This January, Urban Arts Space’s downtown gallery will be home to two separate-but-intertwined shows exploring collective grief and expressions of personal identity. Fervent Fruition, a visual art exhibition, will feature the vibrant Afrofuturistic paintings of Arris’ J. Cohen, Urban Arts Space’s current Community Artist-in-Residence. Grieving Landscapes by Nico Lawson will present an interactive exhibition and three evenings of dance performances alongside Cohen’s work. All exhibitions, events, and performances are free and open to the public.

As a Columbus-based artist, Arris’ Cohen has made a name for himself selling personal pieces and commissions, as well as producing live paintings. He served as the 2021 Artist-in-Residence for the Calo Art Studio in Chicago and has participated in public mural projects across the city, including with Franklinton High School and Gravity. Fervent Fruition investigates the intersection of passion, realization, and loss, where artistic concepts come to vibrant life with an intense energy. Each canvas and wood panel is a testament to the artist’s dedication to his craft as he navigates the realms of Afrofuturistic and Surrealistic imagination that bring forth a visual symphony of colors and forms. 

The opening reception for Fervent Fruition on January 11 from 6–8 PM will include an electrifying roller-skating performance in the downtown gallery, seamlessly blending kinetic grace with artistic expression.

Grieving Landscapes is a performance installation that explores the transformative power of grief through an investigation of grief practices and rituals. Ohio State MFA Dance candidate Nico Lawson touches on the many forms of grief: mourning relationships, life changes and transitions, social injustice, and the destruction of our environment. Grieving Landscapes also attends to the traumas of marginalization­—racism, ableism, anti-queerness—and the death of self that is necessary to survive. Lawson engages in speculative choreographies that imagine a future made possible by the liberating power of the grieving process. 

The interactive installation portion of Grieving Landscapes will run from January 16–27, providing opportunities for visitors to share their thoughts and feelings on paper and even bury their most difficult experiences in sand. The performances on January 25, 26, and 27 at 6:00 PM are free, but space is limited to fifty people per event, with online registration. 

Uniquely, Fervent Fruition and Grieving Landscapes present an unexpected collaboration between two artists of different disciplines within the same space. Upon learning they could share the gallery, Cohen and Lawson jumped at the chance to explore where their individual projects might intersect. The thematic touchstone of collective grief unites their work, and with that subject in mind, January’s Artist Commune event—where artists gather at Urban Arts Space to create art and network—will focus on expressing personal grief through a free SoulCollage workshop on Saturday, January 27 from 2–4 PM. Alongside a trained SoulCollage facilitator, participants will create a deck of collaged cards that allow for self-discovery through imagery.

Visitors are invited to stay for the closing reception for both shows on January 27 from 7:30–8:30 PM after Lawson’s performance—it’s sure to be an unforgettable day of art-making, dance, and meaningful connections.