Studio 180 Salon and Lucid Element Multimedia are proud to support our local arts community by serving as a host venue for 2011 Cary Art Loop Final Friday events. On the final Friday of select months, we feature a local artist with a reception and cocktail from 6-9 pm. So, come join us at the studio for great works, wine and hors de’ oeuvres and get in the Loop
This month through July 2011, we are pleased to show works by artist Marissa Rose Ladd
Born into a ‘powerhouse of creativity & entrepreneurial spirit’, Marissa was taught the fundamentals of craftsmanship throughout the many facets of her traditional, Italian-American family upbringing. From humble beginnings, the seeds of imagination and endless possibilities were sown into the fabric of her formative years; each caretaker instilling their own brand of moral character and strong core values, adding color after color to her palette. Within the inherited cultural parameters of this super-sized family, and even as a toddler, it was imperative for a young girl to firmly grasp the basics of modernized domestic duties: cooking, mending, child-rearing, housekeeping. Fortunate to have been raised by a ‘career parent’ mother, while grandma occupied the first floor of the two-story home they shared on Long Island, Marissa’s family encapsulated her in a stable, loving, super-fun, and nurturing environment which spawned the diversity of her artistic abilities that she has carried well into adulthood.
“It became much clearer to me, especially after the move [to North Carolina, in the late 1990’s], that not all children were brought up inside this ‘bubble’ of boundless potential, from where I derive much of the inspiration that’s evident in my current, artistic style. I began to discredit statistical reports on studies of my generation, wherein scientists hypothesized that those children who had been assured – and reassured – as they grew up in the early to mid-eighties, that they had each come to existence “anointed” as a very special sort of superhero, that it would inevitably turn our civilization into scattered, poorly adjusted, self-serving individualists.” Marissa subscribes to certain ideals once held by Randy Pausch, a well-respected and incurably optimistic professor who taught at Carnegie Mellon University. He is best known for the “Last Lecture” he’d given not long before tragically losing his battle to Pancreatic Cancer in July of 2008. During this inspirational and moving speech, Dr. Pausch mentions that one of the most wonderful things his parents did was let him paint his bedroom as a kid.
Marissa, the oldest of five in a now-blended family, wholeheartedly agrees. “My brother, sister & I…we were always told we could save the world, you know – in our own little ways; we were encouraged, with overwhelming enthusiasm, [Thank you, Miss Tolve] that were each “delightfully” different and would someday contribute to society by way of the natural course of things to come, if only we gave it our best. So I did. I was soon awarded this incredible opportunity to attend specialized programs for the academically gifted, once my ability to separate myself from fleeting, pop-culture trends took root. I think those experiences; not only the freedom given by my parents – they would say, “yes”, even when I insisted upon painting a ceiling-scape in my bedroom at age 7- but also the hands-on, individualized attention in the classroom, alongside the freedom to “just be Marissa”, is really what translates to my adaptive and intuitive skill set that’s poured into the work I’m producing today.” The impressions left upon Marissa’s heart by each role model, protector, teacher, and *especially* her “wise counsel in the world of creative adventures” are contributing factors which surround each goal she sets, and every ounce of her realized successes, thus far. Today, Marissa uses a multitude of techniques to create richly colorful, meaningful works. From Faux-finished backdrops and traditional calligraphy to wood burning, to hand-painted acrylic canvases, the variety is really what keeps this artist motivated and engaged. Armed with challenging ideas, she creates as she goes, sometimes morphing a project many times before it’s completion. To the free-spirited girl, who wanted to wear her beauty-pageant gown to her grade-schools’ science fair unveiling of a fully-operational, hydroelectric generator, one she built alongside a classmate, “Special, just like everyone else” is not a phrase that she has ever been able to quite comprehend.
Studio 180 Salon supports the 2011 Cary Art Loop. Artist’s works will be featured at our Final Friday show and reception on April 29th from 6 – 9pm.
Fine Arts League of Cary Annual Juried Painting Show
Studio 180 Salon and 
This month through October 2011, we are pleased to show works by artist Jack Stone. Jack grew up in the city of Baltimore and the surrounding countryside. He worked in his youth on farms and ranches, and traveled all 50 states with family. After a years tour with the Marine Corps as a medic in Vietnam, Jack took a BA in Journalism from U MD and studied art at Maryland School of Art and Design. He completed an MFA at UNCG.
