Arnheim Gallery

April 10-20, 2007

Gallery Hours:  Mon.-Sat. 10-6   

Reception:
Thursday, April 19, 4-6

Erin Cook
Patrick Cullen
Ryan Davis
John Giordano
Jack Gurman
Carina Koury-Jones
Jessica Lazarus
Jane Marsching
Kelly Phillips
Tiffiney Shoquist
Sarah Beth Tracey
Sheri Turcotte

The artists in this exhibition began their research with this question: What is consumption and how are habits of consumption representative of a society’s values? Each artist began to look critically at themselves not only as creators but also as consumers. They observed the causes and effects of consumer culture, on a global, national, local, and personal scale. Together they examined the world of advertising, fast food, mass media, environmental issues, technology, military power, pharmaceuticals, labor forces, and globalization of industries. Each artist formed his or her own conclusions about the original question by observing, researching and creating. This exhibition holds no answers or solutions to the large scale global problems we face, but asks the viewer to question and investigate these issues in the artwork and in themselves.  

A tradition of the course is for students in the Exhibitions course from the prior year to choose the research topic for the following year. Last year’s students chose consumption as a topic for this year’s class.  The class also invites artists outside the class to participate.  This year’s guest artist is Jane D. Marsching, from the Foundations department, who created new work for the show.

The course also includes the development of a gallery education program in conjunction with the exhibition based on MassArt’s Looking to Learn program.  This year, the MassArt students are teaching concepts and issues around the topic of consumption to 7-12 graders who are participating in the K-12 programs Xtreme week drawing class.