MCAC’s Armstrong Gallery
… and i am blue …
October 26 – December 22, 2007
Opening reception: Friday, October 26, 5-7pm
Sponsored by Anne and Steve Matter

An invitational exhibition featuring MCAC affiliated artists who have specifically created a work that responds to the exhibition’s title … and i am blue … and stays within the parameter of 15 inches in any dimension. With participation exceeding expectations, the salon style installation will undoubtedly delight the bluest of viewers!

 

Participating Artists:

From the front page of the "Life" section in the Pantagraph (11/2/07):   Artists interpret "... and i am blue ..." theme   By Steve Arney sarney@pantagraph.com   The characters in Sheila Asbell Allen's paintings almost always are joyful and vibrant and in dramatic pose. This time, for a new group exhibit, a girl is curled into a ball. The blue acrylic paint swirling around her gives further expression to a moment of sorrow. "Too Blue for You?" the painting asks. Elsewhere at the McLean County Arts Center, in the Armstrong Gallery and in the lobby outside, are 122 iterations of blue by other artists -- each independently developed from the common theme of "... and i am blue ..." The exhibit "... and i am blue ..." continues through Dec. 22. Artists were invited to submit work fitting their individual interpretations of the title. No one was required to think of "blue" in terms of sorry, but primarily, the artists did so. It creates a community of melancholy expressions. But the cumulative result is anything but depressing. Perhaps the shared experience and the richness of the expressions produce the joyful results within the blue, said Alison Hatcher, curator of the exhibit. Think of a great sad song, she suggested. She titled the theme after a line in the Irving Berlin song, "What'll I Do." Or, she offered, think of the goodness in the pain of separation -- the longing that stings only because of the affection toward the missing person. Or a missing pet. Kevin Strandberg honors his now-deceased cat in his fused-glass piece titled "Sparky's Gone ..." A snake and a man are in the foreground, a cat in the background. A sadness comes with passing, but a memory of companionship is made vivid. Strandberg writes: "Visually, he was a striking cat; a reverse tabby with silver stripes on a darker grey body -- looking more like a walking X-ray than a substantial figure. As is the relationship between pet and owner for many people, Sparky was my most devoted friend during a rough stretch in my life." Tony Preston-Schreck, through his piece "untitled portal," enables the visitor to recapture an experience. He made a box 13 inches by 13 inches and 8 inches deep and topped it with grass and dirt from his yard. A peephole from a door is embedded in the grass. Get on all fours to peer into the peephole and you see the sky -- actually, a video of the sky -- being played on a miniature DVD screen. Preston-Schreck has re-created the childhood experience of lying in the grass and looking at the sky. The cheek feels the blades; the nose detects the soil. It may evoke a sadness for an age that cannot be recovered or in facing mortality. But one could take a religious, perhaps Christian perspective, Preston-Schreck said. Instead of looking into a grave or into the finite, the peephole delivers a view of infinite. Hatcher curates an exhibit like this every other year, always in the fall, inviting university faculty, Illinois State University graduate students and other artists she has worked with over the years. The last was 2005's "Dorothy's Red Shoes." This year brought a record response. Pieces arrived from New York, London and other far-away places, but most came from the region. The topic put no prerequisites on the artists, and sorrow wasn't foregone. In a Sarah Stonefoot photograph, an open book is set upon a radiator. Light from an open window beams through the pages. Blue, for her, meant calm contemplation. Painter Michael Dubina deliberately strayed from sadness because the topic leaned so obviously toward it. He portrayed physical cold through "Blue November," a landscape oil painting. A single vehicle drives on a cold autumn day at twilight. Leafless trees, water that appears to be frozen and the blue of the atmosphere all give seasonal clues. Dubina's painting exemplifies another result of the invitational exhibits: They often bring artists to unfamiliar places. In Dubina's case, it altered his style and color palate. Usually, his scenes are bright and portray dusk.     123-artist exhibit "... and i am blue ..." is an exhibit by invited artists, most of whom submitted works that are for sale. The exhibit runs through Dec. 22 at the McLean County Arts Center. The center is located in the cultural district in the northeast corner of downtown Bloomington. Free admission: donation requested. Hours: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Friday; noon to 4 p.m. Saturday.     http://www.pantagraph.com/articles/2007/11/02/life/doc472b44dae7938315964894.txt

Take a look   "Lady with a veil," oil painting on linen, by Tracey Frugoli, $550.   Artist Tony Preston-Schreck poses with "untitled portal." He filmed the sky footage playing on his DVD player from his yard. His yard also was the source for grass and dirt, placed in a box (seen to his right). The box goes atop the DVD player. A peephole in the grass enables the viewer to see the sky while feeling and smelling the dirt and grass.   From top: "Blue November," oil painting on panel by Michael Dubina, $3,000. "What'll I do (Berlin)" by Doug Johnson, oil painting and encaustic on panel, $350. "Bluebird of Crappiness," by Jennifer Lapham, ceramic with wood base, $50.   Left: Johnny Disco produced "New to the Neighborhood" by overlaying his paper cut-outs onto a TV screen. Turn the TV on and it appears that a television is running in every room of the house. Right: In "Sparky's Gone ..." Kevin Strandberg remembers his departed cat. The piece has three layers of fused glass.

Click the image for a PDF of the article

Words of Art
November 2007

1. How was the idea for the exhibit conceived?

Every couple of years I come up with an idea for a themed exhibition and invite MCAC affiliated artists to participate. It’s an opportunity for me to reconnect with artists I’ve worked with over the last ten years and an opportunity for them to make and exhibit a work. The artists and our viewers eagerly anticipate the exhibition. Typically the works produced are spontaneous and intuitive, sometimes slightly outside an artist’s ‘signature’ style, and usually very thoughtful and/or playful.

2. Why was the color blue chosen as a focal point?

The conception behind … and i am blue … is personal. The ‘and’ in the title is very important; it implies that something happened to someone somewhere resulting in sadness. Many performance and visual artists delve into and respond creatively to feelings of melancholy. And while undoubtedly the color blue will be present in most of the works submitted for the exhibition, the color blue is not necessarily the focal point of the exhibition. Rather I anticipate that the poetic feeling of being blue will be explored conceptually in individual works. Each artist will have a different understanding and different expression of the theme.

3. What do you want people to take away from visiting the exhibit?

As over 120 artists have agreed to participate, viewers firstly will be amazed by the amount of works installed in our small gallery. I also anticipate that the viewers will enjoy recognizing and admiring works created by the many local participating artists. Fortunately, many of the artists price their work reasonably for these themed exhibitions and our hope is that viewers will respond by purchasing a work. … and i am blue … presents an idea that artists engage directly and the exhibition as a whole encourages viewers to find their own innate abilities to engage and explore creative thinking and self expression.

4. How many artists are expected to participate? How were they chosen?

Over 120 artists have agreed to participate. I invited MCAC affiliated artists to participate; that is any artist that I have worked with in a MCAC exhibition program since I became curator in 1997.

5. Which local artists will be included?

Approximately 70 of the 120 artists are local. At list of participating artists is attached.

6. What mediums will be represented?

All media – painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, video

7. How does the exhibit differ from “Dorothy’s Red Shoes,” an exhibit the MCAC held in 2005?

Dorothy’s Red Shoes was a themed exhibition and again an invitational for MCAC affiliated artists. Although one might interpret the colors, red now blue, as focal points, Dorothy’s Red Shoes was conceptually an opportunity for artists to explore ideas surrounding self transformation and the power of believing. The ‘red’ and ‘blue’ in the titles offer a formal starting point for artists and viewers. Additionally, Dorothy’s Red Shoes suggested the whole myth of characters and situations from the Wizard of Oz. … and i am blue … proffers the sway of sadness (it is a line from a Cole Porter song).

8. What kinds of challenges does an exhibit like this present for a participating artist?

Those artists invited to participate first decide if the theme interests them and fits into their studio schedule and mood, then they must adhere to the ‘within 15” in any dimension’ parameter. Innately artists resist rules and guidelines, even suggested themes. So these themed exhibitions are a challenge, but a fun one, I hope!

9. Can residents expect more color-themed exhibits in the future?

Yes, residents can expect more themed exhibitions featuring MCAC affiliated artists.

 

Take a look

Ian Crawley cuts sections of twine, twigs and soil to create his sculptures. He is shown working on a sculpture for the “ ... and I am blue ... '' exhibit that will be in the Armstrong Gallery at the McLean County Arts Center through December 22. (Steve Smedley)

Ian Crawley works on mixing oil paint and mineral spirits while exploring possible backgrounds for his sculpture. (Steve Smedley)

Sculptor Ian Crawley sits in a chair while talking about his work. Crawley is currently working on a sculpture for the “... and I am blue ...'' exhibit. The work must meet be 15 inches wide, 15 inches high and 15 inches deep. (Steve Smedley)