A new exhibition at Gallery 924 will present the works of five Indianapolis-based contemporary visual artists who received DeHaan Artists of Distinction Awards in 2019 to pursue risk-taking projects that pushed their careers in dynamic new ways.
The month-long show will open with a limited-engagement, socially distanced First Friday event on Oct. 2.
The featured artists are LaShawnda Crowe Storm, Lobyn Hamilton, Stuart Hyatt, Jacinda Russell, and Constance Scopelitis. The curated group exhibition will show current and past work from the artists including redLINES, a 421-foot quilted table runner by LaShawnda Crowe Storm to create dialogue around the lasting effects of “redlining,” a historical practice that denied services, such as real estate investments and loans, to Black and Brown populations. Jacinda Russell shares new, powerful imagery from the U.S.-Mexico border and stories from people living along the border.
The DeHaan Artists of Distinction show will open with a limited-engagement First Friday reception on Oct. 2 from 5-8 p.m. Special hours for vulnerable populations will be offered from 4-5 p.m. Because the safety of visitors and artists is the Arts Council’s top priority, only 10 guests will be permitted to visit the gallery at a time and must follow social-distancing protocols. All attendees will be required to wear face coverings and do an onsite temperature scan.
The public is invited to visit the exhibition virtually at any time at indyarts.org, where they will be able to “walk through” the show, get a close-up view of the artworks, and learn more about the projects and the artists. People can also request a daytime appointment to see the exhibition by sending an email to gallery924@indyarts.org. The exhibition will close Oct. 30.
“Even though some of the artists were unable to complete their projects due to the pandemic, the work presented in this year’s exhibition fully represents the power of their vision and the importance of their work to create dialogue around issues that have a powerful grip on all aspects of society, “ said Shannon M Linker, vice president of artist engagement and director of Gallery 924 at the Arts Council.
In 2017, the Arts Council partnered with the Christel DeHaan Family Foundation to create the annual DeHaan Artist of Distinction Awards to support aspirational and innovative projects by contemporary visual artists in central Indiana. Each artist receives up to $10,000 and participates in a group exhibition at Gallery 924.
Linker said this year is also an important opportunity to celebrate and acknowledge the legacy of Christel DeHaan (1942-2020), a remarkable businesswoman, philanthropist and devoted advocate for Indy arts, culture and education. DeHaan had a long history of supporting artists and collecting contemporary artwork, Linker said. The final deadline to apply for a 2020 DeHaan Artist of Distinction Award is Nov. 13.
PHOTO ABOVE: The latest exhibition at Gallery 924 will open First Friday, Oct. 2, at the Arts Council of Indianapolis.
