Sharing our Press Release

Hello everyone!

It's been a whirlwind of a month for everyone working on the SALVAGE project. Linda Cunningham, Bronx-based artist and former F&M professor, helped by jurying about 295 entries down to the 100 pieces accepted into the show. She allowed Nicole & I to assist in the jurying process by sending her our collaborative top five favorite pieces as well as several of our individual favorites. This involved some quick shipping on Linda's part so we get CDs with the images files for all the entries. For interested artists, you should know that at the office an undergrad intern, Bonnie, had helped label the entries by numbers so everything would be anonymous.

Nicole and I worked on writing the acceptance and rejection letters, paying careful attention to make sure all pertinent details were covered for the participating artists. Those letters were sent out from the Phillips Museum on July 15th, so if you haven't heard from us yet you will soon! We used envelopes crafted from recycled envelopes that interns and volunteers worked on since the conception of the exhibition, mostly using old copies of ART News magazine. All the many extra envelopes will be bundled into small shares and sold at the opening reception!

Speaking of the opening reception, we want to share our press release with you so you can have all the details on things such as the reception. Maybe you can even pass it along through interested circuits if you are passionate about spreading the news! We used Google Documents, with allows users from different computers to edit a single document, to write and edit the press release over the internet. It reads as follows:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

CONTACT: Claire Giblin, curator, The Phillips Museum of Art, Franklin & Marshall College

717.291.4006, Claire.giblin@fandm.edu

It's not easy being green, especially if you run a museum. However two Franklin & Marshall graduates (May, 2009) have challenged both artists and F&M's Phillips Museum to "go green" with their innovative exhibit "SALVAGE: Reclaiming Recycling." The exhibit will run Sept. 3-Oct. 29, 2009 in the Rothman Gallery and the Sally Mather Gibson Curriculum Gallery of the Museum. An artists’ reception and awards presentation will take place Saturday, Sept. 19 at 1 PM in the Rothman Gallery. A screening of the film “The Story of Stuff” will be part of the day’s events, where artists will view a video of juror, Linda Cunningham, speaking of her selections and the exhibition.

With current emphasis on green initiatives, have you found the recycling motto “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” stale?

"The exhibit, comprising 100% used and found objects, will challenge people to rethink their relationships with 'disposable' objects," said Christine Batta, one of the student curators. "We want to challenge artists to reduce their carbon footprint, while making the public more aware of the different ways one can be more sustainable" added co-curator Nicole DeAugustine.

The former art history and anthropology double majors are both interested in green initiatives on the campus, as well as fine art's capacity to take the lead in social change. “We are hoping this show will help to emphasize the possibilities of re-use and recycling, salvaged and found object creativity. We’re also hoping that our campus will rise to the challenge of creative re-use,” stated Claire Giblin, curator of the Phillips Museum.

Works in the exhibit will be culled from a national call to artists, explained Batta, and will be juried by Bronx, N.Y. artist and sculptor Linda Cunningham. Cunningham is the Arthur and Katherine Shadek Humanities Professor of Art Emeritus at Franklin & Marshall.

In addition, the exhibition seeks to challenge the Phillips Museum to be environmentally responsible by using “green’ materials for all office activities related to the exhibition.

“Everything can be art and it is so exciting to see what people can do with used, found, and salvaged materials. The exhibit is not just about art, but art working as a catalyst and challenging the way we think as a whole,” commented Eliza Reilly, director of The Phillips Museum.

To read more about Salvage, a blog documenting Batta's and DeAugustine's directing process is available online at http://exhibitingprogress.blogspot.com.

More news on the way soon! I'll be posting some links relating to 'reclaiming recycling' later in the week!-Christy & Nicole