New Exhibit: The Body Show
This February, the Arts Warehouse transitioned its exhibits from “Our Walls Talk” to “The Body Show.” This collection of works poetically references the body through subtle and bold statements, representing the diverse ways one experiences corporality. The artists thoughtfully acknowledge the body through a variety of media such as sculpture, text, installation, mixed media, painting, and photography. The exhibition as a collection is playful and humorous while also bringing forth serious topics. Through the variety of work, it is a yin and yang of emotional associations with the body.
Arts Warehouse is located in Pineapple Grove Arts District. The CRA renovated the 15,000 sq. ft. space and opened it in late 2017. Since then, the space has offered a range of programs, including rotating art exhibitions, monthly workshops, and special events.
“Through a conversation with a fellow artist/curator, it was noted that the “body” or work about the body – in different variations – was showing up more commonly in work that we were seeing being exhibited or on artist’s Instagram profiles, or in conversations with artists,” said Grace Gdaniec, the Arts Warehouse Program Director. “From that spark of inspiration, a roster of some artists started to come together, and we quickly reached out to people to invite them to showcase. There were artists that I was familiar with their work that I knew would be a fit for this exhibition, and some that came from referrals from other curators as the research process was going on.”
The Body Show will be the Front Gallery’s 43rd Exhibit. While Grace mentions that there were many different layers of inspiration for this collection, she felt that the work was mostly reflective of artists processing events in the world today through their work.
Fostering Artistic Growth
Exhibitions on view, such as “The Body Show”, foster community growth by welcoming in the public, and encourage engagement between those visitors and the space, including resident studio artists.
“Any time we exhibit work here at the Arts Warehouse, I view it as an opportunity for the artists to reach a diverse audience. We have all types of visitors – from those that are simply walking the nearby neighborhood and wander in, to those that seek out Arts Warehouse as a destination to view art,” said Grace. “With that variety, the exhibiting artists may have their work viewed by people who may not have had the opportunity previously. I think the Arts Warehouse exhibition format allows for great visibility for so many artists and new experiences for our visitors as well.”
Grace explains that rotating gallery shows every few months with different themes and groups of artists make it so that people in the community don’t need to travel very far out of this area to see amazing art.
“Art is very subjective, and everyone has a preference for what they enjoy looking at. If a visitor is viewing art and has a reaction – whether positive or negative or of disinterest, I still consider that a success because it sparked something in them to perhaps view something differently,” said Grace. “I’ve heard from visitors before that they enjoy that we’re hosting unique exhibitions of high-quality work. Since opening, we’ve had many amazing shows and my goal is to carry on with the great momentum we’ve built, along with the artists and audience we’ve connected with.”
Grace explains that the Arts Warehouse also loves to showcase artists who might not have platforms to exhibit their work to a larger audience. While the community does not typically influence the exhibitions, there are some collections where she felt the artist drew inspiration from the surrounding area.
Celebrating Community and Culture Through Art
“There have been several instances that the theme or type of work exhibited was influenced by the community very close to Arts Warehouse. One example was an exhibition of art from an amazing private collection of Haitian artists, which was an impactful way to reach out to the large number of Haitian people living in the community. It also served as a chance to highlight beautiful work from a culture that has a lot of influence here in the area,” said Grace.
“The Body Show”, will be on view from February 7 to April 19, 2025, in the Front Gallery. The Arts Warehouse is free and open to the public Wednesday through Friday from 10 AM to 7 PM and Saturday from 10 AM to 5PM.
