Hello My Name Is Gallery opening Saturday

Hello My Name Is Gallery
838 Whalley Ave., Apt. 4, New Haven
PLUSH!
Apr. 5—26, 2008.
Opening reception: Sat., Apr. 5, 6:30—10 p.m.

Press release

Hello My Name Is Gallery is proud to present PLUSH!, a group exhibition featuring the work of 30 national and international established and emerging plush artists. These artists use textiles and soft sculpture to create curious creatures and objects that incorporate Pop Art, Surrealism, fantasy and childhood nostalgia.

PLUSH! examines the burgeoning artistic practice of "designer" plush, an art form that has it's roots in toys (and nostalgia for toys), soft sculpture, pop art, urban illustration and design, and the do-it-yourself craft uprising. The artists in PLUSH! present a diverse range of work. From the ultra-cute and Pop Art-inspired, to work that is darker, more adult-oriented, and everything in between. The work in PLUSH! blurs the boundaries between fine art and consumer product, akin to the rising designer toy movement embodied in the limited edition toys sold at stores like KidRobot and New Haven's own Channel 1.

PLUSH! at Hello my name is Gallery, runs from Apr.5—Apr.26. The opening reception is Apr. 5., starting at 6:30 p.m. and ending 10 p.m. Gallery hours are Sundays, 12—4 p.m. and by appointment Monday through Saturday. For more information, or directions to the Gallery, please visit: www.hellomynameisgallery.com.

Also on Apr. 5, starting at 6:30 p.m., our opening is partnered with a music event downstairs. ArLoW presents sets by DJ's Johnny Strangler and Garage Flower of Shag Frenzy, Hartford's only indie dance night. The weekly event has been located at Sweet Jane's on Pratt Street in Downtown Hartford for a year now, and the crowds are getting more mad for it as time goes on. Johnny Strangler and Garage Flower are the resident DJ's, playing the best in classic alternative dance and postpunk, new indie dancerock, and the occasional campy disco number. Opening up for the Shag Frenzy DJ's will be a live set by The Spigot Orchestra. Making their triumphant return, they will play a selection of the only the most ironic of 80's cover music. For more information about music at ArLoW, please contact Adam Kubota at adam.kubota@gmail.com