Monday, July 29, 2013

Look in to the "Void" with Radio Sebastian - Opening August 3rd!



What: Radio Sebastian: You, Me, and the Void
When: Saturday, August 3rd – Sunday, September 1st, 2013
Reception:
Thursday, August 8th, 6-8pm; Artist Talk at 7pm, FREE
Where: Target Gallery, Torpedo Factory Art Center, 105 N. Union Street, Alexandria, VA
www.torpedofactory.org/target

“Radio Sebastian looks into the subject of the “Void” and creates a new way of expressing and presenting it to the viewer…they are a true testament to the quality of Washington DC artists.”  - Samantha May, Juror, and Gallery Director of Hillyer Art Space

Description: Target Gallery presents You, Me, and the Void, a solo exhibition by Radio Sebastian, a collaborative between Corwin Levi and Yumiko Blackwell. The exhibition will include a site-specific installation, a series of mixed-media collages, and an interactive video piece. Join us for a reception on Thursday, August 8th from 6-8pm to meet the artists and hear them speak about their work.
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(Alexandria, VA) The Torpedo Factory Art Center’s Target Gallery presents You, Me, and the Void, a solo exhibition by DC-based artists Radio Sebastian, which opens on August 3rd and runs through September 1st, 2013. Each year the Target Gallery hosts “Open Exhibition,” an open call for proposals for a solo exhibition. Three arts experts from the DC-area made up this year’s jury panel; Samantha May, Director of Hillyer Art Space, Foon Sham, noted sculptor and professor, and Morgan Hungerford West, founder and writer of the arts and lifestyle blog Pandahead. They reviewed close to 50 proposals individually, and then gathered for a group review of their top ten selections before naming Radio Sebastian the 2013 winners.

Radio Sebastian is a husband and wife collaborative between artists Corwin Levi and Yumi Blackwell. The title for the exhibition, You, Me, and the Void, comes from the artists’ examination of “the void," which they state in their proposal, has always existed. Yves Klein famously leapt into it. Anish Kapoor noted "the void is not silent" and described it as "that very first moment of creativity where everything is possible and nothing has actually happened."

To Radio Sebastian, they do not see “the void” as containing nothing, rather “a space where everything is possible and has already happened, but we most often access only sparks of creation and must work out the actual creating ourselves. It is the space in which everyone's creativity and power exist and from which we can glimpse moments of what is possible.”

The exhibition will consist of the manifestation of Corwin's void, a selection of poets' voids, and a selection of people at large's voids. Corwin's void is based in the word shine and the six-sided symbol he equates with it. He sees this word and this symbol as representing everything that an individual is capable of achieving and his void is full of them, for everyone. They will include in the show drawings of networks of this symbol, both abstractly and on top of photographs. The centerpiece of the exhibition will be a site-specific installation where they will write public domain poems on pieces of paper, tie them into floating bundles, and hang them from the ceiling with fishing line over stacks of poetry books and a tape drawing on the floor.

In addition, they will include video pieces where they have asked, and videotaped, many people saying the word "shine" for as long as they can, their personal shine, and their descriptions of the Void--and have edited these together. They will also encourage Target Gallery viewers to submit video clips (via email) for inclusion in their future exhibitions and to add to the videos in the gallery as the show progresses.

The entire exhibition will be online beginning August 3rd at www.torpedofactory.org/target.

Juror Information:
Samantha May
is the Gallery Director of Hillyer Art Space, a non-profit D.C. art gallery dedicated to assisting local and international artists make their entrance, or re-entrance in to the DC art scene.  At Hillyer Art Space she oversees all exhibiting artists, mounts the monthly gallery exhibits, and chairs the Artists' Advisory Committee made up of well-established local artists; with Emeritus members including: Bill Christenberry, Sam Gilliam, and Manon Cleary. While at Hillyer Art Space she has simultaneously worked on her Master's Degree in Art History from American University, where her thesis on John Singer Sargent is now under review.
 
Sculptor Foon Sham received a BFA from the California College of Arts and Crafts, and a MFA from Virginia Commonwealth University. He is professor of Art at the University of Maryland, College Park. He has had 30 solo exhibitions in the Washington Metropolitan region and in New York, Ohio, Delaware, New Mexico, Canada, Norway, Mexico, Australia and most recently in Hong Kong. His work have been included group exhibitions at Corcoran Gallery of Art, the Art Museum of the Americas in Washington DC and Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. His public collections include the Nayatad Sculpture Park in Hungary, United World College in Norway, Universidid De Palermo in Argentina, the MacQuarie University in Sydney, Australia, the Sculpture Park at OMI International Arts Center in Ghent, New York, the Museum of Contemporary Arts of Yucatan, Merida, Mexico, the large scale sculpture at the Gallery Place-Chinatown Metrorail Station, the Convention Center in Washington DC and recently the Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong. He has also received many awards including a Residency Grant from the National Endowment of the Arts, and the Franz and Virginia Bader Fund from Washington DC and Strauss Fellowship from Fairfax County, Virginia. In Washington, DC he is represented by Project 4.

Morgan Hungerford West
writes art and lifestyle blog Panda Head, and works in the realms of art direction and art production in Washington, DC. Her installations have been featured at the French Embassy and the Textile Museum; her line of handmade, vintage lace teepees have garnered mention in the New York Times, and are currently sold exclusively, and on a made-to-order basis, by BHLDN, the wedding branch of Anthropologie. Her various projects have been featured on Refinery29, Apartment Therapy, and LuckyMag.com, as well as in the Washington Post, Washingtonian Magazine, and Nylon Magazine.

Friday, June 14, 2013

Food: Friend or Foe - Reception postponed



Due to severe weather forecast (which we actually never got any of besides a little wind and rain) we had to reschedule our reception for Food: Friend or Foe. The new reception date is Sunday, June 30th, 2-4pm. Hope everyone can still make it and come meet some of the artists for this awesome exhibition!

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

One Million Bones



On May 6th, the One Million Bones project will come to the Torpedo Factory. Raising awareness about genocide that is happening all over the world today, this installation is made from over 1,000 ceramic bones created by different groups in the Northern Virginia area, including George Washington Middle School, Bishop McNamara High School, local recreation centers, churches, and more. This powerful installation will be on display through Friday, May 10th before it will be packed up to make its way across the river to join bones made from groups all of the country.




On June 8th and 9th, one million handmade bones crafted by students, artists and activists from around the world will be laid on the National Mall in Washington, DC. A striking symbol of our common humanity, these bones were made to honor those lost to genocide and mass atrocities and those still fighting to survive them in Sudan, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burma and Somalia.

Special Thanks to Torpedo Factory Artists Lisa Schumaier, Robert Rosselle, and Jennifer Hatfield.






Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Beyond Funtion Opens on May 4th!



What: Beyond Function
When: Saturday, May 4th – Sunday, June 2nd, 2013
Reception: Thursday, May 9th, 6-8pm; juror talk with Novie Trump at 7pm, FREE

Target Gallery presents Beyond Function. From precariously stacked bowls to “inflatable” dinosaur sculptures, the exhibition features ceramic works that go beyond utility, seeking to be valued for their aesthetic quality over their usefulness. In addition, juror Novie Trump and Laurel Lukaszewski will create a site-specific ceramic installation outside of the gallery. Join us for a reception on Thursday, May 9th from 6-8pm to meet some of the artists and hear a juror talk at 7pm.

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(Alexandria, VA) The Torpedo Factory Art Center’s Target Gallery presents Beyond Function, which opens on May 4th and runs through June 2nd, 2013. Throughout time ceramics has been an important part of our daily lives. When one hears the word ceramics, their first thought often goes to items such as tableware, tiles, vases, etc. While it can be appreciated for its aesthetics, this work is most likely regarded first for functional quality over artistic merit. This exhibition examines how artists today are using this ancient medium and going beyond utilitarian connotations, creating work that seeks to be valued as pure form.

Beyond Function will feature a wide range of work by thirteen artists from across the United States, and one from Turin, Italy. Artist David Bogus, from Laredo Texas, will show his piece Optimist Luggage 1. Bogus uses the slip-cast method, which is traditionally used in the mass-production of pottery, using molds made from both found and rendered objects to achieve a sense of scale and repetition. He applies principles of graphic design and color to achieve a superficial attractiveness while their contents have purposely been obscured offering both psychological and nostalgic metaphors.

Brooklyn-based artist Phoenix Lindsey-Hall presents Extinguish, part of the larger body of work After Kempf, an exploration into lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender hate crimes. Using mixed media, including ceramic, concrete, and found materials, Lindsey-Hall transforms everyday objects that have been used as weapons in specific hate crime cases. “Clay becomes skin as I press into the surface, leaving the trace of my hand and simultaneously representing the act of violence. Here the twisting, mutilation and ultimate undoing of the body is transferred to the objects. The disturbance of everyday objects calls into question the very system in which they exist.”

Selected artists include: David Bogus (TX), Jackie Brown (PA), Angela Carbone (TX), Mary K Cloonan (MD), Stephen Gian Mangione (CA), Clara Graziolino (Italy), Anita Holt (VA), Brett Kern (WV),  Phoenix Lindsey-Hall (NY), Shalya Marsh (PA), Lori Mills (NY), Tybre Newcomer (MI), Amanda Small (NC), Mary Sweeney (NY)

Juror Information – About Novie Trump
Novie Trump is a sculptor and installation artist working primarily in ceramic and mixed media. Formally trained in classical archaeology at the University of North Carolina, her work has been selected for juried and invitational exhibitions in the US and Europe and has been featured in numerous publications. Winner of the 2009 Strauss Fellowship, she has been awarded grants and commissions for several public art works, the most recent at the National Institutes of Health in Washington, DC. Trump is the founder and director of Flux Studios, a contemporary art space in Mt. Rainier, MD.

Monday, March 25, 2013

Friends Mentor Program

Exhibition Dates: April 3rd – 7th, 2013
Reception: Sunday, April 7th; 2-4pm

Target Gallery presents an exhibition of the works created by participants in the Friends of the Torpedo Factory’s annual Mentorship Program for Alexandria high school students. Students are partnered with a Torpedo Factory artist and work with them through out the year to create the work that is then showcased in this exhibition.

Welcome Newly Juried Artists

Join us on March 30th from 3-5pm for a
reception to meet the artists! 

     














Exhibition Dates: March 23rd - 30th, 2013 
We are thrilled to welcomes the eighteen new artists of the Torpedo Factory Artists' Association (TFAA). These artists were selected through the TFAA's Annual Jury process, where an outside panel of art experts made the selections from among 80 applicants.

Click here to learn more!

Thursday, March 14, 2013

March150 Fundraiser Returns!

March150 - 3rd Annual Exhibition Fundraiser
Saturday March 9th  -  Sunday, March 17th, 2013


The Target Gallery and the March of Dimes are teaming up to raise money for both organizations with our 3rd annual exhibition fundraiser March150 (formerly titled "March Madness"). The show includes 200 panels of artwork created by local artists, each only $150 (and only $100 the night of the Art Party on March 15th), and a free kids art activity on Sunday, March 10th.

Art Party Details: March 15th, 7-10pm / $15 advance or $20 at the door
Taking over the first floor of the Art Center, tickets to this festive event include:

*Artwork - only $100 each:
over 200 panels created by local artists, each only $100, regularly $150

*Prizes & Raffle: Hidden behind select panels and also available for raffle are tickets to an exclusive dinner party where guests will enjoy each course in a different studio at the Torpedo Factory where they can meet the artists and learn more about their work.

*DIY and other Art Activities: The popular “Gum Art” painting is back, make your own wearable mini-collage at our button making station, and smile pretty in our custom photo-booth.

*Wing-Off Competition: Sample wings by Foster's Grill, Chadwicks, and Austin's Grille - then and vote for your favorite!

*Food & Drinks: Pizza provided by Bugsy’s, Cash Bar with beer by Port City Brewery, snacks and more!

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Art, Fashion, or Both?

Fabricated: An Exhibition of Wearable Art
Opens Saturday, February 2 - March 3, 2013


Special Reception on Thursday, February 14th, 6-8pm
Stay for a gallery talk by our juror Rachel Timmins at 7pm.


Fabricated is an all-media exhibition featuring wearable art – individually designed pieces of handmade clothing and jewelry that are each unique artistic creations. Our juror was Rachel Timmins, whose wearable and sculptural works have been featured at the Design Museum in London, UK, The Masur Museum of Art, the Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts, the Baltimore Museum of Art and the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art.

Monday, January 21, 2013

Gallery Talk with Between the Lines juror Linn Meyers


On January 10th, our juror Linn Meyers gave a wonderful gallery talk during the reception for Between the Lines. She spoke her process an reasoning behind her selections for the exhibition, specifically how "Drawing has long been understood to be a preparatory medium – artists have made drawings in preparation for making works in other mediums such as painting, printmaking or sculpture. Drawing has been for some artists and viewers synonymous with “sketching.”...The distinction long made between drawing, painting, and sculpture continues to become less and less important to both viewers and artists. The works in this exhibition explore, through both imagery and materials, the way artists are using drawing as a primary mode of expression in the 21st century."