Collaborating for an immersive experience: During the bleak weeks where dark hours exceed daylight, many people suffer from anxiety and depressive disorders which is often referred to as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Some find the winter blues can be alleviated through the use of artificial light to make up for a shortness in daylight. The January 12 Art on the Bricks Art Walk is offering a collaboration with students and faculty of the Arkansas Arts Academy and other visual and performance artists from our region from 4:30 – 9:30 across downtown.
Dig deeper: The Rogers Experimental House will be transformed into a cavernous, darkened space with art inspired by California-born sculpture artist Ruth Asawa (1926 - 2013) featuring points of illumination through meditative sounds and light for an unforgettable interactive experience for attendees. 3D art students of Marriah Geels Clark will display hanging sculptures inspired by Asawa as well as lamps and lanterns. Literary students of Anne Wenzel will share written works related to the significance of light and dark. Students from Arkansas Arts Academy are inviting the public to collaborate on this interactive public art piece - participants will assist in designing and constructing a sculpture inspired by Asawa. Inspired by the conceptual artist Yoko Ono’s invitation to “imagine peace," Wenzel’s creative writing students invite patrons to experience a chrysalis-like environment--out of the hustle and bustle—offering a moment of peace. Students will also exhibit their writings related to “Everyday Peace Indicators” a project collected from countries around the world which brings communities together to imagine how peace might be “forged and lived locally.” Patrons are invited to add a small imaginal “everyday peace indicator” of their own to the exhibition.
Member involvement: Orson Weems, Executive Director and Cofounder of The Music Education Initiative, will share two life cast face masks that are reflective of the masks created by Asawa, by artist Sharon McConnell-Dickerson. These are two in a series of more than 60 of McConnell-Dickerson’s life casts that were created to preserve the memory and likeness of musicians who contributed to the Mississippi Delta Blues, some of the most influential blues musicians of our time.
Meditative Sound: Craig Colorusso has been exploring the intersection of sound, light, and space through sculpture since 2000. His installations consist of wood, metal, fabric, and electronics. Coloruso will perform meditative sound to accompany this immersive, experiential installation. One of his sound installations is found in a sound tunnel as part of the bike trails in Downtown Rogers.
Learn more at artonthebricks.com.
