Guest Artist Nelli Levental Show Opens May 13

Opening Reception/ Presentation Saturday, May 13 at 2 PM - 4 PM

Solo artist, Nelli Levental, presents her One Woman Show, “Lights, Camera… Paper: Stories Created from the Paper, Light and Love for Theater.”

Come view Ms. Levental’s conceptual storytelling project at its World Premiere, introduced to the public in a gallery setting for the first time! 

As Nelli says, “I choose to “perform” my stories in the Paper Theater environment where the sets and the characters are paper cutouts in the miniature scale.”

Levental builds miniature, three-dimensional stage sets out of paper card stock – her default set measures 16 X 20 X 20 inches— and creates paper ‘characters’ which are placed and lit, within the set and then photographed. Stories are set and shot in sequences, or individual scenes (depending on the story); then, sequences are sewn into narratives using video.

The debut exhibit, on view at ClearWater until June 30, will include two of Levental’s actual paper sets with clusters of characters arranged within them; several prints on paper mounted on the gallery walls to show the photographic transformation and sequences; and an assortment of other paper sculptures in the same vein. At the Opening Reception/ Presentation, 2:00 pm on May 13th*, we will also have a digital screen running some of Levental’s video stories.

During the Opening Reception/ Presentation, the artist will make a presentation/ performance about her work.  She states, “I would be honored to talk about my process and share the concept of storytelling as a healing and educational experience.” She may also run a workshop on paper design. 

About the Artist:

Nelli Levental is a Charlotte-area artist, graphic designer and instructor. As an experienced Instructor teaching Graphic and Applied Design at Central Piedmont Community College (CPCC), she believes that sharing her ongoing Project will be beneficial and educational. Levental has also taught at other colleges, and worked for several years as a Senior Graphic Designer for Cirque Dreams. There, she designed everything from books, catalogs, ads, billboards, posters, and flyers to costumes and props for musical theatrical productions. This spurred her ideas for her own catharthis, using theatrical storytelling techniques with her own paper characters to process and facilitate her own healing from her various past traumas as a Russian Émigré.

She says this would be the first time sharing her Project and she is very excited about that.  A more detailed Artist Statement describing her process will be at the show.