Bridge Work: Processing Powers

Arts + Literature Laboratory presents Processing Powers, a show by Adam Raiford Wilson, one of three concurrent solo exhibitions from its prestigious Bridge Work: Madison cohort. This show will run from Thursday, November 19, 2026, through Saturday, January 9, 2027 alongside The Sound That Only I Can Hear by Maile Lloyd and Family // History by Charlotte Easterling. There will be an opening reception on Friday, December 4.

Processing Powers consists of found-object assemblage, 3D-printed ceramics, and traditional media. To create this body of work, Wilson has partnered with several skilled craftspeople, including local ceramicists, an Irish milliner (hat-maker), and a bespoke furniture-maker, among others. The opening December reception and artist talk will include an interactive ceramic installation.

Adam Raiford Wilson, a multimedia artist from Benton, Arkansas, is based in Madison. His work focuses on found-object assemblage sculpture and explores the relationship between consumer behavior, technology, religion, and nationalism. Wilson graduated in 2020 from Arkansas Tech University with a bachelor's degree in Emergency Management and minors in journalism and Japanese language. This background informs his insights into governmental and consumer trends. He has completed artist residencies in Madison, Japan (2026), and France (2024), with exhibitions throughout the Midwest, including The Bounty in Madison and galleries in Missouri, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. His ongoing series, "Knob Boxes," featured in the June 2026 edition of World of Interiors Magazine.

Bridge Work is Madison’s premiere emerging artist program, hosted by Arts + Literature Laboratory (ALL) since 2017. Bridge Work: Madison is a part of the greater Bridge Work initiative, founded by Jason S. Yi and Leah Kolb, with independent programs in Milwaukee, WI and Lexington, KY. This program selects a group of promising emerging artists from a pool of applicants to benefit from two years of professional development opportunities, culminating in solo exhibitions. Bridge Work aims to forge a more interconnected regional arts ecosystem by uplifting diverse artists who are dedicated to their practices, generating the public exposure necessary for them to successfully network and establish a larger professional presence.

Image: Ex Ante, ex Post, mixed media, 2026