Red Tulips marks the first donation of a work by a contemporary artist to the Crisp-Ellert Art Museum at Flagler College. This generous gift was made by LA-based art collectors Benjamin Khakshour and Justine Freeman. ‘Hilary’s work is absolutely wonderful, and I am thrilled to accept this painting into Flagler’s collections. Mrs. Freeman and Mr. Khakshour’s gift enables us to take the first step toward the long-term goal to build a permanent collection of contemporary art that will enhance Flagler College’s current collection, dating from the Hotel Ponce de Leon’s founding in 1888,’ said CEAM Director Julie Dickover. ‘Together these art collections continue Henry Flagler’s legacy of supporting the arts and artists, and serve as a valuable resource for Flagler College, St. Augustine, and the broader Northeast Florida communities.’

Pecis’ exhibition, The Space in Between, was on view at the Crisp-Ellert Art Museum in January 2020. The artist is well known for her still-life portraits of both interior and exterior domestic scenes and landscapes. Often using photographic references, Pecis’ work is enlivened by bold color choices and rich patterns. Pecis invites the viewer to step into intimate settings and environments through varied perspectives, and her rendering of objects such as stacks of books, paintings, flowers, and wallpapers often creates surprising juxtapositions. The artist’s innovative play on color, pattern, and perspective invites us to pay closer attention to our own surroundings and to the quiet, often banal moments in life that are often overlooked.

Pecis earned both a BFA and MFA from the California College of the Arts in Berkeley. In 2008, Pecis received the San Francisco Arts Commission’s Murphy and Cadogan Fellowship. Pecis has recently been the subject of solo exhibitions at Timothy Taylor Gallery, London (2021); Spurs Gallery, Beijing (2020); Rachel Uffner Gallery, New York (2020); and Crisp-Ellert Art Museum, Flagler College, St. Augustine, Florida (2019). In addition, her work has been in multiple group exhibitions and the permanent collections of institutions, including the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.; Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles; Aïshti Foundation, Beirut; and Yuz Museum, Shanghai. Pecis lives and works in Los Angeles.

Since its opening in 2007, CEAM has established a robust schedule of contemporary art programming that supports regional, national, and international emerging and mid-career artists, providing the community a venue to foster a deep appreciation for contemporary art. In addition, CEAM’s engaging platform of artist talks and workshops, readings, panel discussions, and film series are integrated into the academic and cultural life of the campus and St. Augustine and greater Northeast Florida communities.