Crowdsourcing the Collective: a survey of textiles and mixed media art presented by browngrotta arts

The show will feature 40 contemporary fiber and ceramic artists from more than a dozen countries.

Description

For our biannual exhibitions, browngrotta arts generally chooses a curatorial theme. In various years, we have examined what stimulates different works in Stimulus: art and its inception, the influence of geography and culture in art + identity, an international view, and the impact of color in Blue/Green: color/code/context. This year we found it hard to narrow our artistic explorations to a single theme. There have been so many changes in the last few years -- new ways of working, new worldwide worries, a newfound popularity for craft and fiber arts, and new acceptance of viewing and acquiring art online. We decided to lean into these transitions, asking our artists to help us curate Crowdsourcing the Collective, a survey exhibition that reflects where craft and fiber art are now, with reference to how they got here.

Craft's and fiber art's new prominence in the art world has made them the subject of exhibitions in major museums, intermixed with paintings and traditional sculpture in ways unthinkable a decade ago. The artists in Crowdsourcing the Collective illustrate these art forms' vitality. Many began working in the ‘80s and 90s, when craft and fiber art were not well recognized; some have been working since fiber art’s first heyday in the ‘60s and '70s. We started with a series of questions: What are you working on now that you like to exhibit? What existing work do you have that you would like to exhibit? What artists are you watching? Crowdsourcing the Collective is the result. The artwork we have gathered by 40 artists from a dozen countries is current and timeless. It reflects the wide range of materials and techniques that make the field such an attractive one for collectors. Tapestries, sculptures of seaweed, seagrass and willow, wall works made of sandpaper, hemp and horsehair and ceramics will all be included — tactile attractions abound. Come and see what we have collected!

Artist List

Adela Akers (US), Caroline Bartlett (UK), Polly Barton (US), James Bassler (US), Nancy Moore Bess (US), Marian Bijlenga (NL), Pat Campbell (US), Lia Cook (US), Włodzimierz Cygan (PL), Neha Puri Dhir (IN), Chris Drury (UK), Shoko Fukuda (JP), Kiyomi Iwata (US), Stéphanie Jacques (BE), Marianne Kemp (NL), Lewis Knauss (US), Naomi Kobayashi (JP), Nancy Koenigsberg (US), Yasuhisa Kohyama (JP), Gyöngy Laky (US), Sue Lawty (UK), Jeannet Leendertse (US), Dawn MacNutt (CA), Rachel Max (UK), John McQueen (US), Mary Merkel-Hess (US), Norma Minkowitz (US), Laura Foster Nicholson (US), Eduardo Portillo & Mariá Eugenia Dávila (VE), Lija Rage (LV), Heidrun Schimmel (DE), Hisako Sekijima (JP), Karyl Sisson (US), Jin-Sook So (SE/KR), Polly Adams Sutton (US), Chiyoko Tanaka (JP), Blair Tate (US), Wendy Wahl (US), Gizella K Warburton (UK), Chang Yeonsoon (KR), Shin Young-ok (KR), Carolina Yrarrázaval (CL)

Art for a Cause

This Spring, our Art for a Cause initiative will be for Sunflower of Peace, a group that provides medical and humanitarian aid for paramedics and doctors in areas that are affected by the violence in Ukraine. We'll donate a portion of bga's profits and match donations collected at our in-person exhibition up to $2000.

Details

Address

276 Ridgefield Road Wilton, CT 06897

Gallery Dates/Hours

Saturday, May 7th: 11AM to 6PM [Opening & Artist Reception] (300 Visitor Cap)

Sunday, May 8th: 11AM to 6 PM (40 visitors/ hour)

Monday, May 9th - Saturday, May 14th: 10AM to 5PM (40 visitors/ hour)

Sunday, May 15th: 11AM to 6PM [Final Day] (40 visitors/ hour)

Safety protocols

Eventbrite reservations strongly encouraged • We will follow current state and federal guidelines surrounding COVID-19 • As of March 1, 2022, masks are not required • No narrow heels please (barn floors)

About browngrotta arts

Founded in 1987 in Wilton, Connecticut, browngrotta arts showcases unique sculptural and mixed media works with an emphasis on concept, supported by technique. The focus of the work is on the materials and the technical mastery of the artist as intrinsic to the significance of the work, prioritizing aesthetic value over utility. Museum-quality artworks by more than 100 international artists are represented through art catalogs, art fairs, co-partnered exhibits at museums, retail spaces, and an online gallery.

browngrotta arts has published 52 art catalogs and placed works in private and corporate collections in the US and abroad, including the permanent collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Museum of Arts and Design, Art Institute of Chicago, Philadelphia Museum of Art, and the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian Museum. The owners, Tom Grotta and Rhonda brown, also regularly work with architects and interior designers offering consultation for commissioned artworks and site-specific installation for commercial and residential spaces.

A selection of works is on view and available for sales inquiries at browngrotta.com.

Contact Information

P: 203.834.0623

E: art@browngrotta.com