About

Meet our new pyro members…

Erica Chinise Wilcox
As an artist, I strive to capture the link between human and Godlike energy. My approach to my art also embodies activism in many aspects because it challenges the viewer to question society and the system and turn inward to question themselves. Tuning in with the energy and reality around me has helped me understand myself on many levels and strengthened my passion for helping others heal. One day, I decided to draw one of my painful life experiences, and I saw it also created beautiful artwork that may help others out of situations I’ve experienced. My artwork evokes deeper thinking to understand our mental, emotional, and spiritual experiences. With the help of meditation, life experiences, spiritual alchemy, my dreams, and skills, I present powerful experiences on paper with charcoal, pencil, and graphite. Ultimately, I want to share my experiences and energy with others and encourage them to connect with themselves. Art is phenomenal, healing, and powerful - a beautiful way to present a message. I am honored to be part of this magical artistic field. I am confident that whoever needs to see a piece of artwork and receive a message, that the art will find them. If you asked me what activist I look up to and connect with the most, it would be Charles Baldwin. That is an energy I plan to embody.

Janet Dake
Janet Dake is a figurative painter from Versailles, Kentucky, now based in Louisville. Her work is about people, both real and imagined. She primarily uses oil paints, though is increasingly branching out in mixed media. Dake’s paintings tell stories. Through intricate (and often made-up) backgrounds, Dake creates narratives that reflect contemporary social issues and cultural phenomena. Her dynamic, emotive depiction of people reflects a string of very-human reactions to our often messy, complicated environments. Dake’s work has been shown in galleries across the US and Canada. In 2021 she completed an Artist Residency in Toronto, Canada, where she had her first solo show entitled Human Nature. In 2022 her work was selected into the Ferrara Showman Gallery for their annual No Dead Artists group show, as well as the Post Roe Louisiana show at the Carrollton Gallery at Tulane University. Recently, her work was on display at the Ogden Museum of Southern Art for the annual Louisiana Contemporary showcase. Dake is currently a member of Pyro Gallery in Louisville, KY. In 2020 Dake graduated with degrees in Political Science and Art from the University of Louisville. In addition to her studio practice, Dake is a muralist, working on projects across the country. She is also an art teacher, teaching private and group lessons to kids and adults.