Thursday opening at Artspace

Artspace
50 Orange St, New Haven, (203) 772-2709
Late Summer Exhibitions
Late summer exhibition opening: Thurs., Aug. 14, 5—7 p.m.

Press release

Artspace is pleased to announce our late summer exhibitions on view from Aug.—Sept. 20, 2008. An opening reception will be held Thurs., Aug. 14, from 5-— p.m., celebrating the culmination of the three week long 2008 Summer Apprenticeship Program. Artspace will also hold a closing reception on Thurs., Sept. 18, from 5—7 p.m., to celebrate the exhibitions Fly Away Fly Away, The Best Around, Down Paradise Way, and Art: SCSU.

• Fly Away Fly Away: An installation and new work by William Downs

William Downs' work often takes the form of large-scale installations of many small drawings and paintings; involving elements of autobiography, narrative, collage, and text. Verging on the surreal or abstract, the work finds its subject in "fear, worries, memories, dreams, fantasies, secrets, and feelings," and in Downs' interest in "the balance of conscious and unconscious states." During his residency in New Haven, Downs created new work, which premiers with this installation. View the work of William Downs in Gallery 3.

• Hawaii: 2008 Summer Apprenticeship Program

Through a three-week residency, Master Artist William Downs shared his artmaking process and concepts with fifteen New Haven high school artist apprentices. They collected paper, old books, magazines, and typewriters, experimented with collage, paint, ink, and various drawing tools. With these materials, the group assembled a combination of many kinds of images and text through which they each strove to express a personal narrative. Together, separate narratives weave into one unified and multifaceted investigation in communal storytelling in the form of a gallery installation. In Gallery 1, view the collective work of: William Downs and Summer Apprentices: Annette Anderson, Kadeem Boothe, Chris Daniels, Simeon Durham, Max Duenkel, Tashaun Fair, Anessa Jackson, Terrencia Lee, James Manley, Marisol Muniz, Terell Palmer, Margie Roman, DaQuaya Scott, Louie Tafuto, and Geeta Talpade.

• The Best Around

The Best Around features work by Flatfile artists Caitlin Foster and Juliana Sabinson, who weave found source material into humorous narratives featuring personal stories and absurd situations. View the work of Caitlin Foster and Juliana Sabinson in Gallery 6. Curated by Laurel Coniglio.

• Down Paradise Way

Down Paradise Way features four artists represented in the Flatfile who draw our attention to often ignored details in everyday spaces. Asa Chibas photographs details in the landscape, coloring and accentuating using thread and stitching. Ilana Cohen pays attention to street architecture and infuses portraits of parking meters and metal grates with blooming wild flora. Suzanne Siegel's watercolor drawings of big-box store parking lots emphasize overlooked islands, lights and rooflines. Ann Toebbe's drawings turn cluttered functional living space into shattered forms, drawing attention to objects in the rooms. In Gallery 7 view the work of: Asa Chibas, Ilana Cohen, Suzanne Siegel and Ann Toebbe. Curated by Laurel Coniglio.

• Art: SCSU

Through our Community Partner Program, Artspace collaborates with the Art Department of Southern Connecticut State University to present the extraordinary work of their art faculty. Representing a wide range of media including sculpture, painting, drawing, photography, and ceramics, Art: SCSU offers a look at the cutting-edge trends coming out of today's fine art programs. In Galleries 2, 4 and 5 view the work of: Yolanda del Amo, Mia Brownell, Wiley Carr, Greg Cochenet, Arthur Guagliumi, Keith Hatcher, Terry Lavin, Bill Phelan, Jeff Slomba, Thuan Vu, Rachael Vaters-Carr and Jessie Whitehead.