~ Exhibit Now Showing ~
CIRCUS
MARCH 28 THRU MAY 5
Opening Reception~ March 29 6-9 p.m.
Curated by Erin Garber-Pearson & Joe Levickas
Gallery Project presents Circus, a multimedia exhibit in which 25 local, regional, national, and international artists explore the changing nature of the circus in American culture.
According to our folklore, it began with running away. The ill-suited participant in mainstream society ran off to become part of something less rigid, less strict, and less “normal.” Through the circus, they participated in a dream life, where they were no less welcomed than anyone else, and where things were possible that elsewhere would not be. This version of the circus serves as an analogy for living a dream instead of living a practical stable life.
But the truth about the circus, especially in the present-day, is more complex. Nowadays, circus professionals are often highly-trained performers who enrolled at specials schools to learn and hone their craft. Professional circus shows, from Barnum & Bailey to Ringling Brothers to Cirque du Soleil, are comprised of hard-working, talented performers who in many cases have gotten to their current position only after years of dedicated study and practice.
Meanwhile, variations on what we know of as the Circus have begun to emerge more prominently in do-it yourself carnival groups, radical theater, physical storytelling, parades, festivals and other group celebrations. The ethos of the circus has filtered down into our psyches and remains in our minds, even as the traditional circus loses its prominence.
The power of the Circus, both historically and presently, lies in its ability to re-define and challenge our beliefs about the possible: conquering what is dangerous, doing what is thought to be physically impossible, reconstructing what is anatomically “correct”… This exhibition will explore the issues that arise in the context of circus-- spectacle, mystery, deception/ truth, physical acts of danger and athleticism, sexiness/ the grotesque, a fascination with the strange and unusual-- and investigate its history, politics and aesthetics, as well as its colors, costumes and performers.
CONTRIBUTORS INCLUDE:
Melissa Avery, Rachel Beckman, Thom Bohnert, Seder Burns, Sue Coe, C. Ryder Cooley, Sara DiDonato, John Dinser, Erin Garber-Pearson, Timothy Gaewsky, Dellas Henke, Herring & Herring, Lou Krueger, Heidi Jensen, Pamela Joseph, Joe Levickas, Jamiyla Lowe, Seamus Liam O'Brien, Tom Linder, Robert Sites, Silvia B, Spilt Sugar Photography, Ryan Standfest, and Brett Day Windham
Founded in April 2005, Gallery Project is a fine art collaborative directed by Rocco DePietro and Gloria Pritschet. Its mission is to provide a venue for contemporary art that is culturally aware, individualistic, courageous, and thought provoking. Gallery Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. It is located at 215 South Fourth Avenue in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Hours: Thursday-Saturday, noon-9; Sunday, noon-6pm.
The gallery is closed Monday-Wednesday.
For more information, contact us at 734-997-7012 or galleryproject@gmail.com, or through our website: www.thegalleryproject.com.
The generous support we received from many individual donors made it possible for us to continue the gallery in our present location at 215 South Fourth Avenue. We are very appreciative of our board for their fundraising efforts, and of our volunteer collaborators and gallery assistants for assistance with programming and operations. We are also appreciative of the 18,000 visitors who attended our nine annual themed exhibits and the 10,000 individuals who visit our website each month. Images of many of our past exhibits are now on line.
A Way To Support Gallery Project
Gallery Project, an independent contemporary art gallery run by artist volunteers, has recently become a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with tax exempt status.
Our mission is to curate theme exhibitions that are culturally aware, individualistic, courageous and thought provoking.
You can support this gallery of ideas by making a tax deductible contribution. Donations will be used to improve the quality of upcoming exhibits and to support participation by emerging artists.
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