"Picturing the Fantastic," sponsored by the City of Raleigh Arts Commission, will be on display June 4 through July 27 in the Miriam Preston Block Art Gallery at the Avery C. Upchurch Government Complex, 222 W. Hargett St. "Picturing the Fantastic," curated by Sarah Blackmon, features paintings by Tisha Edwards Weddington and mixed-media artwork by Leah Palmer Preiss. This is the third exhibition in Block 25, the 2009 25th anniversary Municipal Building Exhibition Series.

An opening-day reception for "Picturing the Fantastic," featuring a dance performance, will be held on Thursday, June 4, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the Block Gallery.

"Picturing the Fantastic" captures the fanciful and surreal imaginations of each artist, manifested through paint and paper, collage and canvas. Ms. Weddington's provocative portraits of made-up creatures and many-armed people evoke a dream world with hints of Asia, bits of the circus, and echoes of a playful menagerie. Ms. Preiss' work, often done in miniature, draw from layers of antique texts and maps, combined with exquisitely detailed characters and situations that have "collided" in the artist's mind. Expanding upon the journey into these visions are the installations by each artist, which will be on display in the Block Gallery's second-floor glass cases.

Ms. Weddington attended high school at the North Carolina School of the Arts and holds a bachelor of fine arts degree from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She has exhibited at Artspace, where she was the Regional Emerging Artist in Residence in 2000, as well as at Raleigh's Gallery C, the Durham Arts Guild, and the Mims Gallery in Rocky Mount.

Ms. Preiss holds a bachelor of arts degree in studio art from Smith College, and her illustrations and calligraphy have appeared in various books and magazines. She has received honors for her illustrations from the Society of Illustrators and from Print Magazine. Ms. Preiss has exhibited locally at the Visual Art Exchange, Cameron Village Library and the Clayton Center.

Connecting local artists to community through ongoing exhibitions and public outreach, the Miriam Preston Block Art Gallery is located on the first and second floors of the Upchurch Government Complex. The gallery is managed by the City of Raleigh Arts Commission and was dedicated in 2006 to honor Miriam Preston Block, a former Raleigh City Council member and community leader. The gallery is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:15 p.m., except on City holidays.

Established in 1977 as the official advisory body and advocate for the arts to the Raleigh City Council, the Raleigh Arts Commission holds the distinction of being the first municipal arts commission created in North Carolina. Serving as the leading force to champion the arts with Raleigh citizens and their representatives, the Arts Commission's myriad activities foster, support, and promote the arts in the Capital City.

For more information, contact the Arts Commission office at 996-3610 or email Gallery Coordinator Sarah Blackmon at sarah.blackmon@ci.raleigh.nc.us.