Jurying this exhibit was almost an impossible task. The over 300 submitted pieces were all encompassing—spanning across many media from traditional painting and sculpture to video, fiber, and installation pieces. The work also covered the spectrum from representation, to abstraction, to conceptual projects. I tried to select a range of work from these varied media and approaches, judging the success of each piece on its own terms. The challenge is that no medium or style is preeminent. I’m interested in how varied approaches to artmaking can inform each other visually, and excited to see the range of ambitions and diverse projects assembled here.
With the range of artists across the country that are featured, this exhibit demonstrates what they are thinking about in their studios, connected by the moment. While many of these people have never met or interacted with each other, these works feel cohesive, even with how different the work is. These paintings, sculptures, and photography, all talk to each other, inform each other. I enjoy the way that unexpected connections between elements in the works pull from all these different peoples’ experiences. In a way, the sum of it is more than the parts.
This exhibit is special in that it includes work submitted from calls for both 2020 and 2021, as the 2020 exhibit didn’t take place due to the pandemic. Many of the artist statements reference contemporary issues from COVID-19 to climate change and our current political climate. In many works, the isolation of the pandemic resonates with me. There is so much precarity in our present situation, and yet we’re living through this together.
-Zoey Frank, Guest Juror, 2021 Contemporary Art Survey
