91社区

New Harmony Gallery of Contemporary Art, 91社区 is proud to present Spirit of New Harmony: the New Harmony Artists鈥� Guild at New Harmony Gallery of Contemporary Art. This survey exhibition of works by artists who call New Harmony home takes as its theme, 鈥淩esidents of New Harmony鈥� and the New Harmony Artists鈥� Guild members are represented in this survey exhibition. This exhibition remains on view at the gallery from August 3rd through September 10th, 2024, and the opening reception will take place on Saturday, August 3rd from 3-5 PM. The opening reception will feature live entertainment by Anthony Hideout and Jakey Mumford.聽

Artists and Musicians featured in the exhibit:

Paul Moser | Mary Ann Michna | Deborah Burdick | Janet Lorence | Laura Foster Nicholson | John Jeffery | Donna Self | Michelle Vezina Peterlin | Kent Schuette | Rick Huffman | Chuck Minette | Charlie Gatson | Ben Nicholson | Curt Schmitt | Peggy Taylor | Michael & Mary Beth Guard | Rita H.G. Davis | Robin Davis | Steven Lucas | Ben LaBudde | Patty Beagle | Barbara Edmonson-Northern | Lenny Dowhie | Daniel Knight | Liz Mumford | Steve Carner | Ben Angel | Donnie Martin | Jakey Mumford | Anthony Rideout | Bill McKenzie | Lori McKenzie | Erin Bode | Kelsey Georgensen | Maria Campos | Randy Pease

As per the Guild, the below statement captures the spirit of the exhibition and the artworks included:

鈥淢embers of the New Harmony Artists鈥� Guild work in a variety of ways, be that art, craft, music, writing, or performance鈥攁lmost anything that reveals the inner voice of our creative spirit. We are a loose collective of art & music makers. Some have lived in New Harmony their whole lives and others have moved here specifically for the hard-to-describe intensity of the place. Some have taught themselves by observing and sharing skills, others have dedicated years of formal training in places far and near. Whatever our trajectory, we have a common love of fulfilling a basic need to reach deep into the soul and create art without prejudice and have chosen New Harmony as the place to do it.

For nearly twenty-five years, the New Harmony Artists鈥� Guild has encouraged reciprocal learning. We welcome diverse and innovative ideas that pertain to traditional and nontraditional arts alike. The mission is to teach, share, and inspire fellow artists and non-artists, and to make all forms of art accessible to others. New Harmony and its surrounding area is an immensely inspiring place to live. The fragile balance held between the raw beauty of nature and the beleaguering contradiction of human activity that drills down upon it is a rich subject.

So what does The Spirit of New Harmony look like? The exhibition shows many forms of art practice, all of which are valuable. Some of us paint what is in front of our eyes, others paint beyond the imagination. Weavers tie the threads of beauty into everyday cycles. Sculptors carve out life hidden within a block of wood. Furniture makers cut lumber for function or contemplation, or both. Music is made with the sounds and intervals of our varied landscape, holding as it does a crescendo of emotions. Visions of the soul and intellect are laid bare through words. Our common thread is to practice what we preach.

Some of the art, music and performance harks back to the time of generational practice reflecting the shapes, forms, colors, and ways of Utopias past and present. Artists capture the essence of local residents through portraiture. The bounty of design, architecture, and landscape is refashioned in various ways, bringing together people and place. Some recreate the town鈥檚 abundant spirituality and its powerful sense of awe. They may tap into the groundswell of New Harmony鈥檚 curious history and lend it an immediate and visceral voice. Others in our collaborative are inspired by the beauty of local flora & fauna to create real and imaginary gardens, sometimes peppered with 21st century ecological challenges.

We greatly appreciate the importance of place to artists, and the value of a loose yet respectful cooperation of interconnected friendships. When artists work together, inside or outside a formal collaborative, it can be an immensely powerful and productive experience, as has been shown countless times in the United States and beyond.

We are eager to show our town and our county the value of ways of looking at the world through the arts and music. We are inquisitive about what this means, as well as the process of how it works. Through the mystery of the artistic and creative spirit, we share our panoramic perspective of what New Harmony is鈥攁nd can be in the future.鈥�

- The above statement was submitted on behalf of the New Harmony Artists鈥� Guild by Ben Nicholson, Guild President on July 25, 2024.

Visit the New Harmony Artists鈥� Guild: https://newharmonyartistsguild.com/