By Meijer Gardens
Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park is honored to host 16 contemporary sculptors in an innovative exhibition jointly organized by DisArt, a Grand Rapids based arts and cultural organization promoting the full participation of disabled people in and through the arts. The exhibition is titled “Process and Presence: Contemporary Disability Sculpture”.
Through examples of three-dimensional practice including sculpture, performance, installation and video art, this exhibition emphasizes the relationship between disability and the fundamental human experiences of change and embodiment. The exhibition offers audiences a survey of contemporary disability sculpture through artists whose work represents local, national and global perspectives on the experiences of living with disability.
Cornerstone to this exhibition is the Sister-State relationship between the State of Michigan and the Shiga Prefecture in Japan, a region long celebrated for its commitment to artists with disabilities. A survey of contemporary disability sculpture, it also celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Sister-State relationship and expands globally in a dynamic collection of objects contextualized by both contemporary and legacy artists from Michigan, Europe, Australia and Japan, including works by the world-renowned Judith Scott.
“Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park is honored to collaborate with DisArt in this landmark exhibition,” said Joseph Becherer, Chief Curator and Vice President of Collections and Exhibitions. “Three years in the making, the curatorial team has sought to organize a broad-based and enlightening exhibition featuring artists from across the globe.”
Officially beginning the Friday prior to ArtPrize, “Process and Presence: Contemporary Disability Sculpture” will be on display as Meijer Gardens’ fall exhibition from Sept. 14 through Jan. 6, 2019. ArtPrize runs from Wednesday, Sept. 19 through Sunday, Oct. 7.
“This exhibition presents some of the finest examples of contemporary disability sculpture in a wide variety of media, from ceramics to video installations and traditional sculptural techniques to performative works,” Becherer said. “The depths and dimensions of this exhibition are both enlightening and rewarding.”
Visitors will be welcomed into the exhibition by several accessibility measures carefully designed by DisArt and Meijer Gardens to encourage the full participation of all visitors, including audio descriptions, altered installation practices and other digital resources.
This exhibition coincides with DisArt’s Process and Presence 2018 season of events which includes a fashion show (Sept. 22), an international conference (Oct. 27-28) and multiple educational opportunities and artist engagements, all to be held at Meijer Gardens.
“The objects in this powerful collection speak to the global experience of disability, offering visitors new understanding of how creativity and identity are directly linked,” said DisArt Co-Director Christopher Smit.
“The exhibition is a collection of art objects that are both intriguing and relatable to the experienced art lover and those new to the gallery setting. When displayed together, the work strengthens our understanding of disability as a cultural identity and successfully challenges commonly held negative assumptions about the Disabled experience.” said Jill Vyn, Co-Director of DisArt.
As part of the tenth annual ArtPrize competition, Meijer Gardens is an official ArtPrize venue. Visitors can register to vote and purchase official ArtPrize merchandise at Meijer Gardens.
“Process and Presence: Contemporary Disability Sculpture” will be free of charge during ArtPrize (Sept. 19 – Oct. 7). The exhibition areas will be open to the public during Meijer Gardens’ regular business hours. All other areas of Meijer Gardens observe regular hours and standard admission fees.
Exhibition Programming
Exhibition programs are included with admission, drop-in, and do not require advanced tickets or registration.
Artist Demonstrations: See process and presence first hand! Before or after you see the artwork in the galleries, observe and interact with an artist in the exhibition. Each artist will be working on a piece similar to their complete artwork on display. Feel free to take a seat and enjoy watching an artist at work or get a bit closer and ask the artist questions directly. Norimitsu Kokubo, paper installation artist, will be the guest Sept. 15 at 11 a.m.; Wesley DeVries, credit card installation artist, will be the guest Oct. 14, at 1 p.m.
Gallery Chat: Sandie Yi, will talk Wednesday, Sept. 26, 1-2 p.m. Sandi Yi is both an artist and activist. Stop by the gallery to view her artwork and listen to her speak about how she envisions her own body as an artistic medium for advocacy, creativity, and identity. This chat is informal — the artist will be stationed near her artworks and available for conversation.
Curators Lecture: Nov. 4, 2 p.m. Join Dr. Lisa VanArragon as she highlights and interprets much of the artwork in the exhibition. She will explore themes of disability cultural identity through the artistic methods, meaning, and materials present in the galleries. This lecture will be closed captioned.
Film Screening: Nov. 6, 6 p.m. “ART21 Episode 9: San Francisco Bay”. In the latest installment of the Peabody Award winning series on art happening in the 21st century, several artists in the San Francisco Bay area are highlighted for their thoughtful and critical practice. Among them are several artists working with the Center for Creative Growth, a disability arts organization also featured in the exhibition Process and Presence: Contemporary Disability Sculpture. The film will be closed captioned.
For more information about Meijer Gardens visit meijergradens.org .
For information about DisArt’s 2018 Process and Presence season of events, visit disartnow.org .
