Fragile Rainbow: Traversing Habitats

ecoartspace presents: 

Fragile Rainbow: Traversing Habitats
at the Williamsburg Art & Historical Center

Curated by Sue Spaid  and Organized by Patricia Lea Watts

May 7—June 4, 2022

Opening Reception: Saturday, May 7, 3-5pm 

Closing Reception: Saturday, June 4, 4-6pm

 

@ecoartspace

 

 

 

Mary Ann Strandell_Porcelain Flowers DRIFT, 3D Lenticular_48x34_2022

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The exhibition’s title, “Fragile Rainbow: Traversing Habitats,” found inspiration in the show's largest artwork, Claire McConaughy’s painting Fragile Rainbow (2021). In her words, McConaughy’s sanguine waterscape addresses “interconnection, loss, transformation, and hope.” Her title is especially relevant for this heterogeneous exhibition of artworks by ecoartspace members based in the New York City region whose paintings, sculptures, photographs, and installations evoke “connection, loss, transformation, and hope.” These artists are especially conscious of our indebtednessto living beings in our midst and human beings’ obligation to appreciate and protect organic and inorganic matter alike.

Ordinarily, human beings, especially urbanites, find it difficult to situate themselves as embedded in their habitat. This exhibition aims to inspire visitors to view one’s environment as habitat and to realize one’s contribution to habitat. When we walk in the woods, we become part of the forest.

To create this sensorial experience, works were selected that amplify habitats’various voices from birds to bladderwrack, clouds, cochineals, compost, coral reefs, cows, deer, flowers, fungi, human beings, jellyfish, knotweed, lichens, mangroves, metals, minerals, mugworts, mushrooms, plastic, rainbows, rivers, roots, rust, seeds,shells, soil, the sun, rivers, trees, watersheds, and worms. Idyllic landscapes stride landscapes riddled with plants eager to migrate and unpredictable outcomes. Similarly, imagery evoking bleached corals find resolution in a biomorphic sculpture meant to substitute for coral reefs.

Artists:
Elizabeth Albert, M. Annenberg, L.C. Armstrong, Nancy Azara, Jeannine Bardo, Jude
Norris - Bebonkwe, Lois Bender, Jean Brennan, Michele Brody, Diane Burko, Pamela
Casper, Margaret Cogswell, Elisabeth Condon, Katie De Groot, Kate Dodd, Rosalyn
Driscoll, Eliza Evans, Rachel Frank, Alice Garik, Tessa Grundon, andrea haenggi, Mara
Haseltine, Kristin Jones, Natalya Khorover, Jennifer Kotter, Laurie Lambrecht, Rita
Leduc, Stacy Levy, Lenore Malen, Claire McConaughy, Lauren Rosenthal McManus,
Emmy Mikelson, Patricia Miranda, Seren Morey, Carol Padberg, Tracy Penn, Aviva
Rahmani, Leah Raintree, Laziza Rakhimova, Bonnie Ralston, Lisa Reindorf, Eleni
Smolin, Anne-Katrin Spiess, Priscilla Stadler, Linda Stillman, Mary Ann Strandell, Debra
Swack, Sandra Taggart, Kate Temple, Deborah Wasserman, Riva Weinstein, Linda
Weintraub, Stephen Whisler, Marion Wilson, Chin Chih Yang, Millicent Young

Exhibition Dates: Saturday, May 7 to Saturday, June 4, 2022
Public Opening Reception: Saturday, May 7, 3-5pm
Public Closing Reception: Saturday, June 4, 4-6pm
Organized and Produced by ecoartspace: Patricia Lea Watts

 

Williamsburg Art and Historical Center

135 Broadway  . 2nd Floor

Williamsburg, NY 11211

 

Gallery hours are Friday, Saturday and Sunday from Noon to 6pm. 

Admission is Free. 

For more information visit www.wahcenter.net  

or call 917-648-4290 or 917-974-6096 

or email: wahcenter@earthlink.net