The Middle of Somewhere: An Artist Explores the Nature of Virginia

Theres no such thing as the middle of nowhere. Everywhere is the middle of somewhere for some living being. That was Suzanne Stryks mantra as she journeyed through her home state on a mission inspired by the reflective, encyclopedic sensibility of Thomas Jeffersons book Notes on the State of Virginia. While acknowledging the moral contradictions in the founding fathers work and life, Stryk offers a contemporary interpretation of Virginias ecology from a visual artists point of view. The Middle of Somewhere is an assemblage of essays, sketches, and ephemera from her travels. In a challenge that is universal, Stryk invites us to travel slowly, tread lightly, and look closely at each somewhere that defines a place.