Let's give a warm welcome to our second Visiting Artist of 2022, Overstreet Ducasse! Inspired by the desire for reason and understanding, Overstreet Ducasse’s work is the expression of his life experiences and true intellect.
In early 2020, Erie Arts & Culture launched a visiting artist residency program in collaboration with Long Road Projects. Through this program, Erie Arts & Culture and Long Road Projects provide contemporary artists with dedicated time and space to reflect, research, and create new bodies of work – outside of their usual environments. This program also creates opportunities for new perspectives and creative processes to be shared, which in turn positively impacts the cultural and creative landscape in Northwestern Pennsylvania.
This visiting artist residency program is made possible through the generous support of a privately funded grant from The Erie Community Foundation.
Residency Plan:
While in residence with Erie Arts & Culture, Overstreet will maintain a studio at Grounded Print and Paper Studio. For those individuals interested in conducting a studio visit with Overstreet, please email Patrick Fisher ([email protected]).
On March 15, 1020 Collective will host an artist presentation with Overstreet Ducasse. Artists interested in receiving a professional critique of their work from Overstreet are encouraged to bring either a portfolio of their work or select work samples to share. We encourage you to sign up in advance to participate in a critique, as time is limited. Critiques will be limited to 10 minutes per artist. For additional information, contact Sarah Moody ([email protected])
On March 29, Overstreet will lead a workshop with students at the Inner-City Neighborhood Art House. Overstreet will meet with teenage students who are members of GAIA Youth United. Together, Overstreet and student participants will examine art as a form of activism.
GAIA Youth United is a group of strong minded individuals who want to make a change in the world. GAIA is the Greek God of the Earth. Through this program, teens explore social justice topics related to climate change, the Black Lives Matter movement, feminism, and gender equity. GAIA is a safe place for teens to speak up, share opinions, and take action.
About Overstreet:
Born in Haiti, Overstreet Ducasse came to the United States at the age of six. Faced with the challenges of an unfamiliar environment, a new language, and a different culture, Ducasse turned to art as a means of expression and communication. He deems art the universal language and a way to release frustrations and aggravations.
The art of Ducasse goes beyond the visual. His work is captivating, direct, and abundant with metaphors and meaning. As an artist, Ducasse refuses to be locked down by one particular style. “The number one rule in art is that there are no rules.” He creates on a variety of mediums from traditional canvas to wood frame doors.
Inspired by the desire for reason and understanding, his work is the expression of his life experiences as well as his true intellect. Ducasse describes himself as a Deepressionist, a term he conceived to express both the frustrations experienced by the artist and the depth of thought and imagination an artist must exude.
The Source of His Name:
His father, Jose Lopez Ducasse, gave Overstreet his unusual first name. His father chose the name after reading a book by social psychologist, Harry A. Overstreet, which profoundly inspired the senior Ducasse. Overstreet’s name is not all he inherited from his father. Jose Ducasse was also a painter, but his family never saw his work. Jose Ducasse’s paintings were all sold in Haiti to tourists during an earlier period.
