FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Please List
Viridian's 28th Annual International Juried Exhibition
Juried by Susan Thompson, Assistant Curator at the Guggenheim Museum
June 27– July 15, 2017
Opening Reception: Thursday, June 29, 6-8 pm
1st prize Ana Lucia Cano Villegas 2nd prize Lorna Stovall 3rd prize Keith Tang
Marie-Ange Ackad * Jessica Alazraki * Andrew Amundsen * Nan Brall * Andrew Brown *
Josh Brinlee * Ellen Burnett * Ana Lucia Cano Villegas * Susan Copich * Deborah Druick * Shawna Hanel * Howard Hastie * Marcos Hernandez * Dinora Justice * Joanna Madloch *
Pavel Muller * Christopher Nathan Nelson * Max Neuman * Aya Ogasawara * Aimee Perez * Barbara Rubensohn * Ingrid Scheibler * Scott Springer * Lorna Stovall * Keith Tang *
Brian Turkowski
Chelsea: Viridian Artists Inc. is pleased to present our 28th International Juried Exhibition curated by, Susan Thompson, Assistant Curator at the Guggenheim Museum The exhibition opens June 27th and continues through July 16th, 2016. In celebration, a special reception will be held on Thursday, June 29h, 6-8pm. We are especially pleased to present awards to the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners of this important competition that brings the art of emerging and under-recognized artists to the attention of museum curators.
The competition selection as always was difficult, but especially so for the nature of art in our world today encompasses a wide variety of methods, materials and conceptualizations of what art is. And there were so many outstanding submissions.
More than 550 artists submitted over 2000 submissions, a daunting task, but Susan Thompson, who juried this year's competition, did an outstanding job.
In her curatorial statement Ms. Thompson states "In reviewing the diverse pool of entrants, I found that I was most compelled by the artists who were pushing the boundaries of their selected medium and created works that were slightly unsettling. In some cases, this meant new, unusual, or surprising use of materials. In other works, this was reflected in strange or disquieting compositions. Many of the artists made fruitful use of unique combinations of color, texture, pattern, or imagery, often using collage to create generative juxtapositions. All are wholly original in their point of view. I am most grateful for the opportunity to review the work of so many impassioned creators and congratulate the winners and finalists on their selection for the exhibition."
As always, Viridian makes an effort to expand the opportunities for outstanding art to be seen and exhibited. Consequently, the gallery Director's Choices will also be viewable in digital form. At a later date, we hope to exhibit their actual art. We feel it important to tangibly demonstrate that curatorial choice is often as much about personal taste as it is about the "quality" of the art for "quality" in art is often open to opinion.
"Director's Choice" to be presented digitally
Andrew Amundson * Justin Archer * Suzanne Barton * Ellen Burnett * MinSeok Chi *
Ashley Comer * Susan Copich * DeShaun Craddock* Kim Curinga * Edgardo Dander * Matthew Derezinski * Santiago Echeverry* Kate Holcomb Hale * Terry Hastings *
Charles Hildebrandt * Jim Jacobs * Aaron Kalinay* Youngho Kang * Katy Mixon *
Yuko Mizobuchi, * Aimee Perez * Lou Peterson* Aya Ogasawara * Holly Wilson *
Juror Statement from Susan Thompson:
It has been an honor to serve as juror for Viridian’s 26th International Juried Competition. It was my privilege to review 2,223 entries from over 551 artists and a daunting challenge to identify the 28 remarkable artworks ultimately selected for inclusion in this year’s exhibition. The submissions included an extraordinary range of artists working in a wide variety of media, each offering a unique perspective and singular approach to art making. I was impressed by the high level of skillful technique and conceptual thought captured in each work. Ultimately, my selections were guided by the instincts, preferences, and knowledge I have developed over the past decade working as a curator in the field of contemporary art.
The exhibition checklist includes works in painting, sculpture, drawing, and photography. In reviewing the diverse pool of entrants, I found that I was most compelled by the artists who were pushing the boundaries of their selected medium and created works that were slightly unsettling. In some cases, this meant new, unusual, or surprising use of materials. In other works, this was reflected in strange or disquieting compositions. Many of the artists made fruitful use of unique combinations of color, texture, pattern, or imagery, often using collage to create generative juxtapositions. All are wholly original in their point of view. I am most grateful for the opportunity to review the work of so many impassioned creators and congratulate the winners and finalists on their selection for the exhibition.
