Randolph’s 114th Annual Exhibition celebrates the power of paint

Sally Egbert, ‘Branches,’ 2024. acrylic, oil, hand painted fabric on canvas. 40 x 50 in. Courtesy of Tripoli Gallery and the artist.

In a world where artificial intelligence is becoming more and more prevalent, Randolph College is turning its eye to the analog with its 114th Annual Exhibition of Contemporary Art. 

The Audacity of Paint features work by contemporary American artists whose primary medium is paint: Sally Egbert, Julia Jo, Sue McNally, and Walter Price. 

It opens on Oct. 19 at the Maier Museum of Art at Randolph College and will remain up through March 8, 2026. 

“The Audacity of Paint is an unabashed expression of the resiliency and power of paint in our digitally saturated age,” said Maier Director Martha Johnson, who curated the exhibit. “Within this technological milieu, nevertheless, paint persists with its sensual qualities and malleable, human mark-making—audacious not only in its refusal to defer to AI-driven modes, but also in its ability to express impractical joy.” 

This show marks a return to the origins of the Annual Exhibition. For the first 50 years, Randolph annual exhibitions featured mostly paintings. Since then, the College has highlighted the expanding breadth of media practiced by contemporary artists. 

The Audacity of Paint marks the first Annual in almost 30 years to focus exclusively on painting.

The exhibition will also be the subject of the 34th Annual Helen Clark Berlind Symposium on Saturday, Nov. 1. Egbert, Jo, and McNally will serve as panelists during the event, which includes artist talks from 1 to 2 p.m., a panel discussion from 2:30 to 3:45, and a reception. All events are free and open to the public.

Sue McNally, ‘Bonaventure Cemetery, GA,’ 2014, oil on canvas. 90 x 114 in. Courtesy of Jennifer Baahng Gallery and the artist.