XXChange at AREA 405 Friday, November 4- Friday, December 2, 2016
Area 405 is pleased to host XXChange, an exhibition, workshop and symposium series curated through the Baltimore Women’s Maker Collective and funded with a grant from the Grit Fund by The Contemporary and The Robert W. Deutsch Foundation November 4 – December 2, 2016.
Jurors Myrtis Bedolla, Zoë Charlton, Breon Gilleran and Megan Van Wagoner chose 36 artists, makers, designers and craftspeople to exhibit in XXChange. Featuring media including digital fabrication, functional sculpture, mixed media projections, and a range of more traditional craft and fine art, The XXChange exhibition and series of events of encourages and empowers self-identifying women/womyn/ gender fluid, and trans* creators in building community and incorporating a broader scope of art, craft and technology into the traditional scope of gender based material pursuits.
Artists featured in XXChange are:
Aimi Bouillon Allison Fomich Ann Stoddard Aparna Sarkar April Wood Ariel Foster
Audrey Van De Castle Brianna Faulkner Bonnie Crawford Kotula Catherine Mapp
Christine Strong Claudia McDonough Dawn Whitmore Eleni Kontos Esther Iverem
Faith Wilson Freda Mohr Holly Wilson Jenna Carls Jenna Wright Jennifer Zwelling
Jessica Searfino Kristina Haden Liana Owad Madeline Becker Margaret Walker
Mary Frank Mary Greiger Mia Halton Michele Colburn Mollye Bendell Nicole Bachezo
Sasha Baskin Sarah Marriage Sherry Insley Sydney Mullis Whitney Sherman
Opening Artist Reception
Friday, November 4, 6-9pm
In conjunction with Alloverstreet
Gallery Hours during XXChange:
Fridays 6p-8p
Saturdays & Sundays 11-4
AREA 405 will be closed Thursday November 24 through Monday November 28
Closing Reception in conjunction with ALLOVERSTREET:
Friday, December 2, 6-9pm
XXChange & The Baltimore Women's Maker Collective
XXChange & The Baltimore Women's Maker Collective
While studios, makerspaces, DIY workshops, and tech labs are proliferating in neighborhoods across the city, even within progressive working environments, encouragement and support for marginalized groups are lacking. The Baltimore Women’s Maker Collective (BWMC) came out of a desire to address the need for progressive work environments, growing intersectionality and encouragement and support for marginalized groups. With support of a Grit Fund Grant from The Contemporary, this womanist group of artists, creative entrepreneurs, and craftspeople has been able to expand the visibility of BWMC and celebrate the achievements of all people in Baltimore and beyond who are breaking gender and racial barriers.
Through the exhibition, events and workshops in conjunction with XXChange, we hope to build and complement the community and conversations already taking place, and all events and workshops are open and safe spaces for all who would like to participate.
Workshops + Demonstrations
As part of BWMC’s mission to skill share and promote women makers, we're teaming up with Open Works and Station North Tool Library who will generously host low-cost and free workshops and demonstrations.
Friday, November 11 6-8pmAt The Station North Tool Library + Oliver Street Studios ( 405-417 East Oliver Street)
Blacksmithing with Breon Gilleran Intro to Power Tools with Timisha Porcher of Toolbox Divas
Saturday, November 19 11a-1pm At Open Works ( 1400 Greenmount Avenue, Greenmount & Oliver Streets )
Candle Making demonstration with Knits, Soy, and Metal Intro to Draping with Valencia JamesBonnie Crawford Kotula: Free form soldering circuits
Symposium: "Flipping the Narrative" Saturday, November 12th, 10a-5pm at AREA 405
A day long series of panel discussions and artist talks exploring different facets of identity in art, craft, and design. (Admission by donation)
XXChange jurors Myrtis Bedolla, Zoe Charlton, Breon Gilleran, and Megan Van Wagoner will talk about their perspectives and experiences collecting, curating, and jurying artwork. More participants to be announced
10:30-11:30: Curator’s panel and gallery tour
11:30 –12:30 Art and Craft
12:30-1:30 Break/Lunch
1:30 -2pm A conversation: Women in Craft
2:30-3:30 Transforming Materials
3:30-4:30 Exploring Gender through Practice
About the Jurors
MYRTIS BEDOLLA, (www.galeriemyrtis.com) Founder of Galerie Myrtis in 2006, Myrtis Bedolla has 20 years of experience as an advisor to institutions and private collectors in the acquisition and sale of fine art and provides professional curatorial services, lectures and educational programming to corporate, civic and arts organizations. The mission of the gallery is twofold: to exhibit artists who deserve recognition for work that explores our cultural and historical landscape, and to celebrate art movements that have paved the way for greater artistic freedom.
ZOË CHARLTON, www.zoecharlton.com Zoë Charlton makes drawings that explore the ironies of contemporary social and cultural stereotypes. She depicts her subject’s relationship with their world by combining images of culturally loaded objects and landscapes with undressed bodies. She received her MFA from the University of Texas at Austin with recent exhibitions including ConnerSmith Gallery in Washington, DC, Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts, the Harvey B. Gantt Center, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, and Studio Museum of Harlem. She is a recipient of a Pollock-Krasner grant, and a Ruby Artist Grant. Charlton is an Associate Professor of Art at American University in Washington, DC. She is represented by ConnerSmith, Washington D.C.
BREON GILLERAN, www.feelforsteel.com Breon Gilleran is a sculptor, blacksmith, and printmaker. She received a BFA from the Maryland Institute College of Art in 1981 and an MFA from the University of Maryland in Sculpture in 2002. Breon is an Assistant Professor of Art at Goucher College. She maintains an active studio practice at Area 405 exhibiting widely both nationally and internationally with a recent solo exhibition at McDaniel College, 2015.
MEGAN VAN WAGONER, http://www.meganvanwagoner.com Megan Van Wagoner is a sculptor who tells stories with everyday objects. She completed her BFA in ceramics at the Cleveland Institute of Art in 1997 and an MFA from the Mount Royal School at the Maryland Institute College of Art in 2000. She has participated in residencies at ArtFarm, the Vermont Studio Center, has traveled to Jingdezhen, China to study contemporary ceramic production in 2012. She is the recipient of a Maryland Arts Council Individual Artist Award. Megan has recently shown solo exhibitions at Flashpoint Gallery, Washington, DC, Mount St. Mary’s University in Emmitsburg, MD, and Montpelier Arts Center in Laurel, MD. She currently teaches art and design at Montgomery College in Silver Spring, Maryland.
About BWMC Baltimore Woman's Maker Collective (BWMC)was founded early 2016 to encourage and celebrate the achievements of self-identifying women and non-binary artists, creative business owners, and craftspeople in the greater Baltimore region. Safe spaces for marginalized groups are lacking but vitally necessary to foster empowering, educational, and creative experiences. Its mission is to create an inclusive platform for women of all ages, races, cultures, abilities, and sexual-identities to connect, collaborate and share skills and resources. Thus, BWMC seeks to act as a supportive social network to promote makers of all disciplines, help established business-owners connect with clients, and advocate accessibility for women, genderqueer, trans-, and non-binary people working in or pursuing traditionally male-dominated creative trades. BWMC’s core organizers are Heather Bradbury, April Danielle Lewis, Breon Gilleran, Jorgelina Lopez, Letta Moore, and Hannah Wides.
Thank you to The Contemporary, The Robert W Deutch Foundation for the GRIT FUND in in helping to product this exhibition and series of events and workshops, and to our community and collaborators for your continued valuable support. CHEERS, it doesn't happen without you