LEAP YEAR SOLO EXHIBITION

Never let me go

April 16th - May 21st

Artist Statement

The landscapes of technology can feel endless: with links, information, and thoughts copying-and-pasting into oblivion. Since technology has become our primary method of communication, I have begun to wonder about the frameworks of these devices, communication tools, and social networks. Could they be strong enough to hold the emotional weight we pile into them? In tending to intense emotions of grief and loss, what space do those feelings have in our lives when they are constantly contrasted with never-ending TikToks and Instagram posts with unsettling, upbeat inspirational music? Screens can oversimplify the complexities of life, taking our experience and translating it into a string of pixels void of human nuance and context. What human part of us is left uncommunicated, and what nuance is left unnoticed? How does technology help me feel emotionally connected, seen, and held? Is technology strong enough to house all of our complexities and dichotomies within its binary nature; is it strong enough to hold all of us? What happens if it cracks? Who am I in this space, and who am I outside of it?

Bio

Kate Burke (b. 1994) is an Atlanta-based sculptor. After receiving her BFA in Fabric Design in 2016 with honors from the University of Georgia, she moved to Atlanta in 2017 and shortly thereafter received the ArtFields Category Award for Textiles in 2019. Kate has shown at the Lyndon House Art Center, ATHICA, Sulfur Studios, the Lamar Dodd School of Art, Hartsfield Jackson International, whitespec, MINTAtl, as well as other galleries and art centers throughout the United States. In 2019, Kate completed a residency at the Hambidge Center with thanks to the Hambidge Center Fulton County Scholarship. Kate is currently participating as a MINT Leap Year Resident in Atlanta, GA where she will debut a solo show in April 2022.

https://www.kateburkestudio.com/

LEAP YEAR PROGRAM

Leap Year is MINT’s residency program that provides a comprehensive and robust system of support for emerging artists in the Atlanta-Metro area. Leap Year is inclusive of both community and network development along with opportunities for quiet reflection and introspection on personal and career growth. Leap Year is a one year program which includes a free studio at MINT for the year, a mentor, a two week residency at Hambidge and the creation of the work for the solo exhibit at MINT. Each Leap Year Artist receives a $1,750 stipend per W.A.G.E. (Working Artists in a Greater Economy).