Ceramic plates with photos of real fruits, vegetables and Akron icons (think blimps) glazed and fired onto them are strung on the walls of the gallery at Akron Soul Train.
Past the lines of plates, oversized bowls and ceramic figures of frogs and rabbits you will hear narration by Braden Wright guiding you through The Seth House — the home-turned-museum in Elmira, New York, of American author, poet and psychic medium Jane Roberts — as he connects you to your dreamworld.
These works are part of a dual exhibition that will be opening Jan. 14 at downtown’s Akron Soul Train gallery. It showcases its current artists-in-residence, Saelyx Finna and PJ Hargraves, who are displaying work that reflects both of their individual passions.
Finna, who uses she/they pronouns, researched and investigated the science behind dreams for seven years. They will debut “Dreams Travel Wondrous Wires,” a five-minute film that includes an interactive piece with a rocking chair identical to one from the film. Dreamers can sit in the chair and share their dreams to the “dream hotline.”
Hargraves is showcasing 55 ceramic pieces that tie together his North Hill garden and farm — lush with sunflowers, tomatoes and strawberries — and his affection for the Rubber City through Goodyear blimps and Swensons drive-in locations.
“Just seeing what they’ve presented is incredibly unique to their process,” said Colleen Suich, executive director of Akron Soul Train.
“PJ is one of the community,” she said. “I feel like he’s Mr. Akron.”
Diverse work blends organically in exhibit
Finna’s film was inspired by the work of Jane Roberts, who “trance-channelled” a metaphysical entity known as “Seth” in the ‘70s and ‘80s. Roberts produced nearly 50 books, and some quotes from them were used to narrate the short film. The film is an exercise that helps viewers “incubate” dreams and explore their own dream states.
Finna sees connections between her and Hargraves’ work through Roberts, the “Seth” author whose zodiac sign was Taurus, an Earth sign. Finna said that means Roberts was “very grounded in the earthly senses and delights.”
That pairs nicely with Hargraves’ nature-focused ceramics. “I think the colorfulness of his work … pairs really nicely with the colorfulness and the vividness of the more conceptual offerings of the ‘Seth’ material for bringing color to our dream lives,” Finna said.
The two artists and their current exhibition will close out this cycle of exhibits for Akron Soul Train as it prepares to celebrate its 10-year anniversary and bring in seven mixed-medium artists later this year.
Akron Soul Train’s artists-in-residence program
Akron Soul Train focuses on empowering local artists and has had a residency program since its establishment in 2016.
While resident artists rotate every year, their work is shown for about four to six weeks.
During the residency, artists continue or start to build, create and paint their pieces. They are also expected to complete speaking engagements that could look like artist talks, lectures, public performances or demonstrations.
Even after the one-year term is up, alumni of the residency could still display work in exhibitions or reach out to Akron Soul Train for support in different capacities.
Every artist-in-residence is given $1,000 stipends to use as they see fit toward their careers. The stipend is provided through organizational funds and some donations.
Akron Soul Train provides space for the artists to display their work at the end of the residency. Their projects can run the gamut, based on whatever their own interdisciplinary work produces, Suich said.
“We’re here to provide them with the financial resources to envision those and bring them to life, and to also provide them space and community, to have an audience to do that.”
How to go:
What:
Saelyx Finna debuts her short film “Dreams Travel Wondrous Wires” and PJ Hargraves is “The Fruit Man”
When:
Jan. 14 – Feb. 21, Wednesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.: Admission is free.
Jan. 16, 5 – 7:30 p.m.: Opening reception.
Jan. 28, 7 – 8:30 p.m.: Filmmaker and Dream Researcher Saelyx Finna at Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens (714 N. Portage Path)
Where:
Akron Soul Train, 191 S. Main St.