On Wednesday, March 28, Cheyney University of Pennsylvania’s Biddle Hall Art Gallery will open its first exhibition of the spring semester and feature the photography of Cheyney alumni, Ted Waters. The campus community and the public are invited to attend the opening that will be held from 5 pm – 7 pm in the gallery.
Waters, a native of Philadelphia, always carried an interest and keen-eye for visual arts, however it wasn’t until he journeyed to CU, and enrolled in our Fine Arts program, that he received formal training. As a student, he honed in on his artistic abilities, expression, understating and appreciation of the fine arts. Likewise, he credits his studio coursework as what drew him to select his preferred art medium of oil, watercolor, pencil and photography.
During his studies, Waters also developed a natural approach when it came to his creative process, one that summons him to create artwork when he feels there is a need. Through this unfiltered artistic expression, Waters is able to preserve his passion by creating when he has the time, space and patience.
Waters’ exhibit at the Biddle Gallery, to be on display through mid-April, will showcase the world through his lens, as it features images of everyday life. “After I took a photography class [at Cheyney] with Professor Keener, he suggested I purchase a DSLR camera. From there, I started carrying it with me when I came to campus, and then I began taking it everywhere,” said Waters. He also noted that this will be his first exhibit that concentrates entirely on photography.
The artist has also showcased his work in multiple exhibits, including Cheyney, Temple University and The Philadelphia’s October Gallery. In the fall of 2017, Waters beat-out dozens of Philadelphia artists and reached the regional semi-finals of the 2017 Bombay Sapphire Artisan Series. The series celebrates emerging artists by providing them with an open platform to submit their artwork to potentially score a spot at the critically acclaimed SCOPE Art Fair in Miami. Currently, he is working on a project titled, “The Visionary Project” that focuses on visionary legends of the African Diaspora.
Those that cannot attend the reception can visit the gallery on Mondays: 12 pm – 4 pm, Tuesdays: 11 am – 4:30 pm, Wednesdays: 12 pm – 4:30 pm and Thursdays: 1 pm – 3 pm.
For additional information on the exhibit at Cheyney, please contact Helena Domenic, Associate Professor of Fine Art at hdomenic@cheyney.edu. To view artwork, photography and learn more about our featured artist, visit his website tedwatersart.com.