Where Memory Resides

The exhibition Where Memory Resides feature figurative drawings and impressionistic landscape paintings by Sharon Sorrels that examine observation, memory, and everyday experience. Working in oil, colored pencil, charcoal, and graphite, Sorrels moves between intimate portrayals of individuals and atmospheric depictions of the South Carolina Lowcountry. The figurative works are drawn from lived encounters, travel, photography, and personal narratives, emphasizing presence and individuality, while the landscapes focus on light, color, and spatial rhythm over precise representation. Together, these works create a visual dialogue between people and the environments they inhabit, suggesting that both figures and landscapes can hold memory, history, and quiet meaning. 

About the Artist:

Sharon Sorrels built careers in the arts and education in Washington, DC before relocating to the Myrtle Beach area. She earned a BFA in Design with minors in Art History and Education from Howard University and worked at the National Gallery of Art and the National Endowment for the Arts before completing a master’s degree in library science and serving as a School Library Media Specialist with DC Public Schools.

Sorrels is an active member of the local arts community and serves on the board of the Waccamaw Arts and Crafts Guild. She is also a member of the Seacoast Artists Guild and the Colored Pencil Society of America. Her paintings and drawings are exhibited at regional galleries, including Seacoast Artists Gallery at The Market Common and Gallery 320 in Myrtle Beach, and are held in private collections. Her work has been featured in juried exhibitions and commissions and has received multiple awards.