MoCA Westport Announces Summer Exhibition Reception: June 24

Westport CT

10 June, 2021

9:13 AM

Description

MoCA Westport is pleased to announce its Summer Exhibition, Élan Vital, juried by Max Teicher and Emily White of Gagosian Gallery. The exhibition will be on view from June 25 - August 21, 2021. The general public is invited to attend the opening reception on Thursday, June 24 from 6 - 8 p.m. The term élan vital represents the creative force within an organism that is responsible for growth, change, and necessary or desirable adaptations. Artist Arthur Dove, who had a studio in Westport, Connecticut, was greatly influenced by Henri Bergson and his term élan vital as he sought to make such universal harmonies, and this urge for growth and renewal, visible in his work. The exhibition is composed of artists selected through the Museum's first Summer Open Call, open to all emerging, mid-career and established visual artists over the age of 18. MoCA Westport received over 200 submissions for consideration, from artists across the United States and abroad. The exhibition features eleven selected artists working in a range of mediums, including painting, drawing, prints, sculpture, ceramics and site-specific installation work. __________________________________________________________ "The artists we've selected have their own story and independent aesthetic and the concept of élan vital allows each of the artists to stand out on their own, while still creating an overall balance and harmony to the space." - Jurors Teicher and White _________________________________________________________ Selected artists include: · Jessica Alazraki (New York, NY) · Andisheh Avini (Brooklyn, NY) · William Buchina (Brooklyn, NY) · Chase Hall (Los Angeles, CA/New York, NY) · Asher Liftin (Brooklyn, NY) · MaryKate Maher (Brooklyn, NY) · Mieke Marple (San Francisco, CA) · Alex Puz (Maspeth, NY) · Annesofie Sandal (Long Island City, New York) · Samuel Stabler (Athens, GA) · Rachel Sydlowski (New York, NY) Simultaneous with Élan Vital, MoCA Westport will support community LGBTQ+ Pride Month through two exhibitions, also on view from June 25 - August 21. Unfit For Print is a dual exhibition featuring the selected works of Noah Fox and Patrick Perry. Fox is a Westport-born and raised artist whose Altered Books Series is generated from a deep fascination with books, typography, and the various theoretical conceptions of embodiment and identity that persist within culture at large. New York-based Patrick Perry's Soft Blows Series relies on cross-stitch, foundational to the embroidery arts, in his body of artwork to deconstruct derogatory homosexual epithets. Love Wins features a site-specific mural created by Staples High School student Poppy Livingstone (Westport, CT) and the teens of Westport, celebrating Westport Pride and LGBTQ+ Pride Month. Ruth Mannes, Executive Director of MoCA Westport, stated of the summer exhibitions, "Our mission is to share diverse and thought-provoking art with the community, and we are thrilled to collaborate with new partners to expand our scope and impact this summer. We thank the Gagosian Gallery for serving as jurors and curators of Élan Vital, and are pleased to also work with the Westport Pride organization for the first of many ongoing collaborations." The exhibitions are on view during MoCA Westport's summer gallery hours. (Wednesday - Sunday,12 – 4 p.m.; no reservation required.) While at the Museum, check out the new Bar MoCA in the Museum's lobby, serving up delicious cocktails and beverages. For more information, visit mocawestport.org or contact Liz Leggett, Director of Exhibitions, at [email protected] or 203/222-7070.