Charlottesville, VA — The Bridge Progressive Arts Initiative is pleased to welcome sculptor, Edward Miller and The People’s Portrait Project to The 209 Belmont Gallery. Exhibition will run 11/2 through 11/15 with an opening reception 5:30-9:30 on 11/2.

The People’s Portrait Project celebrates the individuality of people in Charlottesville through portrait sculpture. The project began on April 6th 2018 with “Art In Odd Places, Charlottesville”. A sculpture workshop was set up on the downtown mall that invited people of all ages and walks of life to have their portrait made in clay, on the spot. Portraits were made of Charlottesville locals and also a few people visiting, all of whom were randomly selected. The project was later continued at the Fralin Museum of Art with 2 spotlight sculptures, which were of the museum’s Director and of the Assistant to UVA’s Vice Provost for the Arts.

This exhibit showcases the portraits made from both events. The installation also takes the environment of a studio space, an exclusive personal space for creating art, and brings it into a public space. There will be some live sculpture at the opening and viewers will get to participate and witness the process of making portrait sculpture.

About the artists: Ed Miller is originally from Charlottesville, and currently lives in Waynesboro, VA. He has an MFA in Studio Art from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. He works as a sculptor and also teaches Ceramics and Art Appreciation at Piedmont Virginia Community College. Ed’s work focuses mainly on figure modeling, and environmental sculpture. Ed has completed public art projects at several locations including: The Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, in Richmond, VA; Coastal Carolina Discovery Museum, in Hilton Head, SC; The Central Virginia Community Health Center, in New Canton, VA; Baker-Butler Elementary School, and The University of Virginia in Charlottesville, VA.

ABOUT THE BRIDGE PAI: The Bridge Progressive Arts Initiative is a cultural hub for Charlottesville offering an inclusive space for creative thinking and artistic pursuits while providing resources and methodology for meaningful arts engagement throughout the community. Our mission is to bridge diverse communities through the arts. More information can be found at our website – thebridgepai.org or by following us on Facebook.