“I sit with questions and draw upon memory, poetry/literature, socio-political realities, theology, and history to create art composed of mostly-found or discarded materials that reflect the textured ideas, complex realities, emotions, dreams, longings, questions, possibilities and beauty that make up the storied layers of the human experience.” – Lanecia A. Rouse

We are delighted to welcome abstract painter, photographer and mixed-media collage artist, Lanecia A. Rouse to FSA’s Artist-in-Residence program in Charleston this fall. Originally from Summerville, South Carolina, Rouse lives and works between Houston, Texas, and Richmond, Virginia. The daughter of a Methodist pastor, Rouse initially sought a vocation in ministry which led her to Duke Divinity School. Her years working with youth ministry led to an art therapy and economic empowerment project with homeless communities in Houston. Rouse discovered that she had the artistic skills to lead workshops and creative projects which eventually turned into a full time artistic practice.

This fall, Lanecia A. Rouse brings her collage work with her to the Charleston residency. She is currently studying and exploring embodied, spiritual, and psychological practices that provide means of enduring, surviving, and thriving during experiences of liminal states. Lanecia will conduct historical research during her time in Charleston specifically related to the Black Church, Black spirituality of the South, and healing practices. She will be looking at photographic archives that she can incorporate into her work, as well as meeting with local congregations. We hope to engage her work through programming with the community of Charleston.