Public Reception: Friday, February 5 | 5:45 juror’s comments; reception 6 – 8 pm
Target Gallery partners with the Women’s Caucus of Art to present Trending: Contemporary Art Now! The exhibition is part of WCA’s 2016 national conference in Washington, D.C.
Trending features work by 12 self-identified women who are driving the direction of contemporary art. It offers a cross-section of media to reflect the leading edge of contemporary art, including video, collage, 3D photography, found objects, installation, and more.
“The exhibition title immediately brought to mind hashtag culture, where anything that is au courant can be quickly digested,” said Elizabeth K. Garvey, juror for this exhibition. “We are bombarded by so much imagery that our time is often spent quickly scanning rather than closely looking. I saw this exhibition as a small opportunity to reaffirm the importance of digging deeper and looking longer.”
Garvey, co-founder and owner of Garvey Simon Art Access in New York City, selected more than one piece by each artist, concentrating on artists whose work is unified and consistent. This not only provides wider context for each woman, but it also creates a more focused visual experience in the show.
“Art can be a powerful, productive force and instrumental in sparking change or critical thinking,” said Karen Gutfreund, national exhibitions director for WCA, who has organized 15 national exhibitions since 2009. “Art can produce a visceral response and can provoke, inspire, or disturb, and opens your eyes to worlds other than your own. We need artistic expression that helps us to understand what is happening in our society, who we are, where we come from and where we’re going. I am committed to create greater exposure for women in the arts and art as activism.”
“Working with the Women’s Caucus of Art has been a real pleasure and it’s such an honor to be part of efforts to recognize the contributions, and create opportunities for women in the arts,” said Kaitlyn Ward, director of the Target Gallery. “Elizabeth has thoughtfully chosen work that is well-crafted and speaks to our time. I hope visitors will linger and spend quality time with the art on view in the gallery.”
The participating artists are:
- Blond Jenny, NY
- Amy Cannestra, MS
- Sara DiDonato, NY
- Blythe King, VA
- Gayle Lorraine, CA
- Stacy Bloom Rexrode, NC
- Trina Smith, WI
- Rebecca Starry, AK
- Kate Walker, ID
- Margi Weir, MI
- Sarah West, DC
- Sarah Boyts Yoder, VA
All artists selected for this exhibition applied via an open call. For more information about future Target Gallery calls, visit https://torpedofactory.org/opportunities/call-for-entries/.
