SC Arts Commission Press Releases
New York Curator Talks Art at 701 CCA on Oct. 16 and Oct. 19
Oct. 9, 2009
Media Contacts:
Milly Hough
(803) 734-8698
(803) 734-8620
COLUMBIA, S.C. – The S.C. Arts Commission and 701 Center for Contemporary Art are offering three educational programs to coincide with The State Art Collection: Contemporary Conversations, now open at 701 Center for Contemporary Art in Columbia.
Eleanor Heartney, author and contributing editor to Art in America and Artpress, and Contemporary Conversations curator, will present two lectures—The Biennial Paradox on Oct. 16, and Art Today - Tales of Plastic Surgery, Genetically Altered Rabbits, and Other Acts of Art on Oct. 19. Both begin at 6 p.m. at 701 CCA.
The first lecture will focus on the rise of the international biennial and its role in reshaping the international art world. Heartney will discuss the reasons for the proliferation of international biennials, the nature of their influence on local and global art worlds, the differences between specific biennials and their relative value in the ever more complex international art world.
“Once confined to a few key locations (among them Venice and Kassel, Germany), such shows have emerged in recent years in art centers as diverse as Singapore, Beijing, Johannesburg, Havana, Dubai, Istanbul and Gwangju, Korea,” says Heartney. “They have become a means for artists outside the mainstream to become noticed and for curators, critics, collectors and dealers to expose themselves to a wide range of international art.”
Heartney’s second lecture is based on Art and Today, her recently published survey of contemporary art. She will examine the extreme pluralism of the contemporary art world and suggest how one might think about art in an era when all the old categories, definitions and organizational schema no longer seem to work. Heartney will participate in a book signing following the lecture. Copies of Art and Today will be available for purchase.
An additional educational program presented along with Contemporary Conversations is Behind the Scenes: The Making of the State Art Collection Panel Discussion, which takes place Nov. 5 from 6 – 7:30 p.m at 701 CCA. During the program, a panel comprised of former State Art Collection Acquisitions Committee members and former and current S.C. Arts Commission visual arts directors, will reveal unknown and little-known facts about one of the state’s cultural treasures. The lecture will be followed by the opening reception of Part II of the exhibition.
The State Art Collection: Contemporary Conversations is a two-part exhibition that includes 118 pieces of artwork from the 448-piece South Carolina State Art Collection, which is maintained by the South Carolina Arts Commission. Works are inspired by social issues, memory, local and national history, imagination, art of the past and aesthetic theory. Together they reflect the many voices and diverse concerns of South Carolina artists. Part I runs Oct. 1 – Nov. 1 and Part II runs Nov. 5 – Dec. 6.
For more information about the exhibition or related educational programs, please visit www.SouthCaroilnaArts.com or call Harriett Green, program director for visual arts, at (803) 734-8762.
About 701 Center for Contemporary Art:
701 Center for Contemporary Art is a non-profit visual arts center that promotes understanding, appreciation and enjoyment of contemporary art, the creative process and the role of art and artists in the community. The center also encourages interaction between visual arts and other art forms. 701 CCA is located at 701 Whaley Street, Columbia, SC 29201. For more information, visit www.701cca.org.
About the State Art Collection:
The State Art Collection is considered the most comprehensive public collection of works by contemporary South Carolina artists. Established in 1967 as one of the first programs of the South Carolina Arts Commission, the State Art Collection has grown to include 448 works in a variety of media and styles by 277 South Carolina contemporary artists. Small exhibitions featuring work from the collection are organized on a regular basis for rural and isolated areas inside and outside of the state. Works from the State Art Collection are available for loan to art museums, state agencies, and public and private organizations for the purpose of public exhibition or public display. The collection is supported in part by the South Carolina Arts Foundation and Kahn Development Company.
About SCAC:
The South Carolina Arts Commission is the state agency charged with creating a thriving arts environment that benefits all South Carolinians, regardless of their location or circumstances. Created by the South Carolina General Assembly in 1967, the Arts Commission works to increase public participation in the arts by providing services, grants and leadership initiatives in three areas: arts education, community arts development and artist development. Headquartered in Columbia, S.C., the Arts Commission is funded by the state of South Carolina, by the federal government through the National Endowment for the Arts and other sources. For more information, visit www.SouthCarolinaArts.com or call (803) 734-8696.
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