Tuesday, September 28, 2021

Storytelling with Art


                                      Trajan on the Roman Mammisi at Dendera, Egypt  
                                                            Photo:Olaf Tausch

I recently attended a virtual storytelling conference, Better" | A STORY 2021 Intensive hosted by Story GatheringsBetter was the emphasis; telling stories about the better world we want to live in. Storytelling and art for a better world, what a great idea.

Wednesday, September 22, 2021

Artists' Vision: Two Gallery Shows in Brooklyn

 

Amy Weil, Burnt Offerings           Photo:440 Gallery

I have recently seen two local Brooklyn gallery shows of note. My gallery visits included stimulating conversations with three artists. One of the reasons I love talking to artists is we see possibilities.  We believe in our vision and we want to share it.


Stand4 is a Bay Ridge gallery run by Jeannine Bardo. I met Jeannine soon after I moved to Brooklyn by following a series of crumbs that led me to her. A bonus was that her gallery is close by. Stand4 always has a very ambitious agenda that pushes my boundaries. The current show is no exception.  




Artists Mira Dayal, Marina Kassianidou and curator John Ros     


Intermission museum art/archive: volume I, on view at Stand4 from September 10 — October 23, 2021 is a robust show that takes a certain amount of unpacking. Twenty-two artists have been paired to create the 11 teams included in this exhibit. I will merely scratch the surface here and invite you to come to Stand4 and immerse yourself in this exhibit. I am grateful for the opportunity to expand my horizons and see the world from a different perspective.

Tuesday, September 14, 2021

Hello Brooklyn, Hello BWAC

As a relatively new member, I continue to be amazed and delighted at what BWAC manages to pull off. The opening on Sunday, September 12, 2021 went smoothly and the exhibits were exciting and well presented. The crowds emphasized the success of the endeavors.

The three concurrent shows are The Threads that Bind and Recycle, national juried exhibits and the BWAC members show, Hello, Brooklyn. All three of these shows are multifaceted and substantive. The shows come down October 17th. Don’t miss this opportunity to see great art and expand your horizons. What follows is a brief introduction by way of a few of the pieces that really captured my attention on my first pass. This is just the tip of the iceberg.


Threads That Bind


I was greeted (step two after showing my vaccination card) by Priscilla Stadler’s enticing Welcome to Fragile City:Red Hook. I came back later to digest her statement but my first impression was wow, these are the buildings I see all around me every day…but better somehow. Softer, flowing and great color. In addition to the hanging fiber, the water lines on the wall behind the flowing fabric mark past and predicted flooding in the building and Red Hook.



                        Priscilla Stadler, Welcome to Fragile City:Red Hook, installation


“In Welcome to Fragile City: Red Hook, not only is the architecture ephemeral, but the writing is on the wall - literally! When you read it, please keep in mind that while certain aspects of climate change are reversible, rising sea water levels are not.” From Priscilla’s statement. @priscillastudio