“Soot Charged and Sutured,” an exhibit by the Fall 2024 Artist-In-Residence (AIR), marked its debut at its opening reception on Oct. 10, hosted at the Cafritz Building on Montgomery College’s Takoma Park/Silver Spring campus.

The exhibit, spanning seven years of the artist’s work, featured a range of mediums, where the Fall 2024 AIR Lucas J Rougeux talked about their displayed artwork inspired by themes like chronic illness, body pain, medical trauma and healing, existentialism, the ephemeral and the ideas of unknown.

“Art is an outlet for the things that I am conscious about, which takes up a lot of urgency and anxiety in my brain,” said Rougeux, who uses they/any pronouns.

According to Rougeux, they described their work as a deeply personal exploration of themes like astrophysics, spirituality, and experience of grief, including pressing global issues, such as ongoing conflicts or natural disasters.

Offering an opportunity for prospective artists and students, the TP/SS AIR program encourages artists to explore new ideas and perspectives as they engage with the community. This also gives the students the opportunity to interact with professional artists and to understand choosing art as a career.

“Our goal is to provide students with real-world insight into the life of a working artist,” Kevin Bowman, the exhibition’s committee chair and the assistant professor for the Visual & Performing Arts department, said. “We choose artists based not only on the quality of their work but also their ability to engage students and bring fresh perspectives.”

The program takes place twice a year and receives a volume of applicants, according to Bowman.

As the residency program evolves, MC’s goal is to maintain diversity in the selection of artists while also maintaining the format of the program itself. Bowman said, “We aim to vary mediums and disciplines, whether it may be a painter, sculptor, photographer, or maybe a digital artist.”

Additionally, reflecting on their time at the foundation, Rougeux said, “I’ve only interacted with a handful of students, faculty, and staff here, but everyone has been so welcoming and excited to see something new.”

To learn more about Rougeux and their work, visit lucasjrougeux.com.