“Omayra and Sumer (after Loïs Mailou Jones)”, 2014, Aerosol on burlap
by Nicole Royse
Arts Editor
The weather is heating up and it’s the perfect time to enjoy some incredible art in a cool locale! Head to the Mesa Contemporary Arts Museum and explore their new summer exhibitions that offer a diverse collection of artwork by both national and local artists.
A must see and highly anticipated solo exhibition of El Mac: Aerosol Exalted – From the street to the gallery, will feature the latest work of internationally renown street artist EL Mac known for his striking portraits of everyday people. The MCA Museum states, “With his signature rippled line style, El Mac creates photorealistic portraits, often using family, friends and individuals underrepresented in society as models”, showcased in the Main Gallery.
The SRP Gallery presents Threads: Gathering My Thoughts, the solo exhibition of Susan Lenz. Playing on the idea of “yarn-bombing” while looking at the human mind and its complexities, “this is a site-specific installation that invites visitors to explore a labyrinth of colorful threads and baskets that hang from the ceiling and envelop the space”.
Beverly McIver, “Pretty Is…A Little Black Girl”, 2000, lithograph, 38″ x 27″
Local artists, Christopher Jagmin and Patricia Sannit were the 2015 North Gallery proposal winners and they are featured in the North Gallery. Their joint exhibition is titled Journey and Memory: Past the Rock, the Sun’s Gates and the Land of Dreams, bringing together the painting of Christopher Jagmin and sculpture of Patricia Sannit “to create a dialog between materials, historical vocabularies and societal content while incorporating historically inspired marks and patterns that are representative of human culture”.
2014 Project Room winner Kristin Beeler debuts her latest series Archive of Rag and Bone which “presents portraits and related objects that document very specific moments in time through memory.” This multi-media exhibition highlights hand embroidered Tyvek garments and objects rendered in silver, mother of pearl and charcoal.
The South Gallery features Hat Tip – A Tribute to Arts Philanthropy, a selection of works that have been gifted and purchased over the last 10 years at the current location of the Mesa Arts Center. Their diverse collection continues to grow through the support of artists, patrons, and donors and this wonderful exhibition will be on display through July 31.
The summer exhibitions will be on display through August 7th, 2016. The Mesa Arts Center is located at One East Main Street in downtown Mesa. Be sure to visit their website for a complete list of exhibitions and upcoming events and follow them on twitter at @mesaartscenter. *All Images courtesy and copyright of Mesa Contemporary Art Museum and featured artists.
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Christopher Jagmin and Patricia Sannit
Installation view of Thread Exhibition
