Artist Biography

Channing Gray is a multimedia artist born in Beale AFB, CA. She earned an MFA in studio art from Florida State University in 2020, and a BA in Fine Arts from the University of Central Florida in 2017. ... She has exhibited in multiple exhibitions in the southeastern region of the states since 2011 including the ArtFields in Lake City, SC Competition in 2019. Channing is a recipient of numerous awards including the Excellence in Visual Arts Award in 2018. She is interested in themes of nostalgia, dreams and the never-ending cosmos.

Artist Statement

My studio practice and research focus on an interest in symbolic narratives, collected objects and star constellations.The narratives are related to my experiences of moving around ... , so I would make temporary connections with places and individuals and make work based on those memories. These memories are held within specific objects that I have carried through the years. The stories that are tied to those objects are like the constellations that I admire. Like the stars, those objects mapped out a sort of journey.

I work with drawing, painting, storytelling and book arts to explore memories of my childhood and the objects I relate to them. From these experiences, I work with stories from moments that gave me a sense of “home” when I wasn’t bound to one place. By using drawing as a foundation, I create multi-material works that map these personal connections across time and space.