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FRONT International Cleveland Triennial for Contemporary Art - University Circle/UpTown Cleveland

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Stuart O. Smith, Jr.
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Cleveland
Cleveland Museum of Art
Art
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moCa
University Circle
Cleveland Institute of Art
FRONT International

Stuart with Judy's Hand Pavilion sculpture at Front International Cleveland Triennial for Contemporary Art in UpTown Cleveland
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On Thursday, July 12, 2018, I took a vacation day to attend the FRONT International Cleveland Triennial for Contemporary Art (@FrontTriennial - #FRONTart2018 ) opening day press conference. This blog post continues where my FRONT International Cleveland Triennial for Contemporary Art - Opening blog post leaves off -- to share my experiences visiting three of the FRONT International Triennial venues in University Circle (@InTheCircle) and Uptown Cleveland (@UptownCle).

 

FRONT International Triennial - Cleveland Museum of Art

FRONT International Triennial - Cleveland Museum of Art
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The FRONT International Cleveland Triennial for Contemporary Art Opening Day Press Conference took place at the Cleveland Museum of Art (@ClevelandArt), I started by exploring its five FRONT exhibition areas. It is helpful to talk to Museum staff to learn where to find all the installations, since they are spread throughout the Museum. In addition to talking to the Museum's guards to locate the installations, I was fortunate to join a curator talk that SUTTON (@Sutton) PR firm staff had arranged for the media about the exhibitions at the Museum. It was great to know the background of the art before going to see them.

Find links with details about the exhibitions on the Museum's web page entitled: FRONT International: Cleveland Triennial for Contemporary Art

Here is what I saw in the order in which I explored the museum. I think reading the information from the following links would enhance the understanding of the pieces:

  1. Allen Ruppersberg: Then and Now
    Sun, 07/01/2018 to Sun, 12/02/2018
    Julia and Larry Pollock Focus Gallery | Gallery 010  
     
    I think it is an interesting idea to show views from the "...vantage point of billboards across Cleveland..."

  2. Kerry James Marshall: Works on Paper
    Sat, 06/09/2018 to Sun, 10/21/2018
    James and Hanna Bartlett Prints and Drawings Gallery | Gallery 101  
     
    I enjoyed Kerry James's drawings and prints, and want to learn more about how the prints were created.

  3. Agnieszka Kurant: The End of Signature
    Sat, 07/14/2018 to Sun, 09/30/2018
    East wing facade
    "To make this work, Kurant collected signatures from the Cleveland Museum of Art’s employees and trustees that she later aggregated into a single inscription using software that she developed with a computer programmer."

  4. Marlon de Azambuja and Luisa Lambri
    Sat, June 3, 2018 to Sun, December 30, 2018
    Betty T. and David M. Schneider Gallery | Gallery 218
    "This installation combines new commissions by Marlon de Azambuja (Brazilian, born 1978) and Luisa Lambri (Italian, born 1969)."

  5. Alex Jovanovich
    Sat, 07/14/2018 to Sun, 09/30/2018
    Ingalls Library (@IngallsLibrary)
    "Jovanovich’s installation marks the first time the Ingalls Library is being used to present a contemporary exhibition."

I know that the Cleveland Museum of Art has docents, curators, and interpretive staff who lead tours. I would recommend calling the museum (216-421-7340 | 888-CMA-0033) to learn more.

Infinity Mirrors
On July 12, 2018, the Cleveland Museum of Art not only had all the activity surrounding the FRONT International Triennial's Opening Day Press Conference, but also had crowds of people attending Yayoi Kusama: Infinity Mirrors. The Museum is a very busy place! Learn more about the exhibition in my blog post: Preview: Cleveland Museum of Art's "Yayoi Kusama: Infinity Mirrors"

Surprised again!
In my December 2015, blog post, Bloggers Night Out in University Circle, I wrote about a huge surprise when my art teacher from the classes I took at the Cleveland Museum of Art as a teenager happened to come to Cleveland to see the Painting the Modern Garden: Monet to Matisse exhibition the same time as I did. As I was looking at FRONT International Triennial's Kerry James Marshall: Works on Paper prints, I was surprised again when my Cleveland Museum of Art art teacher, Mr. Moore, walked in. It was so great to see him again! Mr. Moore came to Cleveland to see the FRONT International Triennial. He also invited me to see a show he is curating at The Galleries at Cleveland State University (@CLE_State - @CSUArtGallery) called “Demise,” which runs August 31 through October 5, 2018. John L. Moore was the assistant curator in the Museum's education department when I was in high school. As I was writing this blog, I showed my son my drawing from Mr. Moore's class that my mother liked so much, she had it framed. The drawing is now hanging in our living room.

Signature
I talked to the guards at the front of the Cleveland Museum of Art to find out where Agnieszka Kurant: The End of Signature was located. After going outside to see the piece, I returned to show the guards my photos. They had not yet had the opportunity to see The End of Signature, and when I showed it to them, they remembered that they had provided their own signature to be aggregated to create the neon sign. It was fun to hear the joy the guards had in knowing that their signatures were part of the artwork being displayed!

Ingalls Library
The FRONT International Triennial was the first time there has been an exhibition in the Museum's Ingalls Library and Museum Archives (@IngallsLibrary). From the earlier curator talk that SUTTON had arranged, I learned that the Ingalls Library is the third largest art library in the nation. This was my first time visiting the Library, and I took time to talk to some of the staff to learn what the collection contained. My cousin, Matt Smith, had a piece in the May Show (an annual juried exhibition of the works of northeast Ohio artists every spring from 1919 to 1993), so I asked if the library would have a photo of his work. Alas, I was told they don't have photos of artists' work for the time period of my cousin's exhibit, but they do have the artists' entry cards, which contain information about the work. (Learn more in Cleveland Museum of Art's May 26, 2017, blog post: May Show Records Online Now, and visit the May Show Database online.) As I was preparing this blog post, I easily found my cousin's May Show entry card, and learned that he was in two May Shows. The Ingalls Library and Museum Archives is open 24/7 for online searches at: Library.ClevelandArt.org

See my photos, and those of others, from the FRONT International Cleveland Triennial for Contemporary Art opening day, in my @sos_jr tweets and retweets while at the Cleveland Museum of Art:

 

FRONT International Triennial - Cleveland Institute of Art

FRONT International Triennial - Cleveland Institute of Art
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After all the morning activities at the Cleveland Museum of Art, I headed to Uptown Cleveland (@UptownCle) for lunch and to see the galleries at the Cleveland Institute of Art (@CleInstituteArt ). When you visit this premier, accredited Cleveland college of art and design, you can also see the current 2018 Faculty Exhibition, Critical Feedback, through October 7, 2018.

Find details about the FRONT International Triennial artwork at the Cleveland Institute of Art on their web page entitled: FRONT: The Great Lakes Research

Twenty-one artists from cities surrounding the Great Lakes will have works on view in The Great Lakes Research, one of the many events that comprise FRONT International: Cleveland Triennial for Contemporary Art.

This group exhibition will feature:

  • Toronto: Alan Belcher, Paul P., and Scott Treleaven
  • Milwaukee: Microlights and Paul Druecke
  • Chicago: Nate Young, Jessica Stockholder, Diane Simpson, Anne Wilson, and Rebecca Shore
  • Minneapolis/St. Paul: Joe Smith, Pao Her, and Bruce Tapola
  • Detroit: Beverly Fishman and James Benjamin Franklin
  • Cleveland: Christian Wulffen, Erin Duhigg, Amber Kempthorn, and Darius Steward
  • Kent, Ohio: Gianna Commito and Scott Olson

FRONT’s website includes information on all the artists who participated in the Great Lakes Research studio visits and serves as a resource and archive, lauding examples of the cultural work shaping the cities dotting the Great Lakes watershed.

Along with the Great Lakes Research exhibition, related artist talks and gallery tours will take place at the Cleveland Institute of Art.

When I entered the gallery, I was greeted by a Cleveland Institute of Art representative who was available to help visitors learn more about the FRONT: The Great Lakes Research exhibition. She told a most interesting story about how, as a current CIA student, the college was helping her transition to a second career in the arts field. It was so great to hear her excitement about her educational journey, and about the artwork in the current exhbition. Her story really made me to learn more about her art and design education at the Institute.

The gallery and adjacent hallway is full of artwork, and I hightly recommend people take time to visit. I really enjoyed it. My only suggestion for improvement is that the Institute should add labels with the titles and artists' names next to each piece of artwork. They do provide a list of everything displayed, but there are so many works, that it is hard to keep track of everything. The gallery attendants were very helpful, and when asked, not only shared basic information about the pieces, but also great background information. Be sure to talk to the gallery attendants when you visit.

Art and food!
Thank you, Cleveland Institute of Art, for the catered reception that began when I was finished looking at the galleries. The food was great! I met a man who was orginally from Cleveland, but was now pursuing an art management career in London, England. As I mentioned in my FRONT International Cleveland Triennial for Contemporary Art - Opening blog post, it was great to see so many people from all over the world coming to Cleveland for FRONT International Triennial. It was great that CIA's President, Grafton J. Nunes, not only welcomed everyone to FRONT: The Great Lakes Research, but also mentioned the Collective Arts Network's (@CAN_journal) inaugural CAN Triennial, which took place July 7-29, 2018, at the 78th Street Studios (@78thStStudios). There are so many art events happening in Cleveland over the summer 2018!

Here are my @sos_jr tweets from the Cleveland Institute of Art. Please share those that interest you by retweeting.

 

FRONT International Triennial - Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland

FRONT International Triennial - Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland
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I had received an invitation to MOCA’s VIP Preview Party, so I decided to end my day at the Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland (@MOCACleveland). Since it started after normal work hours, several people I knew from the Cleveland area were able to attended. It was great to see everyone's excitement at the opening!

There was a big spread of food (thank you MOCA Cleveland!), but I had heard that the galleries held interesting artwork, so I skipped the food and went straight to the galleries. It was a good decision, since I greatly enjoyed the galleries.

Thank you to the MOCA Cleveland Assistant Curator, A. Will Brown (@aWillBrown), who made a point to introduce himself and assist me when I was setting up the free Layar app to use with Lin Ke's exhibits.

Find details about the FRONT International Triennial artwork at MOCA's web page entitled: FRONT International: Cleveland Triennial for Contemporary Art

FRONT International Triennia artists exhibiting at MOCA Cleveland include:

  • Johnny Coleman
    Cahoon Lounge, Stair A
    Upon Reflection (1) and (2) (2018) is comprised of two new sound installations in MOCA’s Cahoon Lounge and Stair A

  • Cyprien Gaillard
    Cohen Gallery
    Nightlife (2015) connects a series of seemingly unrelated natural and cultural phenomena throughout Cleveland, Los Angeles and Berlin.

  • Lin Ke
    Throughout MOCA
    Lin Ke explores the increasing presence and influence of digital and internet-based technologies through video, performance, animation, and sound.

  • Josh Kline
    Mueller Gallery
    Josh Kline’s immersive dystopian installation at MOCA Cleveland is a major component of his 2017 project Civil War.

  • Walter Price and Eugene Von Bruenchenhein.
    Mueller Gallery
    Their works, which hover between abstraction and figuration, suggest a relationship in the artists’ surreal approach to both subject and material.

  • Martine Syms
    Lewis Gallery
    An Evening with Queen White (2017) is a mixed-media installation by Martine Syms (1988, Los Angeles, CA) that includes, 99 Subtle Maneuvers (2018), a new large-scale wallpaper work designed specifically for MOCA, and a four-channel video displayed across three monitors and a projection screen.

Here are the tweets that tell the story of the evening:

 

Additional Tweets On the Opening Day

Here are my @sos_jr tweets and retweets that give a partitial overview of what else was happening on July 12, 2018. It is great to see so much happening throughout Northeast Ohio as part of the FRONT International Cleveland Triennial for Contemporary Art (@FrontTriennial - #FRONTart2018)!

 

Tweets After the @FrontTriennial Opening Day

Here are some of our @sos_jr tweets and retweets from after the opening day. In addition to the photos on Twitter in the following tweets, please be on the lookout for interesting articles about @FrontTriennial #FRONTart2018 that people have shared. Please share any photos, videos, and articles that you find interesting by retweeting. FYI, clicking on Twitter photos will enlarge them!

 

Disclosure: I received a VIP pass from FRONT International Cleveland Triennial for Contemporary Art to attend the Opening Day activities. The VIP pass allowed me to attend events at several venues during the day, and enjoy the receptions at each location. I also received a password for the FRONT VIP Portal, which gives me access to other special invitations and media information. I was given the VIP pass and a press pass to attend because of my support of FRONT International Cleveland Triennial for Contemporary Art via my @sos_jr Twitter feed and blog posts. I enjoyed the events, and wrote this blog post to share my experience and my opinions.