Posted by Rebecca Stern
At six p.m. on Saturday January 26th, the Tang Teaching Museum held its annual reception for the new spring exhibitions. These included Someday is Now: The Art of Cortia Kent, and Opener 24: Carrie Moyer: Pirate Jenny.
When its doors opened, the Tang quickly filled with a blend of students, faculty, fellow artists, and members of the Saratoga community. Excitement was palpable through spectator conversations about the introduction of two of the new main exhibitions.
Someday is Now is Kent's first curated show, which displays a variety of her work from the late 1940's to the mid 80's. Over two hundred of Kent's drawings, prints, photographs, and serigraph prints express her statements about war, racism, poverty, and religion . These works incorporate cultural mediums from advertisements, which she uses as a basic way to communicate with viewers.
President Glotzbach agrees that Kent's work is not only a great choice for the Tang's spring exhibit, but that it could not be more relevant: "The issues brought up in her work, are unfortunately still evident. It [the exhibit] will be perceived with young eyes that were not present when the messages were first introduced."
Along with Someday is Now, Kent is debuting an additional exhibit with Carrie Moyer,is Opener 24: Carrie Moyer: Pirate Jenny. The show features large multimedia works using acrylic paints, graphite, and a unique use of glitter.
When asked about her function of glitter in her work, Kent responded that the material relates her work to gay culture, an area of activism she channels in her art.
Carrie Moyer, also present at the exhibition, said that the Tang's teaching component excites her, as does the possibility to further her activist efforts within the college community.
Moyer and Kent's works join the on-going exhibits of Paul Shambroom (We the People) and Yoko Ono (Elevator Music 23 Yoko Ono: Listen).
The Tang's diverse offering of art can virtually appeal to any viewer. Freshman art student Hannah LeBonte, expressed her excitement over the different aesthetics and diversity of the work being displayed: "Even being here for two semesters there has been dance performances, film, movement, sculptures, and 2-D[art]. And [the fact] that there isn't a fear of abstract forms [of art] makes me excited to be a part of the community."