In Place: a return
9.7.21–10.30.21
Danielle Abrams and Dave Wade, Alexi Antoniadis,
Kevin Clancy, Corey Escoto, Samantha Fields, Danielle Freiman,
Jillian Freyer, Leah Piepgras, and Chanel Thervil
What does it mean to be in a room together, to be in place side by side? As we return to campus, we invite you to visit the gallery to share space with artworks and with one another to create cathartic connections and to find some comfort and meaning in re-entering public life.
In Place, our first exhibition in situ since the start of the pandemic, gathers objects and experiences that deal with communication, vulnerability, and interconnectivity. These artworks encourage public processing of emotions. They make space for creativity and collaboration. And in profound ways, they investigate and celebrate human connection and the importance of platonic intimacies.
Many of the artworks on view in In Place were made during the pandemic. Chanel Thervil’s Quarantine Self-care Series portrait of artist Mel Taing, for example, was produced during the quarantines of 2020. The works from this series debuted online, and were presented in the context of IG Live interviews where Thervil asked Taing and other collaborating artists of color empathetic questions like “How do you care for yourself?” In the case of some artworks, such as Jillian Freyer’s photographs and a sculpture by Corey Escoto, we have taken the opportunity to present artworks in person that were discussed in our remote programming from this last year, when the gallery was operating entirely online. In an installation by Samantha Fields, viewers are welcome to sit and stitch a dyed tapestry adding to the artwork and exhibition in a tactile way while encouraging mindful meditation through repetitive action. The centering of self-care, identity, embodiment, and mindfulness are woven into each of the works in the exhibition.
We are thrilled to be presenting exhibitions in person again, and look forward to connecting with you in the space. As we welcome our staff, the students, and the community back into the gallery, we want to echo the sincere sentiment of Danielle Freiman’s text based artwork which states, “it’s so nice to see you.”