Drawn Together explores Buddhist concepts

An image by Dana Oldfather, from the exhibition Drawn Together.

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Opening March 9 in the Heights Arts main gallery, Drawn Together: Emotional Intelligence and the Vernacular of the Heart explores the Buddhist concept of the brahma-viharas, also known as the four divine emotions, through drawings by Northeast Ohio artists John Carlson, Suzanne Head, Tony Ingrisano and Dana Oldfather. The community is invited to the opening reception on Friday, March 9, 6 to 9 p.m.

Drawn Together looks at the emotions of loving-kindness (metta), compassion (karuna), vicarious or sympathetic joy (mudita), and equanimity (upekkha), through the expression of visual line and imagery in a wide range of materials, including paint, charcoal, and glass.

“Drawing is so effective and efficient in its ability to convey emotion that it seemed a most appropriate medium for this subject,” said Josh Werling, exhibition curator. “Each mark is a statement of expression by the artist. It is also a perfect metaphor for social interaction and relationships between individuals and the collective. Like all of us moving through the world, reacting to and relating with each other based upon our own individual stories and experiences: marks and lines, all part of a bigger picture.”

Each of the four artists has created three works based on the brahma-viharas: one representing the divine emotion and its corresponding near and far enemies. The far enemy represents the opposite of the emotion and the near enemy is an emotion masquerading as the pure emotion.

On Thursday, April 5, Ekphrastacy: Artists Talk + Poet Respond offers an opportunity to hear the Drawn Together artists speak about their work and invited poets read original work written in response to select pieces in the exhibition.

The Same . . . Only Different, recent drawings by Jennifer Adams, will open in the Spotlight Gallery on Friday, March 23. Adams began working on the series, which is based on brick patterns in local architecture, in 2015. Since receiving an M.F.A. in fiber from Cranbrook Academy of Art, she has primarily focused on two-dimensional practices including drawing, printmaking and photography, as well as such textile arts as quilting and knitting.

For more information on Heights Arts community programs and events, including house concerts, gallery performances and outreach, visit www.heightsarts.org.