials, we pile up experiences that form our beliefs and reactions.
The cliché “beauty is only skin deep” means that a pleasant appearance does not guarantee a virtuous character. We are a mess of competing emotions and personality traits. So how we act to the outside world doesn’t always reflect how we feel inside. We make polite chit chat when it takes vulnerable conversations to form meaningful connections.
Surface level pleasantries and superficial decoration have their place. But it is the layers that give life meaning. We must peel them away to discover our deeper truths.
This month’s theme was chosen by our Lausanne chapter in Switzerland, illustrated by Catherine Olivia Pearson, and is presented by our global partner Adobe.
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