ARTINA 2021: Balancing Act
On exhibit Wednesday, August 4 – Saturday, November 6, 2021.
A juried exhibit featuring 12 original works created by 10 local artists who are members of the Washington Sculptors Group. The sculptures are exhibited throughout the grounds of Sandy Spring Museum.
In this exhibit, artists respond to the concept of balance, which is a dynamic force of nature and constantly in flux. The world is out of kilter, with natural as well as social systems listing to extremes. “What we need,” we say, “is balance; balance must be restored.” But what do we mean by “balance” and what is our relationship to it? What has the chaos of the past year taught us about the human need for balance? Can we ever achieve balance or is it an elusive chimera?
This is the fifth sculpture garden hosted jointly by Washington Sculptors Group and Sandy Spring Museum.
On Exhibit
Struggle (1) and Within a Dark Forest (2) by Adam Bradley
Dean (1) and Olympia (2) by Annie Farrar
Balance of Industry and Nature, Vulnerability of Nature by Stephanie Garon
Unearthing the Roots by Dalya Luttwak
On the Edge by Mary Opasik
About to Fly by Sookkyung Park
Coextensive Coexistance by Marc Robarge
Mother Earth II by Belen Sorzana
Balance Counterbalance by Veronica Szalus
Accident by Ira Tattelman
About the Juror
Twylene Moyer, editor of Sculpture magazine, has published in a wide range of periodicals, monographs, and catalogues. She is the co-editor of five books on contemporary sculpture, including The New Earthwork: Art, Action, Agency. In addition to serving as a juror for a variety of shows, she curated “Insight Out” and “Disintegration,” two exhibitions of site-specific, outdoor works for the Arlington Arts Center.
Incarceration and Creation: Art as a Human Need
On exhibit September 17 – November 17, 2021
In this exhibit, we examine the concept of human rights through the works of dozens of currently or formerly incarcerated men and women who use art to share a part of themselves with you, the viewer. Many of these individuals did not consider themselves artists prior to becoming incarcerated but have since embraced various art forms as a means of communicating their thoughts, dreams, frustration, and many other ideas that are common to the human experience.
The need to create may be as intrinsic to being human as the need for food and shelter. One way in which we relate to and perceive humanity in prehistoric humans is through their art. Consider cave paintings from eons past and how these paintings give you an immediate connection to the ancient artist: they were human, just like us. However, it could be argued that the American justice prison system is designed to take away the humanity of the incarcerated.
All of the artists whose work is on exhibit here came to us through their association with the Justice Arts Coalition. The Justice Arts Coalition unites teaching artists, advocates, and currently or formerly incarcerated artists in order to use art as a means to reimagine the justice system in the United States. The core tenets of the Justice Arts Coalition are that creative expression is a human need and right in addition to being essential to healing, reconciliation, and community building.
Voices and Votes: Democracy in America
On exhibit from October 13 to November 21, 2021
Our democracy demands action, reaction, vision, and revision as we continue to question how to form “a more perfect union.” How do you participate as a citizen? From the American Revolution and woman’s suffrage to civil rights and casting ballots, everyone in every community is part of this ever-evolving story – the story of democracy in America.
Voices and Votes is a traveling exhibit from Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. Featuring historical and contemporary photos; educational and archival video; engaging multimedia interactives with short games and additional footage, photos, and information; and historical objects like campaign souvenirs, voter memorabilia, and protest material, this exhibit encourages viewers to participate and make your voices heard in a government that entrusts the power of the nation not in a monarchy, but in its citizens.
