"I Belong to Myself," organized by Maria Seda-Reeder (online exhibition)

About the Exhibition

Being an artist who helps bring new, radical ideas into the world is neither an easy nor simple task.

So it takes a certain, special kind of magic—charisma, self-belief, instinct—to move through the world going against the grain, as innovative artists so often do.  This small exhibition of works from NIAD's vast and excellent collection features pieces that struck me as being about that individuation process.  That revolutionary step forward on behalf of humanity, which is required of so many artists, demonstrates that standing out isn't easy.  But it is the only way through. I'm honored to have the chance to put forth this small sampling of artists from NIAD, an organization that likewise is working at the forefront of contemporary art. 

About the Organizer

Director of Exhibitions & Artist Support Initiatives at Wave Pool: A contemporary art fulfillment center, Maria Seda-Reeder has been working with and on behalf of artists for almost 20 years.  

As a curator, writer, and academic she taught at the University of Cincinnati's College of Design Architecture Art and Planning for over a decade; has covered the work of living artists for online and print publications alike; and independently organized exhibitions at The Weston Art Gallery (Cincinnati, OH), The Lexington Art League (Lexington, KY), KMAC Museum (Louisville, KY), LMAK Books+Design (New York, NY), ProArts (Oakland, CA), Salisbury University Art Galleries (Salisbury, MD), The Carnegie Visual & Performing Arts Center (Covington, KY), Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park (Hamilton, OH), The Reed Gallery at the University of Cincinnati (Cincinnati, OH), The Ohio Art Council's Riffe Gallery (Columbus, OH), and The Contemporary Arts Center (Cincinnati, OH).

Maria uses language as a bridge for critical discourse because she believes that contemporary art has the power to not only reflect the past but also inform the future.