What's Up - Your guide to what's happening in Fayetteville, AR this week!
Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/1376221
The goal, Atkinson says, was to further develop the skills these artists were already using — to build the confidence to curate and pitch exhibitions in their community after the program's completion. Three curators from the program share some of their experience here. Mexican-American artist Omar Bravo, known in his work as "Hungry," curated "(a) Typical Sanctuary." The exhibition is a colorful, playful world where uniqueness is celebrated, and the viewer can enjoy a sense of child-like wonder without judgment. On display at 214 by CACHE, in the blackbox theater, 214 S. Main St. "I wanted to bring something entirely new — something that challenges what galleries are viewed as here in the Northwest Arkansas area and to try to bring out more of a welcoming tone with this gallery," Bravo says of his exhibition. Avoiding the "traditional" or formal, Bravo set out to create an immersive experience, a safe place for all to enjoy the scenery. The curating experience was entirely new for him, he reveals. The experts and program leadership offered guidance in a way that let the young curators fully seize the process. "Getting to learn all the different aspects of curating and how it can be taken on from many different angles was a bit mind opening," Bravo shares. "Funny enough, as a bit of an introvert, some of it was more than I felt I could handle at times. But I knew that if I pushed through it all, that something beautiful and amazing would come from all the effort I've put into preparing this gallery." Natalia Franco is one of the artists featured in "(a)Typical Sanctuary." Her 2019 installation "Goop World" exemplified the playful uniqueness with which Bravo was looking to saturate the gallery space. Franco created a new large scale sculpture for the exhibition to represent her imagination land of Goop World. "Goop Chunk" is a "large chunk of dirt and land" transported from the figmental setting and will be the centerpiece of the gallery space. "The works that I have included in this exhibit are absolutely one of a kind. I create figurative sculptures that encompass the feelings of being alive, and having a life and body," Franco says. "I often use round, pleasing shapes and color schemes in my sculptures, riding the line of deep emotion and colorful play. I enjoy creating sculptures that are fun to look at and be around, but also contain an embedded message that viewers find themselves drawn to." "To me, this program will open up more opportunities for new ideas/ perspectives/people to take hold of what art is, and can be, and display it," Bravo concludes. "It also allows for more of those ideas to be refreshed, recycled and built upon. New guests of different backgrounds will also become more of a part of these galleries, and it gives a chance for people of all backgrounds to be a part of the curating experience, too." Marcela Rojas-Perez is a first- generation Chicanx artist and storyteller through photography, doodles and the written word. Rojas- Perez engaged Teen Action Support Center artists to organize "Skribbles @ The Station" with fellow curator Evelyn Sosa. Rojas-Perez's solo exhibition is titled "Flow" and is inspired by the term in behavioral psychology for the state at which a person reaches greatest satisfaction. Flow experiences occur when there is balance between the challenge of an activity and the skill one possesses in performing it. On display at 214 by CACHE, in the main gallery, 214 S. Main St. "I learned a lot about what goes into the curation process and was taken aback by how accessible it could be to creatives in the community if they were given the chance to participate," Rojas-Perez says of the program. "This was a space that I previously thought I had no business getting into because I didn't go to school for it. I realized, very quickly, that the skills needed to complete a project like this were taught to me in other jobs or experiences and that doesn't make me, or anyone else, less deserving or unqualified to be a part of this." That level of accessibility is what's sorely needed in the Northwest Arkansas arts community, they asserts. "Even off the top of my head, I can think of so many people in my community that could pull something like this off if they just had the opportunity to do so," Rojas-Perez demonstrates. "The people that come to mind are creatives with great work ethic that haven't had the opportunity to go to art school, usually due to how expensive and time consuming it is. For my community, I hope it leads to more creative programs with this kind of framework. For myself, I hope it leads to more opportunities as an artist." Filmmaker and storytelling strategist Jess Whalen used the lens of the female experience to explore identity, relationships, social issues and worldview in the exhibition "Her." The exhibition engages the senses of sight, sound and smell in works all created by women, to mine the depths of the often intensely empathetic, visceral life experiences MAY 23-29, 2021 WHAT'S UP! 11 Rojas-Perez Whalen Artist Danielle Hatch takes measurements at the Perrodin Supply Co. in preparation for installing her work in the "Her" exhibition. The exhibition is curated by Jess Whalen (left) and is an exploration of how women process life, the world and the people around them. (Courtesy Photo) COVER STORY Bravo See Assembly Page 12 Franco