As one of the recipients of the Whetsell Fellowship, Lyrical Gist ‘26 is preparing for her upcoming solo exhibition in February. Over the summer, Gist conducted research under the mentorship of Dr. Rebecca Forstater, associate professor of studio art, to generate new bodies of work tailored to her artistic approach.
As part of this fellowship, Gist traveled to New York City, where she visited museums and spoke with artists and curators. Now she is spending the fall semester creating pieces and further expanding on her research.
When asked about the inspiration behind her exhibition, Gist explained that the people around her have been essential to her growth and identity.
“I wanted this to be very community based and talk about the importance of a support system. I’m doing portraits to kind of honor people in my support system,” Gist said.
Each painting in the upcoming exhibition reflects the unique aure of a specific friend or family member. These works began as finger paintings, a technique Gist uses to enhance her sense of connections with her subjects.
With guidance from her mentor, she developed the idea of centering her show around the people who are important to her.
“I feel more connected with the canvas and because the whole show is about connection and the people who I’m connected with, getting my hands in the paint, and then painting these people who I care about so much with my hands feels more intricate and intimate than it would with a paint brush,” Gist said.
Although Gist is confidently making progress in her exhibition process, she admits the concept was not clear from the start. The idea emerged while she was making art alongside her sister and discovered how much she enjoyed painting her hands for its expressiveness.
When asked how she wants the audiences to feel upon entering the exhibition space, Gist shares that she hopes they feel as if they are stepping into a new world. The exhibition space will use bright colors to create the colorful world we experienced as children.
Gist describes the experience she’s putting together as playful, childlike joy and comfort.
“Its not a very exhibition format, but I like that because it kind of feels like when you’re walking up the stairs of your grandma’s house and you see all these like pictures on the staircase,” Gist said.
Her exhibition will not just include paintings on the wall, Gist aims for her visitors to have the opportunity to interact with the artwork. At the exhibition, visitors will find an interactive table inviting them to draw someone important to them. These drawings will then be displayed on a wall, allowing everyone to contribute to the evolving artwork.
For those who do not want to dabble into their artistic side, a note box will also be available for guests to leave messages to encourage this connection with community members.
“Even if you don’t really know who you’re connecting with, it kind of just shows that there is a thread throughout all of us,” Gist said.
The show will be in the Richardson Family Art Gallery at Wofford’s Rosalind Sallenger Richardson Center for the Arts on Feb. 2, 2026. A reception will be held on Feb. 12, 2026 where Gist will present a talk relating to her exhibition.
