Mesa Contemporary Arts Museum (MCAM) kicked off their new season with a wonderful celebration this past Friday, February 13th with a wonderful evening that featured live music from local musicians, a lovely catered reception, fun craft making activites, and five engaging exhibitions that showcased a vast collection of artwork!
Arrangement for a Silent Orchestra features Prescott based artist, Julie Comnick, who has brought her striking painting and video installation to the South Gallery on view through March 22nd. This fascinating project explores “the gradual dissolution of culture in contemporary society through the symbolic ruin of a personal and cultural icon, the violin”, according to MCAM. She encourages her audience to look at the physical and symbolic ruin of the violin and the relationship between our cultural heritage and technology.
In North Gallery do not miss the stunning Chamber Music: A Mostly Silent Installation by Diane Gilbert on view through April 26th. Gilbert has created a unique installation utilizing thousands of played guitar strings and tiny squares of painted screen. She has successfully created a spatial environment full of subtle light, expressive shadows, and sculptural forms that are mostly air. “Each piece is composed of strings played by many musicians who never knew each other but are now playing silently together contributing to the larger expression of a luminous space”, according to MCAM.
The 36th Annual Contemporary Crafts, a national juried exhibition highlighting contemporary crafts in the Dobson Main Gallery. This exhibition brings together 30 artists from 12 states with an incredible collection of 51 artworks, offering an engaging selection of traditional mediums including basketry, book arts, ceramics, fibers, glass, jewelry, metals, papermaking and wood. This eclectic exhibition offers something for every museum visitor and will sure to impress with the diversity and craftsmanship of this years crop of artists on view through April 5th.
Beaded, Not Broken features last years Juror’s Choice winner of the 35th Annual Contemporary Crafts exhibition, Brenda Brousseau. Her artwork is inspired by traditional Native American beadwork and she has created a whimsical and fun body of work that highlights a variety of beaded sculptures, headdresses, and mandalas. “Brousseau incorporates ritually significant objects, like headdresses and mandalas, into her work and layers them with personal symbolism and meaning.” Come see contemporary beadwork at it’s finest with Beaded, Not Broken on display through April 12th.
Lastly the SRP Gallery features Insectographia: Drawing in Enamel, eclectic biologically inspired enamels with an emphasis on entomological imagery created by Virginia based artist, Charity Hall. This exhibition showcases a beautiful variety of handmade jewelry that are adorned with delicate imagery of insects, created using a variety of traditional and contemporary techniques captured in enamel on view through March 1st.
Mesa Contemporary Arts Museum is an incredible facility that offers brilliant exhibitions, workshops, and lectures throughout the year, highlighting many of great local, national and international artists! Be sure to visit their website for complete list of exhibitions and upcoming events http://www.mesaartscenter.com/art-exhibitions-contemporary-art-gallery.html.
