Artist-in-Residence Reese explores Upstate food insecurity, consumer capitalism

The Furman University Department of Art has selected Derek Reese as its 2025 True Inspiration Artist-in-Residence. The residency was inaugurated in 2016 as part of The Furman Advantage and is awarded each spring to an artist or designer interested in developing a body of work alongside Furman students, faculty and the surrounding community.

Derek Reese will present “Daily Bread” in Thompson Gallery.

Reese will run an open studio in Furman’s Roe Art Building throughout the spring semester and will hold a public exhibition, “Daily Bread,” in the Thompson Art Gallery, Feb. 17-March 28. Thompson Gallery hours are 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Reese’s project explores food insecurity in the Upstate and the impact of consumer capitalism on the region’s low-income communities. Using data drawn from the Greenville County Food Insecurity Index, local partnerships and in-person community engagement, Reese will develop innovative artworks that depict the ways discount chain stores exacerbate food insecurity, restrict access to healthy food options and compromise communities’ resilience to other social factors beyond food alone.

About Derek Reese:

Derek Reese will present “Daily Bread” in Thompson Gallery.

Derek Reese is an interdisciplinary artist whose creative journey traverses the rich tapestry of Appalachian heritage and the evolving socio-political landscape of contemporary America. Hailing from the former coal mining village of Maidsville, West Virginia, and now based in the post-industrial milieu of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Reese says his artistic vision is rooted in the transformative power of transitioning environments. Beyond his artistic endeavors, Reese is committed to arts education and community engagement via the arts.

As director of artist services at Shiftworks: Community + Public Arts, Reese empowers aspiring artists to create art in the public realm and fosters meaningful connections within a broad array of communities. His passion for social justice and advocacy infuses his practice, driving positive change and inspiring collective action.

Reese is a graduate of West Virginia University and holds a Master of Fine Arts from Ohio State University.

For more information, please contact Stephen Mandravelis, assistant professor of art history and director of the Thompson Art Gallery, at 864-294-2282, or [email protected].