Category — Gallery Exhibits

The Bridge hosts regular gallery exhibits through out the year. Open to work of every medium, mode, and process imaginable, our gallery serves as a home for both emerging and established artists to explore and exhibit their works in a non-commercial setting.

Ever-evolving, the space is often more akin to a laboratory than a traditional gallery environment. Over the course of their stay, exhibitions often share space with film screenings, rock shows, and even small-scale theatre productions. We encourage artists to visit The Bridge and see what it’s all about.

If you’re interested in proposing an art exhibition as The Bridge, please read our submissions page for details and email our gallery exhibitions coordinator.

Some Other Places We’ve Missed

Mark Strandquist

The Bridge PAI | June 2013

Reception June 7th 6-9PM

Artist Talk: TBD

Panel: TBD

Some Other Places We’ve Missed is an ongoing project that uses photography as a catalyst for community engagement and strives to facilitate a humanistic window into the histories, realities, and desires of some of the 2.3 million incarcerated Americans. During a series of workshops, incarcerated individuals are invited to choose, “If you had a window in your cell, what place from your past would it look out to?” Participants provide a detailed memory from the chosen location and describe how they would want the image composed. The locations are then photographed and an image is handed or mailed back to the incarcerated participants.

While the images facilitate room for personal associations, the written descriptions become the meeting place for alienated publics and blur our notions of personal, public, and exiled space. When exhibited, the size of the prints are consistent with the restrictions imposed on pictures sent to prisons. This limitation provides intimate and activated modes of engaging with these spaces, their histories, and corresponding human absence.

The project will be exhibited this June at the Bridge Progressive Arts Initiative in Charlottesville, Va. For the exhibit, the images and corresponding writing become the starting point for additional actions that engage communities in collaboration, dialogue, and exchange. Corresponding programing will include a public ‘Skype forum,’ where incarcerated individuals read poetry and engage in conversation with those present in the gallery. This event will be broadcast live by a local radio station completing a social circuit (from prison to gallery to the general public). Additionally, the exhibit will host film screenings, letter writing workshops, and teach-ins led by community members affected by incarceration. During the weekend of the Look 3 photography festival, a panel discussion and open forum will be held to discuss alternative and collaborative modes of photographic practice and exhibition.

Utilizing collaborative practice, interactive installations, and public interventions, the project facilitates a discursive space not only for crisis level issues concerning incarceration, but for the civic and artistic ways in which we engage the world. This infusion of art and activism builds on a growing movement of artists who believe the world’s pressing conflicts necessitate they become more than witnesses. These artists strive to facilitate exhibitions that function not as culminations, but starting points and catalysts for community engagement. Citing the connections between the art world and the market forces that have helped produce and maintain these conflicts, and the corresponding loss of a singular image’s emotive power due to media saturation, many artists are re-imagining the production, distribution, and exhibition of photographs. These alternative modes of practice place the aesthetics and technical mastery of the medium secondary to the social process through which the image is created, and the social interactions that its exhibition produces. Likewise, for Some Other Places We’ve Missed, photography is not dead or irrelevant but a performative, evolving, and integral component of socially engaged art.

May 3rd-25th | Opening Reception May 3rd 5-7PM

El Trabajo

Each summer, The Bridge Progressive Arts Initiative in Charlottesville, Virginia partners with the Albemarle County Public Schools’ Office of Community Engagement to offer the iConnect Photo and Writing Workshop. iConnect matches a diverse and talented group of students with volunteer working photographers and writers. They produce a book of images and poems, organized around a theme that the group explores in and around Charlottesville. This year’s theme is work: El Trabajo.

The middle of June is rush hour for volunteers from The Bridge– artists, photographers, writers– preparing for the opening of the summer iConnect writing workshop. The fresh, white paper of students’ writing journals gleams on a neat stack of clipboards on a table in the gallery; in the office, a photographer formats memory cards, an intern wrangles an appointment for the group to visit a local business the next week, and a poet sharpens pencil after pencil, thinking only of the ideas stored within each one.

But on the third Monday in June, the apprehension is done: each volunteer has been trained, each ride arranged and contingency imagined, and each student files in through the sun-drenched door of The Bridge, ready to find the images and compose the poems to make this year’s iConnect workshop collection. The vibe in the room is ready and calm; everyone knows what we’re here to do, and everyone’s ready to play their role in the drama of a week of working artists and writers.

An iConnect week starts slowly: a primer and refresher on aperture and shutter speed, a lesson on metaphor and simile. In both the visual and the linguistic: detail, detail, detail. Composition. Narrative. When we make our way into the city to find material and people at work, each student is paired with an individual mentor; cameras around their necks, they look, ask, talk, and look again. The mentors answer, ask back, look, write. The week carries us through the city’s neighborhoods and places of business: a furniture shop in full swing, an automotive garage taking a breather over the lunch hour, a barber shop full of chatter, television, and the sound of clippers, a restaurant breaking down lamb carcasses for the grill, a bright-lit room redolent of every spice imaginable. The week is a feast for the senses, a creative hothouse, a reason to keep going.

El Trabajo is iConnect’s fifth iteration, following La Ciudad, El Barrio, La Finca, and El Rio. As lead instructor in photography and writing, it was my great pleasure to work with Greg Kelly from The Bridge and Gloria Rockhold from the Albemarle County Public Schools; Greg and Gloria’s vision for this program has made possible many productive and happy hours for a great many deserving young artists who’ll carry forward, for the rest of their lives, the sense of accomplishment and confidence embodied in this book. I’d also like to thank our volunteers: Anna Caritj, Nell Boeschenstein, Jason Keefer, Tammy Williams, Matthew Denton-Edmundson, Megan Bent, Peggy Harrison, Molly Woodriff, Laura Aimone, and Riley Duncan. A special thanks goes to Bridge intern Zaina Natour, whose support was constant and invaluable.

– John Casteen

ANCIENT SONGS, MODERN MUSES

AT THE BRIDGE PAI

April 5 – April 26, 2013

Opening on “First Friday,” April 5, 5:30-8 pm

**This Show Contains Images That May Not Be Appropriate for All Viewers.

Parental Discretion is Advised.
Ancient Songs, Modern Muses is a joint exhibition of art and poetry from London-based painter John Woodman and Charlottesville poet and classicist Ben Jasnow. Woodman and Jasnow illustrate and translate the Idylls of Theocritus. Each original verse translation is paired with several of Woodman’s contemporary, interpretive illustrations. A talk and poetry reading will accompany the unveiling of the exhibit, “First Friday,” April 5, 2013, 5:30-8 pm.

The Ancient Greek poet Theocritus, who lived in the 3rd century BC, was the father of pastoral poetry. His Idylls are intense works of erotic longing, idealized rustic scenes and mythical tales.

Theocritus was a poet with strong ties to his native Sicily, interested in popular traditions and local culture, yet the world in which he lived was one of rapid globalization. The questions posed by the Idylls resonate in our own time. How does local culture persist in the face of increasing cosmopolitanism? How can we adapt traditional culture to our own time? What is the nature of communication and artistic exchange in a world that is increasingly chaotic and confusing?

John Woodman is an English painter. He has exhibited across the United Kingdom and internationally, in such places as the Mall Galleries and Royal Scottish Academy. In 2010 he was an artist in residence in the McGuffey Art Centre in Virginia, USA, and his work has been chosen for the Discerning Eye Prize. He graduated from the Glasgow School of Art in 2006 with a sell-out degree show.

Ben Jasnow is a poet and PhD candidate in the Department of Classics at the University of Virginia, where he has taught classes on ancient languages and literature. His dissertation, entitled What the Shepherds Sing: Popular Culture and Local Identity in the Bucolic Idylls of Theocritus, investigates the relation of the poet to the culture of his native Sicily. Jasnow’s poetry has been published by journals in the US and overseas.

Man v/s Nurture
February 1st – 28th at The Bridge PAI

Spriggan creates a pro-feminist celebration of Charlottesville men that have chosen career and/or public services that value nurturing qualities with his detailed pencil portraits.  The exhibit will feature twelve drawings of Charlottesville men that have chosen careers or social roles that are nurturing, or encouraging empathy and cooperation as opposed to hierarchy and anger-selective emotional expression.   The show functions as a positive reinforcement and celebration of the ways that men are already encouraged to be emotionally available and empathetic, redefining masculine norms.

Monticello Road | Opening Reception Friday, April 6th | 6-8pm | FREE

Monticello Road / Project Website

Over the course of two years, Charlottesville artist/photographer Peter Krebs has visited and re-visited the people and places along the road’s one-mile length from Moore’s Creek to the Belmont Bridge. It is an area that is simultaneously historic and a hotbed of contemporary culture. He talked his way into homes and businesses and set up a series of spontaneous and informal photo booths at which he invited passers-by to pose in exchange for a free print created on the spot. The result is a library of pictures that glimpse into the lives of a neighborhood and that is both comprehensive in breadth and intimate in detail.

“I was astonished by what I learned by doing this project,” writes the artist. “Almost everyone I met was very forthcoming and full of interesting stories. Oftentimes, the people who seemed the most intimidating at first impression turned out to be the nicest. It broke some barriers for me and now I find myself wanting to interview everyone I meet.”

The exhibition, which runs from April 6 to 27, will include dozens of large prints plus a slide show of more than a hundred neighborhood faces. An eighty-page catalog accompanies the exhibition. There will be a corollary series of community events, including a film screening (Still Life with Donuts), youth programs, storytelling, a panel about neighborhood planning, an open house, an artists’ roundtable and more. See full schedule of events below.

“This process has really opened my eyes to how the arts can bring people together,” says Krebs. “I’m really looking forward to everyone meeting one another at the opening. The events will be a great way to share perspectives and to bring more community voices—and faces—into the arts.”

For more information about events, preview images and profiles of some of the people of Monticello Road, please visit www.monticelloroad.com.

Peter Krebs
www.culturecurrent.com/peter | culturecurrent.blogspot.com

Event Schedule

*Unless noted otherwise, events will take place at the Bridge PAI, 209 Monticello Road.

Opening Reception
Friday, April 6, 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Meet the people of Monticello Road.

Film Screening: Still Life with Donuts
Saturday, April 7, 9:00 a.m. – noon.
Filmmakers’ Q&A 11:00 Spudnuts (309 Avon Street)
This documentary is a must-see for anyone interested in Belmont. The film will loop throughout the morning and filmmakers Mark Edwards and Mary Michaud will answer questions at 11:00.
Open House: Virginia Industries for the Blind
Thursday, April 12, Tours 9:00 – 11:00 a.m and 1:00 – 3:00 p.m.
1102 Monticello Road
You might be surprised to learn that this quiet-looking place is making beds for the Navy. You’ll also meet some of the nicest and most interesting people there. Refreshments will be served For more information please call William Vaughn (434-295-5168)
Panel: Neighborhood/Community Planning
Tuesday, April 17, 7:00 pm – 9:00 p.m.
In cooperation with AIA Architecture Week. A who’s who of architecture and planning will discuss what makes this place so special and explore new models for community development.
Storysharing and Oral Histories
Sunday, April 22, 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Long-time residents, transplants and people with interesting perspectives come together for what is sure to be a rich and lively conversation.
Artist’s Talk with Special Guests
Thursday, April 26, 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Peter Krebs will discuss his work and what he has learned about the artist’s unique role in a healthy community. He will be joined by others who actively engage the community in different ways. Guest speakers confirmed to date include Aaron Eichorst, John Trippel, Greg Antrim Kelley, Ross McDermott.
Exhibition Closes
Friday, April 27

Keeping it for Play // Opening Reception March 2nd, 6-8pm // FREE // Exhibit up through March

Title: “Time is another Creation”

Kim Boggs has been working with found colors and objects since 2009, when she first really learned how to play.  She hopes for each individual to take away from “Keeping it for Play” the basic, yet profoundly important ideas to explore more and play more.

“I’ve been an accumulator since I was very young. I am primarily drawn to items in a state of disrepair and decomposition. The older and more storied. The better. The components of what I create already exist – left on the sidewalk, thrown into the trash, collecting rain in a parking lot …and in countless thrift stores. I spend a lot of time gathering color to be recombined. I do not paint – all of the colors you see in each piece are as found.  Messing around with objects and ideas, without judgement or a specific goal, is the key to most worthwhile endeavors. Children intuitively understand this and will do most anything to exercise it.  I would always hope to be more like a child,” says Boggs.

Boggs‘ process focuses heavily on color, texture, and form.  She is fascinated by the signs of aging, the narrative of objects, and indications of how items came into being.  The pieces in the exhibit have taken countless hours of rearranging, deconstructing, and constructing–some built in a few days and some over the course of a year or more.  She is inspired by holes, crazing, and layers of decrepit paint.

Kim Boggs is a local Charlottesville artist who enjoys spending time with her family and found objects.

Twig // mixed-media exhibit by Carolyn Capps // Opening Reception February 3rd, 6-8pm

“My current body of work is entitled Twig because the multiple meanings of the word fit well with the layers of thought in this series. A twig is a small branch, which is suggestive of the many branchings of the natural world, from our own nervous and respiratory systems to the branching of the evolutionary tree. The image of growth from a common source reminds us of connections near and far. The word twig also means to observe, notice or watch and to understand. To draw, even loosely as these pieces are drawn, allows one to notice much more than one might otherwise see. The drawing brings these details to our attention and deepens our understanding of the world.”

Photography by Ben Ward
Opening Reception Friday, November 4, 6-8pm | Exhibition up through Saturday, November 26

Black and white and color photography from the world’s first sociopolitical cookbook on the subject of Kurdish people in Turkey. These images were featured in “Kürt Mutfağında Ne Pişiyor?” (“What’s Cooking in the Kurdish Kitchen?”) by author Dr. Ayşe Kudat (2010 Doğan Kitapçılık publishing). This work reflects their first collaboration in 2010.

Short artist bio:

Ben is a native Charlottesville resident who studied music at the University of Virginia. He started working in construction at a young age and works as a builder. He is a self-taught photographer who drew the attention of renowned sociologist/resettlement expert Dr. Ayşe Kudat for his artistic talent, keen eye and compassion for the human condition. They are currently working on their second project which focuses on a hydroelectric dam resettlement project in southeastern Turkey. Ben is married with three children, two dogs and a rogue cat.

Saturday, July 9, 2011 | 5pm

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The Bridge installs and unveils its new mural, painted by Frank Buffalo Hyde and Reko Rennie. In conjunction with the Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection. Join us for a public reception and dedication, Saturday, July 9th at 5pm at The Bridge PAI. We’re honored to have artist Frank Buffalo Hyde and his family with us for the occasion.