Bio:John Dougherty is a visual artist from Pensacola, Florida. He studied Studio Art as an undergraduate at the University of West Florida, and in 2014 completed his MFA in Visual Studies through the Hallie Ford School of Graduate Studies at Pacific Northwest College of Art in Portland, Oregon. He teaches art and design at East Central University in Ada, Oklahoma. Recently he has exhibited at the Disjecta, IdeaXFactory, and PLACEPDX. He was a 2016 recipient of a Springfield Regional Arts Council Grant for his exhibition titled PILE(LANDS).

Artist Statement: I like to think about all kinds of trash and waste and poop. Where is it going to go? Who’s doing what with it? I like working in gardens for this same reason. It’s a microcosm of a system where waste is as good as gold, that I can experiment and play in. Unfortunately I still feel I have not tapped into the relationship between art and gardening. All I ever think about is making bad jokes with overgrown zucchinis and it’s childish and pathetic. PLEASE BUY THESE STICKS (NFS) is a series of playdates with shrink wrapping, shredded plastic bottles, dryer lint, and anything else I manage to come across.