Julie Gray

This series was made possible by a grant from the Ellis-Beauregard Foundation
January 8, 2021 - January 22, 2021
150 Wakefield Street, Rochester, NH 03867

Julie K. Gray is a Maine-based interdisciplinary artist who primarily works in photography, sculpture and needlepoint. She earned her BFA in Photography from Rhode Island School of Design in 2005 and has since earned her MFA in Studio Art from Maine College of Art (2012). She has exhibited widely in New England as well as NYC, IL, TX, NJ, FL and Canada. She is also currently a student of mediumship, working with mentors based in Lily Dale, NY. 

“Ten years ago, I had a near-death experience after falling down some stairs and receiving a severe concussion. I could hear my parents and brother describe what was happening to me in frantic screams, their voices became fainter and fainter as I seemingly traveled down a dark tunnel. There was no light at the end of this tunnel, though, and when I eventually came to after minutes without breath, this vast emptiness I experienced shook me to the core. It took me a few years to be able to process and speak about this experience openly, then it took a few more years to be able to address it within my art.

I visited Lily Dale, NY (the largest Spiritualist community in the country) five years ago and have never been the same, continuing to visit each year during the summer seasons when they open their gates to tourists and those who wish to receive messages from their dead loved ones. I’ve always been sensitive to seeing/hearing spirits growing up, but have always explained these experiences away-maybe there was a carbon monoxide leak in that Providence apartment? And maybe when I was a child I just had an overactive imagination? However, after spending time in Lily Dale, I no longer explain these experiences away, but embrace them. And honestly, after my near-death experience, I need to believe that there’s something more after we die.

My artwork addresses mortality, mourning culture and the psychological space of “limbo,” thematically. In order to speak about the intangible subject of mortality through my work, I have come to use more symbolic means of addressing the subject. Humor and kitsch in my photography, as well as the use of naïve, childhood craft materials help such weighty subject matter become accessible to the audience.

In these past years, I have taken photographs (both digital and medium format film) around the grounds of Lily Dale (my visits only lasting a few days here and there), and it’s been a great source of inspiration in general. This year, I booked a two-week trip to visit during the off-season in October/November with the support of the Ellis-Beauregard Foundation. This body of work is the result of these two weeks spent on the grounds.”

More information and sales inquiries

Related Posts

David Victor Feldman

Ear-Shapes/Eye-Songs
November 6, 2023 - January 5, 2024
150 Wakefield Street, Rochester, NH 03867
Reception: November 18, 2023 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm

David Victor Feldman began music composition studies under Leo Kraft during his high school years and continued at Yale under Robert Morris, Krzysztof Penderecki, Jonathan Kramer and others. His digital art practice, beginning in the late 80s, first grew out of creating software for printing his idiosyncratic musical scores (before commercial software came on the…

Michael Young

Hidden Glances
September 4, 2023 - November 3, 2023
150 Wakefield Street, Rochester, NH 03867
Reception: October 7, 2023 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm

Michael Young is a lens-based artist whose work explores themes of masculinity, personal identity, community, and memory. He has been named a Top 10 winner of LensCulture Critics’ Choice, a Top 50 artist in Photolucida’s Critical Mass, and a winner of Feature Shoot’s Emerging Photography Award. Recent shows include Candela’s Unbound12! and Una historia (no)…

Ralph Morse

From Moments to Masterpieces
July 3, 2023 - September 1, 2023
150 Wakefield Street, Rochester, NH 03867
Reception: August 5, 2023 12:00 pm - 4:00 pm

Born with an innate passion for capturing moments, Ralph Morse’s artistic journey began after high school when he eagerly embarked on a career in photography. Starting from humble beginnings, he worked alongside a seasoned photographer, sweeping floors and delivering pictures, gradually honing his skills. In 1939, Morse’s relentless dedication paid off when he secured a…

Connor Gottfried

Save Game
May 8, 2023 - June 30, 2023
150 Wakefield Street, Rochester, NH 03867
Reception: June 17, 2023 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Connor Gottfried is a multidisciplinary artist, musician, and technologist based in Calgary, Canada. His artistic practice combines elements of technology, music, and visual art to create a unique analog/digital hybrid approach that connects the viewer to lost and obsolete technologies of play. Growing up, Gottfried was exposed to technology at an early age when his…

Pixel Games

Classic 2D Pixel Art
March 4, 2023 - May 5, 2023
150 Wakefield Street, Rochester, NH 03867
Reception: April 1, 2023 12:00 pm - 4:00 pm

Pixel Games SARL-S, an independent development studio founded by Sebastian Kostka, is focused on bringing classic arcade experiences to modern consoles. Based in Luxembourg, the studio’s creative vision is centered around pixel art games with limited color palettes. Kostka, who is responsible for all the game art and most of the development cycle, is a…

Marija Velykytė

Art of Atari
January 7, 2023 - March 3, 2023
150 Wakefield Street, Rochester, NH 03867
Reception: January 14, 2023 10:00 am - 4:00 pm

Founded in 1972, Atari played an integral role in the development of the arcade game, home console, and personal computer industries. Atari’s iconic games, including Pong, Asteroids, Centipede, Missile Command, have been played by millions around the world. The brand continues to bring joy to gamers with its expanding portfolio of PC, console, and mobile…