Ivy Tech Pop-Up Exhibition at StorageSpace
Still from claymation film by Annabelle Johnson
For Liz Wierzbicki, curator of the Ivy Tech Pop-Up Exhibition, the goal of the Ivy Tech Pop-Up exhibition goes beyond showing student work to an audience; it is an extension of the exhibiting students’ education.
Wierzbicki, co-founder of Cathead Press and art instructor at Ivy Tech, wants her students to “start getting familiar with showing work from the get go.”
Brent Lehker and Liz Wierzbicki
The work to be exhibited spans the breadth of fine arts education at Ivy Tech, from drawings to claymation film, from students seeking associate’s degrees. Other instructors teaching the exhibiting students alongside Wierzbicki include Stephanie Robertson and Hector Del Campo.
“All of the work in the show is going to be work from students who are taking a fine arts class at Ivy Tech this summer session,” said Wierzbicki. “It's also sort of like the end HOORAH! for the summer session for the students.”
In keeping with the spirit of learning how to exhibit their work, the students will arrive several hours before the exhibition to hang their own work in the gallery space.
One of the students is Annabelle Johnson, who will be exhibiting a claymation film. “She's really been a sponge,” Wierzbicki said about her ability to learn about different kinds of media and incorporate those lessons into her practice. “I pay attention to the work she does.”.
Another is JHAQ, whose drawing “Wheeeeeeeeee” will be on view.
Many art students at Ivy Tech might not be planning to further their arts education, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they don’t want to further their art practice.
Brent Lehker has run the StorageSpace gallery out of a warehouse attached to his home for four years, and was happy to hand over curatorial duties to Wierzbicki.
“I try to save a few months, or a couple of months, for student shows,” he said.
Lehker considers his curatorial work at StorageSpace, which has recently gained status as a nonprofit organization, to be part of his overall practice as an artist.
Earlier this summer, StorageSpace exhibited the paintings and drawings of small press publisher and artist John Clark, in a show titled “Do Over.” On August 19, StorageSpace will host a one-night-only show called K.I.S.S curated by Danielle Graves and Nick Witten of Sugarspace Productions.
StorageSpace often incorporates music and other performances into its exhibitions.
“I do this as — if you want to call it a passion project — but it's about keeping community,” said Lehker. “I also joke sometimes that I'm lazy, and I bring the community to me…”
He wants his contemporary gallery space to be accessible to the community, which is an aspect of his curatorial practice that Wierzbicki appreciates.
“That's why I wanted to have a student show here because I feel like it's way more accessible to the common person as a viewer and as an artist,” she said.
“Wheeeeeeeee” by JHAQ
