MCLA, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, North Adams, MA.

"I really wanted to attend an institution that was somewhat of a community -- something small -- and to connect with professors and with the administration and have them know my name. And, because of MCLA's internship program, I was able to get my foot in the door at a very prominent company which jump-started my career."

Christina Barrett '03
Director of Marketing & Communications, Berkshire Chamber of Commerce

MCLA Museum Studies

Bloom

April 24 – May 25, 2008

View the artist bios and price list.

Riley MCLA Gallery 51 will feature an exhibit entitled “Bloom,” that explores the concepts of renewal and revitalization, including cycles of growth and decay, and the rise and fall of places, things or ideas.

The opening reception is Thursday, March 27 from 5-7 pm. The exhibit will run from March 27-April 27, 2008. The exhibit is free.

The exhibit was curated by students in the Museum Studies course, which is part of the Arts Management Program at the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. After placing a call to all artists for works about themes of creation and destruction, the class received an overwhelming amount of works—over 500 pieces. Even though many submissions came from the New England region, a surprising number of works were sent from across the country and even from around the world. From the piles of astonishing work, the class chose 24 artists to exhibit their work in Gallery 51.

Artist Tara Giannini, from Brooklyn, NY, offers one interpretation of the theme of “Bloom.” Her work provides a lush and sometimes freakish twist on concepts of life and decay, and “explores the implications, limitations and individual perceptions of taste, beauty and excess in both art and culture.” The work to be featured in “Bloom” integrates taxidermied animals and dried/artificial flowers.

The exhibit will also feature a living artwork of wheat grass and leafy greens in the front window of the gallery, designed by North Adams, MA-based artist Sean Riley. The trays of plants, installed so that visitors can watch the growth of the roots, will be watered and tended daily. In 7-12 days, grass and greens will be ready for harvest. After harvest, trays can be replaced with new seeds and the process can be repeated.

“Bloom” features work in a variety of media, including painting, drawing, sculpture, video, and handmade books. The 24 participating artists include: Megan Berner (Iowa), Merill Comeau, Mary Felton, Steve Novick, and Sean Riley (Massachusetts), Carolyn Garcia (Oregon), Tara Giannini, Noah Kalina, Aaron Krach, Matt Krubach, and Patrick Perry (New York), Jennie Thwing (New Jersey), Austin Heitzman (Pennsylvania), Jennifer Hines and Katharine L. Redford (Illinois), Trish Igo & Jill O’Brien and George Lorio (Texas), Jaime Kennedy (Ohio), Joan Lovell (Vermont), Jeffery Mann and Bennett Morris (Maine), Barbara Miner (Ohio), Mikel Robinson (North Carolina), and Christopher Robbins (Serbia).

Interested? Curious to see the other work in “Bloom”? Good! Make sure to join us for our opening March 27^th at 5-7 at Gallery 51, which will feature a quick overview of the exhibit by student curators as well as a custom-designed cake inspired by the exhibit theme designed by Dawn Parker, mother of one of the students in the curatorial team, Jessica Sweeney.

Events:

Along with the visual art on display in the gallery, the “Bloom” curatorial team is developing related programming and events to accompany the exhibit:

On April 9, 2008 at 7 pm, The Moving Community, a project by dancer and MCLA student Isabelle Holmes, and Dancers Unite will come together for an evening of dance, music, art and discussion.

Novick Local dancers will present several works and works-in-progress, including “Phoenix,” with music composed by Ryo Noda, choreography by Emily Schreiner and Isabelle Holmes, and performed by Steven Bodner, Emily Schreiner and Isabelle Holmes. A work-in-progress by Kat Gurley will be performed by Gurley, Kareem Khubchandani, and Holmes. These performances, part of The Moving Community, are supported in part by a grant from the Cultural Council of Northern Berkshire, a local agency which receives funding from the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.

Performances will be followed by a meeting and discussion of the Dancers Unite networking group, started by Holmes and Kareem Khubchandani, Assistant Director of the Multicultural Center at Williams College. Dancers, artists, musicians and other interested in working on creative collaborations are encouraged to attend.

Thanks to Images Cinema in Williamstown for promotional consideration.