Two shows open Thursday night at Artspace in New Haven

Artspace
50 Orange St, New Haven, (203) 772-2709
Marie Celeste
May 12—Sept. 9, 2011.
Out of Line
May 12—June 30, 2011.
Opening Reception for both shows: Thurs., May 12, 6—8 p.m.

Press release

From May 12 through Sept. 9, 2011, Artspace presents Marie Celeste, a thematic group exhibition that uses the recent environmental phenomenon of “Colony Collapse Disorder” (CCD) or “Mary Celeste Disorder,” in which bees mysteriously disappear from their hives, as a metaphor for environmental consciousness and an exploration of the ethical sublime in our post-industrial era.

Ranging from site-specific installations to painting and photography, the diverse works in this exhibition enter a broad, polyphonic discourse on contemporary art practice and the environment that has been ongoing since the 1970s. The eleven artists participating in the exhibition ask viewers to see and think about humankind’s relationship to science, and Nature—both as a physical environment and an idea. Their works probe the boundaries that encompass our moral and ethical obligations to care for our surroundings, now, and in the future, and make manifest the interconnectedness of ecology and technology in the 21st century. And, while the artists in Marie Celeste explore the conflicts between individual and collective actions, preservation and transformation, production and reclamation, and notions of disenchantment and optimism, their works are created from a deeply personal artistic practice that is grounded in the production of emotional affect rather than in the production of meaning.

Artists include: Erika Blumenfeld, Stephen Bush, Nick Lamia, Jason Middlebrook, Shari Mendelson, Mayumi Nishida, Jessica Schwind, Joseph Smolinksi, Eva Struble, Tattfoo Tan, Alison Williams. Organized by Liza Statton.

Marie Celeste debuts new works by Stephen Bush, Nick Lamia, Shari Mendelson, Jessica Schwind and Joseph Smolinski, and Alison Williams. With the support of Artspace, the City of New Haven, and the Buildings Materials Reuse Association, Williams will realize "Homage to Guerilla Gardening": a new public art installation in the nearby Chapel Street greenspace, The Lot. Working with a team of students and local volunteers, Williams will design and install a community garden using donated household materials from throughout New England. The public will be invited to participate in the growth and care of the garden as it gradually transforms the space during the 4 months long exhibition.

Marie Celeste opens Thurs., May 12, with a reception for the artists from 6—8 p.m.

On May 15, Marie Celeste will be the setting for the welcome kick-off for Decon' 11, the annual conference of the Building Materials Reuse Association. The BMRA is national non-profit educational and research organization whose mission is to facilitate building deconstruction and the reuse or recycling of recovered building materials.

Marie Celeste is made possible thanks to the support of Blue State Coffee, The UI Company/Southern Connecticut Gas, Zinc Restaurant, and The Study at Yale. Urban Miners, The Devil’s Gear, and Habitat for Humanity/ReStore have provided generous in kind support to "Homage to Guerilla Gardening."

Also on view at Artspace, and opening May 12, is Out of Line, featuring works on paper from our Flatfile by Caitlin Foster, Elizabeth Gourlay, Sarah Gustafson, Nina Jordan, Janet Lage, Elizabeth Livingston, Willard Lustenader, Alyse Rosner, Lucy Sallick, Gerald Saladyga and Nomi Silverman. Out of Line has been organized by Leslie Nolan and will be on view May 12 through June 30.

In collaboration with Yale University’s Marsh Botanical Garden and the Whitney Humanities Center, Artspace co-presents The Gardener's Shadow, a film series featuring five environmentally-conscious, complex films, July 14, 19, 21, 26, and 28. Screenings will take place at 7:30pm at the Whitney Humanities Center auditorium, 53 Wall Street, New Haven, and will be followed by a wide-ranging discussion session, with audience-generated topics about each film. Free and open to the public.

Artspace is a visionary and dynamic non-profit organization supporting emerging artists and building new audiences contemporary art. Artspace's exhibitions and programs are made possible with the support of the Andy Warhol Foundation, the City of New Haven Office of Economic Development, the Community Foundation of Greater New Haven, and the Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism, and individual Friends of Artspace.