PARKERSBURG, W.Va. (WTAP) – One woman from St. Marys had a unique experience with one of her favorite artists.
Kari Conaway splits her time between California and her native St. Marys.
Conaway is a big fan of Ed Sheeran, who she had the chance to meet in a place that was a little close to home…her living room to be exact.
As a part of his first independent release… “Autumn Variations”… Sheeran recorded a live version of the album in fans’ living rooms…one of which was hers!
She talked about how this rare chance happened upon her.
“I just never shut up about him and I got noticed for it. So, I got reached out to on Twitter I had a DM and they had basically said, ‘Ed is planning something for his fans in the L.A. area, are you available at this time, and if you’re interested, please let us know.’ So, I was like 100%. So, I emailed back and forth [about] what it would be. They told me it was going to be a merch unboxing, so then they had my address and then instead of merch coming, he came in and recorded one of the songs, hung out, and it was the best day of my life.”
Conaway spoke on the singer-songwriter and how his character is one to be commended.
“…The sweetest guy you could ever see. So down to earth, so genuine, so…like, what you see in an interview is how he actually is. Like, I love him.”
This wasn’t the first time Sheeran and Conaway met. The two met back in May at a pop-up for one of the tracks that Sheeran had released, where he signed her ukulele…which he remembered when they met again.
“[I’m] just blown away. I’ll watch a video and think it’s not real, and then in my head I remember it from my perspective, and I was like, no, that actually happened, like that’s…quite insane, and I don’t know what to say about it other than It’s unreal, and it’s like a fan fiction turn to life. Pretty much how it is.”
Conaway was also flown to New York City, where she was surprised with the music video that was filmed in her living room…broadcast in Times Square.
“…It was the video premiere of my video of him coming to my house and it was on the big screen in Times Square, and I got to see it and he surprised me. I didn’t know exactly if he was going to be there or not, or if I was going to see him, but he ended up coming, and that was the big surprise. And it still baffles me that my face was on Times Square like who could say that? That’s nuts!”
During her time in New York, Conaway had the chance to hang out with him. She also gifted Sheeran a bracelet that says “Girl Dad” in honor of him having two daughters, which she says he’s been spotted wearing in interviews and performances since.
“He wore it to like interviews, he wore to the other houses, He wore it on stage at Sofi Stadium and what? And then he… it’s awesome.”
Conaway left off with one final sentiment about Sheeran.
“I hope everyone gets to meet him because he was the best person ever.”
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Katharine Hogan, Ph.D., Grassland Restoration Ecologist. DeKalb, Illinois. 2023. Archival inkjet print. 24in x 18in.
The NIU School of Art and Design presents a photographic exhibition that is an extension of the “Faces of Belonging Project,” a collaborative art project that promotes belonging amongst individuals who live work and study in DeKalb, Ill.
“CREATE & DISCOVER Belonging in STEAM” is running in the Annette and Jerry Johns Student Art Gallery in Jack Arends Hall through October 13. The gallery is located on the second floor in Room 214, and is open Mondays through Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The exhibition is free and open to the public. A closing reception will be held Thursday, October 5, from 4 to 7 p.m.
Photographs by Drew Dzurko, Edwin Perez-Hernandez, Emma Vitallo and Jayla Watkins and the Barb City STEAM Team.
This exhibition features color photographs created by NIU photography students Drew Dzurko, Edwin Perez-Hernandez, Emma Vitallo and Jayla Watkins and the Barb City STEAM Team.
Inspiration sparked after viewing the film “Picture a Scientist,” and the artists began to create portraits of individuals who have been historically excluded from STEAM fields. As a group, Dzurko, Perez-Hernandez, Vitallo, and Watkins came together to discuss the importance of this project, as well as how to accurately and authentically represent those who volunteered to be included.
For Belonging in STEAM, it was important for the photographic team to discuss the complexities of representing people with differing experiences and realities. Exploring every avenue of how the project may be perceived, the group made decisions on the most ethical practices as a means of this representation. They found that in order to make the project more meaningful and create accurate photographic representations, they would have to take the time to get to know each volunteer individually and highlight their STEAM work.
Visiting the participants’ laboratories, classrooms, and fields, the artists were able to make images that go far deeper than the surface level of simply taking a photograph. They learned about the processes and research of the STEAM professionals and how these individuals are impacting their individual fields from chemistry to biology to kinesiology, and on. The images were inspired by the background, passion for their work, and the qualities that ultimately led them to finding success in their fields.
Collaboration with youth members of the Barb City STEAM Team required a different approach. The photographers visited the Barb City STEAM Team classroom weekly for collaborative photographic still lives and portraits. The Barb City STEAM Team also came to the School of Art and Design lighting studio to collaborate on a light modulator assignment that is a part of the ARTD 470 Photographic Lighting curriculum. While learning these photographic processes, the students took their shot at making their own photographs which are featured in the show. The students were given the freedom to activate their capabilities and widen their perspective of what is possible for their futures in STEAM.
This collection of photographs features environmental portraits illuminated with dramatic light painting. The Barb City STEAM Team created still lives with projects and classroom objects illuminating them with radically colored light. Attention to other photographic technics such as lighting and composition makes these photographs technically sound and visually appealing. In this exhibition, you will see the success of content meeting form via beautiful representations of what a person in STEAM can look like.
For more information, please contact Jessica Labatte, Director, School of Art and Design, Norther Illinois University at jlabatte@niu.edu.
Northern Illinois University’s Annette and Jerry Johns Gallery is located in the School of Art and Design on the second floor of Jack Arends Hall in Room 214.
Gallery Hours: Mon-Fri 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Beijing Dacheng Law Offices, LLP (“大成”) is an independent law firm, and not a member or affiliate of Dentons. 大成 is a partnership law firm organized under the laws of the People’s Republic of China, and is Dentons’ Preferred Law Firm in China, with offices in more than 40 locations throughout China. Dentons Group (a Swiss Verein) (“Dentons”) is a separate international law firm with members and affiliates in more than 160 locations around the world, including Hong Kong SAR, China. For more information, please see dacheng.com/legal-notices or dentons.com/legal-notices.
Beijing Dacheng Law Offices, LLP (“大成”) is an independent law firm, and not a member or affiliate of Dentons. 大成 is a partnership law firm organized under the laws of the People’s Republic of China, and is Dentons’ Preferred Law Firm in China, with offices in more than 40 locations throughout China. Dentons Group (a Swiss Verein) (“Dentons”) is a separate international law firm with members and affiliates in more than 160 locations around the world, including Hong Kong SAR, China. For more information, please see dacheng.com/legal-notices or dentons.com/legal-notices.
