Is it nature — or nurture — that sparks creativity? That ageless question will be
addressed by the Hicks Art Center Gallery exhibition “The Creative Genes” December
3 through February 28 at Bucks County Community College.
The exhibition presents historic and contemporary artworks and writing from four groups
of artists who are directly related as siblings or family members. The pieces are from
individual artists, as well as Moravian Archives, the Petrucci Family Foundation
Collection of African American Art (PFFCAAA), and the Volta Center for Writing Arts.
The artists all shared their experiences and exposures to positive environments which
fostered their creative growth. In addition, writers participating in the “Mapping the
Headwaters” workshop at the Volta Center for Writing Arts at the College reveal their
thoughts of creative lineage. A booklet compiling the workshop results will be available
for free.
Visitors will have a rare opportunity to see pieces drawn from artist studios, archives,
and collections specifically for this exhibition, some of which have not been widely
exhibited before.
The works in the exhibition provide a deeper understanding of relationships between the
concepts of nature and nurture in artmaking from a variety of viewpoints, according to
He said “The Creative Genes” represents his ongoing interest in the necessity to
establish safe, creative environments for people to develop positive mental and physical
practices through art.
“The absolute key to developing creativity is access to supportive, positive
environments,” said Eberly. “You may have parents and grandparents on both sides
who were or are creative, but without constructive environments, creativity is less likely
to develop. I believe it is vitally important to provide people with tools for creative
agency, to improve our collective well-being.”
Participating visual artists include:
Friedrich Renatus Frueauff and daughter Agnes Clara Frueauff
Sisters Bernadette McBride and Constance McBride
Betye Saar and daughters Alison Saar and Lezley Saar
Carl Wagner and son Kenoka Wagner
An opening reception will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, December 3. The
reception will feature a poetry reading at 5:30 p.m., led by artist and former Bucks
County Poet Laureate Bernadette McBride, whose artwork is exhibited alongside that of
In addition, the Hicks Art Center is hosting two Family and Friends Creative Lineage
Workshops from 1 to 2 p.m. Saturday, December 13 and from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. on
Tuesday, December 16. Attendees will be guided to mine their memory to create art
and poetry that reflects their connections to relatives and loved ones. Materials will be
supplied. Registration is required by emailing gallery@bucks.edu
Admission to all events is free. To learn more, visit hicksgallery.bucks.edu and follow on
Instagram at @bcccartscomm.
The Hicks Art Center is located on the east end of the campus at 275 Swamp Rd.,
Newtown, Pa., 18940, where there is ample free parking. For directions and a campus
map, visit bucks.edu/newtown.
“The Creative Genes” is supported by the College’s Cultural Affairs Committee and
presented by the College’s School of Arts and Communication, which offers eight
associate degrees and two certificate programs. Through coursework, exhibitions, and
community engagement, the school prepares students for careers in the arts and
inspires appreciation for creative expression. To learn more, visit bucks.edu/arts, email
arts.comm@bucks.edu, or call 215-968-8425.
