Artist-in-Residence, Jerri Allyn working with Inez Bush and collaborating Artists
Exhibition-Debating Through the Arts 3
18th Street Arts Center, Santa Monica, CA; June 18-Aug 28, 2011
Artists who participated in Debate 1 and 2 were invited to “translate” their visual, sound, movement and text based debates into art installations, and/or performances. Fourteen artists chose to create 10 installations, two chose to develop new performances for the opening. Of note, 7 of the installations required audience participation to “activate the work.”
The participants addressed the following topics:
- Freedom of Expression: Should there be limits on Freedom of Expression?
- Gentrification and Cultural Equity: Can community members and local governments ensure cultural equity in the revitalization of their neighborhoods? How do we resolve the class war?
Exhibiting artists Juna Amano, Micol Hebron, Michele Jaquis, Carol McDowell, Marissa (Mercado) Magdelena, Rosalyn Myles, Shana Nys Dambrot, Juliana Ostrovsky, Beth Peterson, Karl Jean-Guerly Petion, Erika Reynosa, Trinidad Ruiz, Marjan Vayghan, Erich Wise.
Opening – performances and additionally invited band Micol Hebron, Jean Karl Petion, and Haitian band Micheline Robertson, with Sylvain Jean and Cétoi Germille.
Artists who joined the exhibit over the summer Juna Amano and Erich Wise, in their installation One Voice, One Meter, chose to give agency to artists and community members, one cubic meter at a time, for cultural equity. On opening night, their allotted gallery space was raffled to 14 additional artists, who developed installations over the summer in 14 distinct cubic meters; a 15th “squatter” installed artwork on the ceiling (not auctioned) that dropped down to interact with the other artworks. Participants who won a meter in the auction: Cheyne Bush, Lauren Davis, Elizabeth De Witt, Paula Goldman, Daniela Ionescu, Arzu Arda Kosar, Linda Kunik, Stefan Meyer, Juliana Ostrovsky, Caleb Prelesnik, Christy Roberts, Matthew ‘Scout’ Segotta, Gary Spisak, Mary Beth Trautwein; squatter Karl Jean Pétion. A closing event provide an opportunity for these artists to share their work with friends and public.
18th Street Gallery and Event Producer: Ronald Lopez
Interns: Jessica Dawson and Camille Werstler
Photo Documentation Jeseca Dawson