North Charleston hosts contemporary group exhibition, "Material Matters"

The City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Department is pleased to present Material Matters, a group exhibition featuring the work of five contemporary, abstract artists on display at 10 Storehouse Row on the Old Navy Base from May 3-June 20, 2013. The exhibition, curated by local fiber artist and City of North Charleston Artist-in-Residence, Kristy Bishop, is presented as component of the 2013 North Charleston Arts Festival, taking place May 3-11. Bishop will host a reception at 10 Storehouse Row on Tuesday, May 7, from 6:00-8:00pm, featuring refreshments and live music by Sing the Body Electric. Both the exhibition and reception are free and open to the public.

In Material Matters, Lauren Frances Moore of Silver Spring, MD, Conrad Guevara of San Francisco, CA, Katya Usvitsky of Brooklyn, NY, and local artists Sarah Boyts Yoder and Camela Guevara will collectively display 20 pieces in both 2 and 3-D. As the exhibition title suggests, the materials used by the artists to create each piece in the show are as important as the pieces themselves. “Each of these artists chooses their material based on its significance to the meaning of a particular artwork,” says Bishop. “For example, Katya Usvitsky uses panty hose as her primary medium, drawing on the dually charged nature of women’s nylons, which can be seen as both utilitarian or rather sexy. On the other hand, Lauren Frances Moore chooses to incorporate pig intestines into some of her sculptural pieces, citing that flesh is something that every bodied being can relate to on some level, be it physical, metaphorical, or metaphysical.” From the typical, such as watercolor and acrylic, to the atypical, such as nylon stockings, pig intestines, vintage coloring books, baskets, and rope, the various media featured create abstract forms, allowing viewers to explore a variety of artistic viewpoints.

The exhibition venue, 10 Storehouse Row, is located at 2120 Noisette Boulevard in North Charleston. Exhibition viewing times are 8:00am-6:00pm, Monday through Friday. Inquiries regarding the artists or purchase information may be directed to the City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Department at 843-740-5854. For full details about the North Charleston Arts Festival visit NorthCharlestonArtsFest.com. For information on additional exhibits, programs, and events organized and presented by the City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Department, visit http://bit.ly/culturalarts.