Opening Reception for "Luster + Light"

699 South Mill Ave,Tempe AZ 85281

06 November, 2021

Description

Join us for the opening reception of our newest exhibition, “Luster + Light,” at the Ceramics Research Center. The celebration features a tour of the exhibition with Windgate Curator of Contemporary Craft and Design Sarah Kelly. About the exhibition: "Luster and Light" creates space to reflect on the value of craft and craft-adjacent works in art museum settings. How is the idea of value interpreted in various spaces and contexts by individuals and institutions? This exhibition examines works that feature specific lustrous materials to relay cultural or social symbols, often to call attention to abuses of wealth and authority. One example is the use of gold for its historic associations with social and economic power, like in Alison Saar’s "Hi Yella" (1991). Another is Adrian Saxe’s use of luster glaze, a paintable coating containing precious metals like gold and silver, in ceramics to reference the lavishness of the Baroque and Rococo periods in art. Curated primarily from the ASU Art Museum’s permanent collections, the exhibition encourages reflection on museums as systems of power and cultural production. How have they upheld hierarchical systems, such as those evidenced by their collections and exhibition histories? Visitors are asked to engage by reflecting on what they value in their own lives. "Luster and Light" is generously supported by the Windgate Foundation. Welcome to the ASU Art Museum, named "the single most impressive venue for contemporary art in Arizona" by Art in America magazine. Part of the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts at Arizona State University, it serves a diverse community of artists and audiences through innovative programming that is interdisciplinary, educational and relevant to life today.