Thursday, September 06, 2007
YOU ARE HERE: Opening Night!
The evening of Thursday, September 6th was opening night at the Ellipse Arts Center for, YOU ARE HERE: Maps Re-Defined by Mid-Atlantic Contemporary Artists. Curated by Cynthia Connolly, Ellipse Arts Center Director, the exhibition features four talented femme fatales: Dawn Gavin, Julie Jankowski, Karey Kessler and Renee van der Stelt. YOU ARE HERE will be on display through Saturday, October 13. Be sure to stop by on that day to attend our Artist’s Talk from noon - 2:00pm.
Artist Brandon Morse (far right) and other guests view the larger-than-life global cutouts by Renee van der Stelt. On a large table, she placed moveable cutouts in a random pattern so guests could interact with her artwork. She also created eye-popping designs using light shining through pinholes. In the topographical work, Black Hole/Iceberg, Renee’s drawings cross three dimensions, suggesting a tactile landscape as vast as the galaxy.
Dawn's most stunning piece is Tract, a 48” circular arrangement of paper map fragments attached to the wall on the heads of over 4,000 insect pins - Wow! One thing these ladies have in common is their passion for detail!
Maps are guides for the world between the real and the imagined, what exists and what we want to believe. Dawn uses maps to illustrate the, “space between places”, because even with a map, we never really know where life will take us.
Cynthia certainly dressed for the occasion! Her map tee-shirt, designed by Jessica Zenor, has 48 states on the front and Alaska and Hawaii on the back. Order your own at: http://www.zenorschnitzel.com.
David Goodman (right), who also works for Arlington County, chatting with a guest. Everyone had a really good time and the food was delicious!
The evening of Thursday, September 6th was opening night at the Ellipse Arts Center for, YOU ARE HERE: Maps Re-Defined by Mid-Atlantic Contemporary Artists. Curated by Cynthia Connolly, Ellipse Arts Center Director, the exhibition features four talented femme fatales: Dawn Gavin, Julie Jankowski, Karey Kessler and Renee van der Stelt. YOU ARE HERE will be on display through Saturday, October 13. Be sure to stop by on that day to attend our Artist’s Talk from noon - 2:00pm.
YOU ARE HERE subverts the way we ordinarily use and see maps. Maps are man-made subjective representations of how the cartographer views the world. They convey the information required of them through the lens of what is expected of them, their own experiences and cultural influences. In this show, the map then becomes a visual way for the artists to discuss their own perceptions with boundaries and representation.
When thinking of maps, the first thing that usually comes to mind is getting from point A to point B. Not so for Karey Kessler, her paintings travel the realm of her imagination. She focuses on the psychological side to mapmaking, depicting spaces that dissolve through time. Her looping roadways lead to mysterious grasslands, unknown cities and of course, “Tranquility”.
Karey (right) talking with District of Columbia Arts Center (DCAC) Director, B. Stanley (left).
Karey (right) talking with District of Columbia Arts Center (DCAC) Director, B. Stanley (left).
Artist Brandon Morse (far right) and other guests view the larger-than-life global cutouts by Renee van der Stelt. On a large table, she placed moveable cutouts in a random pattern so guests could interact with her artwork. She also created eye-popping designs using light shining through pinholes. In the topographical work, Black Hole/Iceberg, Renee’s drawings cross three dimensions, suggesting a tactile landscape as vast as the galaxy. 
Julie Jankowski (center) opens a dialog between different views of the natural world. Using satellite imagery, Julie gives us stadiums, magnified views of cities and a dramatic birds-eye view of the 2003 New York blackout. Her American landscapes feature cell phone towers, offering a contemporary twist on the way we see the world.
Guests enjoying some refreshments with Jankowski's Blackout, 23:15 EST 14 Aug. 2003 in the background.
YOU ARE HERE also includes Recticular, a new and intriguing digital video by artist Dawn Gavin (center left). Here she chats with sewn artist, Brece Honeycutt (center right) about the meaning of her work.
Dawn's most stunning piece is Tract, a 48” circular arrangement of paper map fragments attached to the wall on the heads of over 4,000 insect pins - Wow! One thing these ladies have in common is their passion for detail!
Cynthia certainly dressed for the occasion! Her map tee-shirt, designed by Jessica Zenor, has 48 states on the front and Alaska and Hawaii on the back. Order your own at: http://www.zenorschnitzel.com.
Our wonderful volunteers, Olivia, Frank and Anne, serving it up at the bar. Notice the little maps which tell where the drinks came from! We had wine and lemonade from California and Virginia's finest water straight from the tap!
At the food table, miniature maps stuck out from the cheese, crackers and fresh vegetables. Where do the ingredients for hummus come from? California, Montana, Canada and Java…who knew!
Our gallery assistants had loads of fun cutting out tiny maps. Here is Meggan hard at work.
David Goodman (right), who also works for Arlington County, chatting with a guest. Everyone had a really good time and the food was delicious!
Ellipse Arts Center Education Programmer, Lisa Marie Thalhammer (left) and Kristina Bilonick (right), Art Market Organizer for the Ballston-Virginia Square Partnership, will team up on October 13th for Discover Arts Ballston. A day filled with visual art activities in the Ballston, VA area.
You won’t want to miss the last day to view YOU ARE HERE and hear firsthand from the artists what inspired their interest in mapping. October 13th is also the last Ballston Art Market of the season. The Ellipse Arts Center neighbor, Grand Cru will also be hosting a wine tasting at their new location during these events. Just follow the colorful footprints to find your way!
¶ 3:26 PM You won’t want to miss the last day to view YOU ARE HERE and hear firsthand from the artists what inspired their interest in mapping. October 13th is also the last Ballston Art Market of the season. The Ellipse Arts Center neighbor, Grand Cru will also be hosting a wine tasting at their new location during these events. Just follow the colorful footprints to find your way!
Grand Cru + Vineria
4401 Wilson Blvd (enter through Ellipse Plaza)
Wine tasting from noon - 4:00pm
4401 Wilson Blvd (enter through Ellipse Plaza)
Wine tasting from noon - 4:00pm
