The Gaddy-Hamrick Art Center proudly presents “From Wounds to Wonder,” a dual exhibition featuring Meredith College’s Emerging Artists-in-Residence Niza Menez and Paige MacQuin. Through their multimedia exhibition, “From Wounds to Wonder,” they probe the navigation of life’s challenges, exploring themes of healing and acceptance. The exhibition will be on view at the Gaddy-Hamrick Art Center from December 5th to January 30th, with a reception on January 22nd from 5:30-6:30 pm.

Through ceramic and sculpture, Niza Menez gives form to the unseen weight of generational trauma, tracing the echoes that pass through family lines and memory. Drawing from her Mexican heritage, she explores how childhood experiences and inherited fears shape identity, revealing the layers of cultural transmission, healing, and reclaimed strength. Her work transforms inherited wounds into tangible forms, capturing both the pain and the quiet resilience of healing across generations.

Paige MacQuin’s mixed-media paintings, melded with fiber processes, give life to her faith and renewal. Through the process of reconstructing her canvases, she mirrors her journey of learning to trust God more deeply amid life’s challenges. The deliberate deconstruction of the surface reflects experiences of feeling torn during challenging times, revealing vulnerability as a path toward strength. Rooted in her evolving trust in God, her work captures the tension and beauty between fragility and growth.

Together, both artists transform pain and faith into acts of renewal. Through material and process, they reveal how healing, whether spiritual or generational, emerges through reconstruction, resilience, and the courage to confront what lies beneath the surface.

This exhibition is free and open to the public. For more information, please contact Meredith Art Gallery Director, Todd Jones.