Houston-raised Lacey Leonard received her BFA in Sculpture and Extended Media from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2015. “I feel a sense of freedom and ease living in Roanoke,” says Leonard, “and I hope my work carries this sense of peace with it.”

In The Symbol Set Free, the artist explores the nature of movement and unity. Inspired by the wind, she says “we are collectively creating new paths in a shared environment. Our movements are accompanied by subtle and sometimes invisible forces. The collective moves and flows together.”