Amplify Action on Display Through July 27th

 

Photo by Whitney Boyd

Amplify Action: Sustainability through the Arts will be on display at Bedford Stuyvestant Restoration Corporation's Skylight Gallery through July 27th, 2012. We invite all neighbors, artists, and friends to visit the exhibition, explore the themes of community sustainability, and continue dialogue in the community.

Amplify Action is a juried exhibition of works, created by artists both local and abroad, that promotes a civic dialogue about sustainable communities. The exhibition includes paintings, photography, sculpture, mixed media, and installations that focus on various approaches towards sustainable practices in Bedford Stuyvesant and Central Brooklyn. The diversity of works featured in the exhibition,  by 27 incredible artists, examine a range of topics including ecology, economy, equity, environmental consciousness, resource conservation and efficiency, agriculture, architecture, infrastructure, environmental justice, and health. 

The exhibition demonstrate how arts, culture and media can be powerful catalysts for social change and aims to engage the Bed-Stuy community in a dialogue about sustainable living, making healthy consumer choices, and taking environmental action.

Amplify Action: Sustainability through the Arts is presented by Bedford-Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation in partnership with the Pratt Center for Community Development and Pratt's Initiative for Arts, Community, and Social Change, and is made possible by the generous support of the Rockefeller Foundation's Cultural Innovation Fund.

New Works added to Amplify Action!

A number of new pieces have been added to the Amplify Action exhibition since its opening last month. These pieces, by artists Wolfgang Ryan and Aya Rodriguez-Izumi, are on display in the lobby space and will be on view for the remainder of the exhibition's duration. Preview the pieces below and visit Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation's Skylight Gallery for the full experience and impact. 

Wolfgang  Ryan's pieces draw upon a unique mixture of "high" and "low", blending objects suggestive of working class culture with forms and titles that are representative of the elite. His pieces draw attention to the often unrecognized beauty of household objects and imbues "waste" with new meaning and utility. Wolfgang Ryan's 'Intoxicated Chief' and 'Mirror Pond? Fuck that! Pabst Blue Ribbon!' have been added to the Amplify Action exhibition.

Wolfgang Ryan | Intoxicated Chief | 2006 | drawer, bucket, concrete, cans, hockey stick, lamp parts | 70" x 14" x 15"

    

Wolfgang Ryan | Mirror Pond? Fuck That! Pabst Blue Ribbon! | 2006 | mop bucket, pond rocks, paint, crutch, poster, fishing lures, lamp parts | 64" x 16" x 60"

Aya Rodriguez-Izumi 's work explores displacement as it relates to sustainability and, in particular, social cohesion and continuity. Using artistic techniques that are typically understood as feminine, such as embroidery and jewel embelishments, she enhances everyday items to highlight presence of the craftsperson in the work and to draw awareness to the importance of individual practice in achieving overall sustainability. Her work is contemplative and often heart-wrenching, evoking a sense of social displacement that is born out of mass consumption and market-driven culture. 

A number of the artist's 'Thank You Bags' have been added to the Amplify Action exhibition, making visible the way in which we, as a society, treat thanks and gratitude as having little value, disposable in the same way as plastic bags.
 

 Aya Rodriguez-Izumi | Thank You | 2011 | Swarovski crystals, plastic bag, Kodak paper, plexiglass | 15" x 15"

 Aya Rodriguez-Izumi | Thank You | 2011 | Swarovski crystals, plastic bag, Kodak paper, plexiglass | 15" x 15"

New Photo Set Available on our Facebook Page!

 Andrew Scott's 'Black Man Grove Resilience', detail | Photo by R. Waterman

We've posted some additional photos of selected Amplify Action works to our Facebook page. Click here to view them and to explore our other photo sets.

Evening for Educators Recap

As a follow-up to the Amplify Action exhibition opening and in an effort to extend the reach of the exhibition's message, an Evening for Educators was held last Thursday for over 30 Brooklyn-based arts educators. The goal of the evening was to provide these educators with strategies to incorporate themes of community sustainability, as emphasized in the Amplify Action exhibition, into their daily practice.

Amplify Action artists Aya Rodriguez-Izumi and Ryan Doberstein presented educators of all levels and content areas with useful tools to make meaningful curriculum connections to the exhibition. The artists began by sharing their work with the attendees and discussing their influences, inspirations, and practical tactics. With the guidance of these teaching artists, attendees then explored sustainable art materials and techniques.

It is our hope that the attendees of this workshop will take what they have learned and apply it to their individual classroom curricula, inspiring students throughout Brooklyn to engage critically in themes of community sustainability. 

Below are some photos from the event. View the full photo set on our Facebook page.  

Opening Reception Recap

What a fantastic event!

Artists, friends, and community members joined together at Skylight Gallery this past weekend to celebrate the opening of Amplify Action: Sustainability through the Arts. Attendance was incredible - over 300 guests throughout the evening - and there was a definite positive energy in the room.

Guests explored diverse works by 27 artists - everything from textile works to sculpture to mixed-media installations - and engaged in an exploration of the many meanings of community sustainability. We hope that this exhibition has inspired community dialogue on issues of sustainability and that all attendees were able to leave the event feeling enlivened and inspired.

The Amplify Action team would like to express our most sincere gratitude to all the amazing artists whose contributions made this exhibition possible, as well as the Rockefeller Cultural Innovation Fund for their generous support.

The exhibition will be on display at Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation's Skylight Gallery, 1368 Fulton Street in Brooklyn, through July 27th.

Below are some photos of the event, courtesy of Whitney Boyd. You can view the complete photo set on our Facebook page.

Amplify Action Opens TODAY

Today is the day! The exhibit Amplify Action: Sustainability through the Arts will open with a reception from 4-6pm at Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation's Skylight Gallery, 1368 Fulton Street in Brooklyn.

Artists, friends, and community members will gather to view works by 27 amazing artists, all focused on the ways in which art and media can inspire social change and community sustainability. Featured works by artists both local and abroad cover a multitude of topics related to sustainability and communicate these themes through a diversity of mediums.

This is sure to be an inspiring event, and we invite all to attend. You can RSVP to the Opening Reception here. Amplify Action: Sustainability through the Arts will be on display at Skylight Gallery through July 27th, 2012.

Opening Reception this Saturday!

The opening reception for Amplify Action: Sustainability through the Arts will be held this Saturday, April 21st from 4-6 PM. Artists and community members will gather at Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation's Skylight Gallery to celebrate this occasion and to view the complete exhibition for the first time.

Diverse work from 27 artists is included in the show, giving attendees the opportunity to view the works and engage in a dialogue on community sustainability. We have featured work by many of the participating artists on our blog as a preview to the exhibition. To see the full catalog, click on the 'Catalog' tab at the top of this page.

All are welcome to this free community event. RSVP online.