News & Blog

Aggie Merrick at AVAM

By Willy Sydnor

One of Broadmead’s gifted artists is being celebrated at the American Visionary Art Museum (AVAM) in its new exhibit “Abundance: Too Much, Too Little, Just Right,” which opened October 8 and runs until September 3, 2023.

Aggie Merrick, who has lived at Broadmead for eight years, came to the attention of AVAM’s founder, Rebecca Hoffberger, through their mutual friend, resident Penny Partlow, who was certain that Hoffberger would love Aggie’s creative artistry. Hoffberger did and visited Aggie twice this spring. On the second visit, she brought Gage Branda, who is the curator of the new exhibit. After looking at Aggie’s art in her home, he chose eight pieces and one poem to be part of the exhibit.

Aggie joins 40 other self-taught artists whose works make up the Abundance show. Asked about what media she uses, Aggie replied, “paper, fabric, paint, buttons, beads, stones, rick-rack, lace, trim, flat nut washers, jingle bells, sewing-thread holders, sand, wool, sequins, colored toe separators, and part of a 20-plus-year-old patterned invitation from the then-called Walters Art Gallery.”

Aggie’s life experiences cover a wide span from nursing to art history, but she feels she really found her creative center when she moved to Broadmead. As many residents know, Aggie is a talented self-taught piano player who shares her love of music with residents in Darlington. It has also been reported that she is a serious bridge player.