Chellis Baird: The Touch of Red at The National Arts Club

Chellis Baird, Smile, 2021, fabrics, plaster, wire, acrylic on birch panel, 50 x 40 x 10 inches.

Last week, NC-born and NYC-based multimedia artist Chellis Baird celebrated her latest solo show at The National Arts Club following her fellowship with the Gramercy Park institution. Titled The Touch of Red, Baird’s show honors visible light’s most provocative hue. Seductive, threatening, and determined, red permeates pop culture through idioms—“the mean reds,”“red scare,” and the ever-alluring “lady in red.” Like Chris Brown sings on “I Can Transform Ya,” “red lips, red dress, like ‘em like a fire truck.” This kind of intensity creates metamorphosis.

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