July-August Exhibit at Sertoma Arts Center

Exhibition Details

• When: June 29 - August 27, 2025
• Hours:
  • Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m. - 10 p.m.
  • Friday, 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.
  • Saturday, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
  • Sunday, 12 p.m. - 5 p.m.
• Reception: August 23, 2 p.m. - 4 p.m.
• Location: Sertoma Arts Center, 1400 W Millbrook Road, Raleigh, NC 27612
• Cost: Free and open to the public

To purchase artwork, contact Sertoma Arts Center for details.

The Artists

Cheryl McCardle

Transcendent Expressions

The paintings of Cheryl McCardle featured in the exhibition "Transcendent Expressions” are inspired by the idea of bridging the past to the present and the revelation that occurs as part of that connection. The artist is captivated by the evolutionary changes that take place through time. There is a primitive beauty found in the aging process as shown in natural objects like rocks and trees. It is also evident in man-made elements like ancient walls, rusting metal and similar objects. Cheryl seeks to give life to those characteristics in an expressive way using oil and cold wax on panels. The works of the artist consist of multiple layers of marks, paint, and mixed media to create visual interest and textures that emulate the aging process. Cheryl uses a method of scraping through the paint to reveal portions of previous layers. The juxtaposition of the earlier colors and markings create exciting slices of contrast and harmony.

About the Artist

Cheryl McCardle works in her studio in Clayton, NC where she paints in an expressionistic abstract style using acrylics, cold wax and oil paints. Her use of texture, marks and mixed media enriches the surface of her paintings. She received a Bachelor of Arts from George Mason University in 1996. Her expressive works use texture media and found objects to create a sense of depth and richness. Her art comes as much from emotion as her interpretation of imagery. Cheryl was a resident artist at 311 Gallery in Raleigh and now exhibits in the Triangle area with various organizations and galleries. In 2008 Congressman Bob Etheridge chose Cheryl to paint a “Red, White and Blue” themed Christmas ornament. 

Kenneth Eugene Peters

STRUCTURE & LIGHT: Architectural Paintings by Kenneth Eugene Peters

Kenneth Eugene Peters has always been fascinated with buildings since he was a small boy, especially single-family houses. Peters grew up in Maryland living in rental houses and apartment complexes, instead of a family-owned home. He suspects that this transient childhood experience influences his subject matter today. 

In the summer of 2015, while on a lunchtime walk in Downtown Raleigh, Peters came across a post-World War II rental housing project in the Oakwood neighborhood that was in the process of demolition. He took many photos of these small, cottage-like structures in various stages of disrepair. Their back stories – the families that lived there, the celebrations and personal sorrows that occurred within their walls – haunted him. 

For the past year Peters has been enrolled in artist Peter Marin’s Advanced Painting Lab at Pullen Arts Center. During that time, he has painted a series of canvases depicting these structures, as well as other buildings that have captured his interest and sparked his imagination. This exhibition features that work.

About the Artist

Kenneth Eugene Peters is a realist painter who concentrates in landscape and architectural subject matter. The transitory nature of light – how it changes through the course of a day, how it varies from season to season – has always fascinated him. After years of using oils, Peters now works in acrylic paint, utilizing his photographs or onsite sketches as source material. His work depicts local subjects as well as those discovered during trips across the country. 

Peters was born and raised in Maryland. He initially pursued a degree in architecture at the University of Maryland, but ultimately earned a B.A. in art history and studio art. Later, he earned an M.A. from the University of Baltimore. Career moves took him from Maryland to Ohio, then to North Carolina, where he has lived for the past 26 years. Peters has exhibited throughout the state, is the co-author of three local history books, and resides in Raleigh with his husband. He maintains a studio in a converted garage at his home

Alexandra Zuckerman

My work examines the ways in which identity is constructed through the everyday rituals of life. I am interested in monumentalizing quiet moments of intimacy by transforming rituals such as morning coffees, nicknames and inside jokes, my cat’s favorite toys, and summer tomatoes into personal iconography. 

Through the repetition and variation of printmaking, I explore how routines evolve over time, simultaneously preserving these fragments while allowing them to slip away. I source imagery from my phone camera roll, a personal archive of thousands of images of casual moments. Even though the source material is digital, I always hand-draw each composition when I translate it into print. This process becomes its own form of ritual, allowing me to reengage intimately with these fragments.

I made these monoprints during a residency at Kala Art Institute in 2024 while talking with my mom about old wives’ tales and her experiences growing up in Ashe County, North Carolina. I was raised in Raleigh, and I was interested in connecting her stories with my own through a landscape of North Carolina tomatoes. I printed monotypes as a base layer for each work using an etching press and inked Plexiglas. I then screenprinted tomato, pepper, cloud, and mountain imagery on top of the painterly abstract marks using acrylic ink and water-soluble crayons. 

About the Artist

Alexandra Zuckerman is a printmaker from North Carolina. Her work examines routines, shared language, invisible experiences, and domestic intimacy through narrative and iteration. Alexandra received her Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art and Religious Studies from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She graduated with a Master of Fine Arts in Print Media from Cranbrook Academy of Art. Her work has been exhibited across the United States and internationally in venues such as Cranbrook Art Museum (Bloomfield Hills, MI), SFMOMA (San Francisco, CA), Kaiser Suidan (Ferndale, MI), Print Austin (Austin, TX), Sawtooth School for Visual Art (Winston-Salem, NC), and Grafisch Atelier Den Bosch (Den Bosch, NL). Alexandra’s work is in permanent art collections across the country, including the Bernard A. Zuckerman Museum of Art (no relation) and numerous private collections. She is currently a Visiting Lecturer at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

The Talented Students of Steve Karloski and the talented Students of Tim Cherry 

Handbuilding Showcase

This vibrant exhibition features the creative works of the talented students of instructors Dr. Tim Cherry and Steve Karloski. Each piece on display is a reflection of the student's individual voice and creative exploration, nurtured through hands-on instruction at Sertoma Arts Center.

From bold shapes to intricate details, the works demonstrate a wide range of artistic approaches. The students’ unique interpretations and imaginative responses to class projects highlights the diverse talents that flourish within Sertoma’s supportive learning environment.

Join us in celebrating the dedication, growth, and originality of these emerging artists.