Brenda McMahon Gallery in Gulfport will welcome one of the world’s leading book excavation artists to its roster of decorated artists this November. Ted Wray, a multiple-award-winning artist, rescues books from the recycling bin and transforms them into mind-expanding, exciting new 3-dimensional worlds of inexhaustible exploration and wonder. He accomplishes all this with just a blade and his imagination.
“Books contain secrets,” says Wray. “I like digging deeper because, while we can’t see all the answers at once, we can glimpse the beauty of the interaction of chaos and order.”
Wray’s works will be unveiled during a solo exhibition at the gallery during the town’s First Friday Art Walk on Friday, November 1st from 6-9 PM. St. Petersburg jazz innovator Henry Ashwood will perform a live suite of classics and originals for the crowd to enjoy while perusing Wray’s works and those of nearly 20 regional artists.
Wray has pursued careers in printing, music, and art, earning multiple awards for excellence in each field. In 2019, he redirected his creativity to become a leading book excavation artist, earning numerous awards from New York to Florida. His unique style allows viewers to see imagery from every page of the book simultaneously, integrating width, height, depth, and time.
Says Wray: “I’m fascinated by the interplay of chaos and order. I’m offering a new view into something that’s always been there. The book is not what you think it is.”
The gallery was also recently announced as the first of nine stops on the 8th Annual ArtJones Gulfport Artist Studio Tour, taking place on Saturday, December 7th, and Sunday, December 8th. This tour has become a must-see and must-shop event on the region’s holiday arts calendar and features work by 22 professional artists. The gallery will showcase gallery owner and ceramic artist Brenda McMahon, painters Christine Di Staola and Angela Warren, and mixed-media artist Debra Brown during the event.
To follow updates on the event, follow @BrendaMcMahonGallery on Facebook and Instagram, or visit the gallery’s homepage at https://brendamcmahongallery.com/. Brenda McMahon Gallery is located at 2901 Beach Boulevard S in downtown Gulfport.
