October 22–December 31, 2011
218 N. Broad Street
Philadelphia, PA 19102
215.972.7600
The Exhibition “here.” Seeks to Redefine “Regionalism”
in Contemporary American Art at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Highlighting how the experience of “place” saturates the work of artists from six regions in US
On view October 22 through December 31, 2011, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) presents here., an exhibition that considers how “place” is not simply the geographic locality where an artist lives and works but also the subject matter of lived experience. Recognizing how place influences and infiltrates each artist’s work in diverse and complicated ways, here. explores the work of artists from six particular regions— Philadelphia, Cincinnati, Phoenix/Scottsdale, Raleigh-Durham, Detroit and Kansas City.
Selected by PAFA’s Curator of Contemporary Art, Julien Robson, and five guest curators, here. challenges the idea of “regionalism” as an unfashionable term that references only the parochial or the provincial, and highlights, instead, the fact that many communities have begun to place greater importance on how history and place define them in a globalized world.
here. challenges the presumption that globalization makes regional and national identity irrelevant, asserting that the drive toward global standardization has resulted in a reconfiguration of regional identity in which place, the local, and a sense of shared history take on a renewed significance.
“The exhibition acknowledges the many different reasons why these 24 artists find themselves situated in these six regions and uses these histories as a means of exploring their diverse approaches and responses to place,” says curator Julien Robson. “Continuing PAFA’s historical commitment to redefining what constitutes American art, here. proposes a new approach to regionalism in 21st century art.”
For instance, in Scott Hocking’s works a sense of place can be found in the glimpses of Detroit that appear in his photographs, while in Arizona collective Postcommodity’s video installations it is found in references to Native American ritual and history. Kansas artist Michael Krueger refers to hippy culture in Lawrence, while North Carolina artist Glenda Wharton’s animated film paints childhood dreams that allude to the segregated South. In here., place appears in many guises, whether expressed directly in the freedoms a space affords, the subject matter it provides, or the material and conceptual needs that it satisfies.
Artists represented in the exhibition are:
Lewis Colburn, Jennifer Levonian , Megawords,Tim Portlock / Michael Krueger, Erika Nelson, Aaron Storck, Whoop Dee Doo / Bunk News, Paul Coors, Terence Hammonds, Katie Parker and Guy Michael Davis / Liz Cohen, Scott Hocking, Chido Johnson, Abigail Newbold / Elsewhere Collaborative, Harrison Haynes, Stacy-Lynn Waddell, Glenda Wharton / Sue Chenoweth, Postcommodity, Aaron Rothman, Gregory Sale.
The exhibition curators are:
Julien Robson, Curator of Contemporary Art at PAFA; Christopher Cook, Director and Curator at the Salina Art Center, Salina, Kansas; Mark Harris, Director of the School of Art at the University of Cincinnati; Rebecca Hart, Associate Curator of Contemporary Art at the Detroit Institute of Arts; Claire Schneider, Independent Curator; and Teka Selman, Assistant Director of the MFA in Experimental and Documentary Arts at Duke University.
here. is curated by Julien Robson, PAFA’s Curator of Contemporary Art.
Leading support for this exhibition is provided by the William Penn Foundation. Support for the here. catalogue is provided by the Elizabeth Firestone Graham Foundation. PAFA’s special exhibitions in 2011-12 are supported by generous contributions from Max N. Berry, Esq., Donald R. Caldwell, and Jonathan L. Cohen.
Founded in 1805, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) is America’s first school of fine arts and museum. For more information, please visit www.pafa.org
Museum hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Academy is located at 118-128 N. Broad Street in Philadelphia. Admission to the Permanent Collection is Adults 10 USD, Seniors (60+) & Students with I.D. 8 USD, Youth ages 13–18, 6 USD.
Admission to Special Exhibitions (includes Permanent Collection) is Adults 15 USD, Seniors (60+) & Students with I.D. 12 USD, Youth Ages 13–18, 10 USD. Admission is free for members and children under age of 12.
