Birdman
1 / Shawn Yu graduated from the VCU school of the Arts in 2007 with a BFA concentrating in Communication Arts. He received his MFA in painting from the New York Academy of Art in 2011. He currently teaches Drawing at Art Foundation in VCU and the art department at Virginia State University in Petersburg. Shawn Yu has shown frequently in various group shows on the east cost of the United States and occasionally in the Republic of Turkey. His illustrations have been published in various magazines such as Virginia Living, Richmond Magazine and Broad Street Magazine. He works and lives in Richmond.
After Funeral
Planting Potatoes
The Shepherd
2, 3, 4 / Kathleen Laraia McLaughlin is a documentary photographer and educator with an appetite for exploring the world. For her efforts at capturing a disappearing world, she has received a Fulbright Senior Scholarship, an IREX Grant (National Endowment for the Humanities), and a Houston Center for Photography Fellowship. Her images have appeared in National Geographic’s blog Proof, PDN, LensWork, B&W Magazine, and The Times Saturday Magazine (UK). Her photographs have been exhibited both nationally and internationally and are in the permanent collections at the Museum of Photographic Art in San Diego, Western Virginia Museum of Art, and the U.S. Embassy in Bucharest.
The Color of Hay: The Peasants of Maramures is Kathleen’s first monograph of photographs. She is an active member of the Society for Photographic Education and is currently the Secretary for the west region. You can find more about her photography at klmphoto.com.
A Dream Across Keys
5 / Jared Boggess completed his BFA in Communication Arts in 2010. His bio and selected works can be found at jaredboggess.com
DYAO
Día
6, 7 / At a tiny macabre play, Templeton Kelley volunteered to go on stage, and a character whispered a secret in his ear. He can only remember hearing the word “winds,” but the experience made him see life through the eyes of a 19th century carnival gypsy. He was bubbling with fun and inspiration for the rest of the night. Templeton tries to pass on to other people the enlightenment he’s had while making and appreciating music, art, theater, and writing. He is a senior in the VCU painting and print-making program.
Two Soldiers After the Destruction of the Iraqi City of Najaf
8 / Jeff Lasshan can be reached at jeff@theclusterproject.com