Shrines + Altars is an exhibition that explores what we hold sacred: To whom are we building shrines? At what altars are we worshipping?
Shrines aren’t necessarily religious structures. A shrine can hold ideas and expressions that are humorous, political, satirical, about family, home, the natural world. A shrine can be an old bathtub, flipped on its head, buried halfway down in the front yard with a revered figure housed inside it. Or, in the case of Imeda Marcos, an argument can be made that her shoe closet was a shrine.
Altars are concrete objects as well as idea – e.g. worshipping at the altar of money, convenience, false idols, hipness, political correctness, technology, and more.
But what do these things become when visual artists take them on for interpretation? Shrines + Altars exhibitors are: Michele Aucello, Liz Barick Fall, Cheryl Boc-Chidester, Jacki Boyer, Shanny Brooke, Ann Cibulskis, Frank Clements, Cherie Correll, Michael Cotter, Mary Fortuna, Nina Goebel, Tamara Graf, Lisa Grix, Diane Hawkey, Marcia Hovland, Gail Hunter, Eve Hyde, Jan Johnson Doerfer, Judy Kelly, Ann Kowaleski, Todd Lininger, Martine MacDonald, Constance McKinney, Christine Monhollen, Bradford Sprouse, Rochelle Stark, Vinnie Sutherland, Michelle Tock York, Robert Tucker, Joan Witte, Deborah Wood
More Ways To Explore SHRINES + ALTARS
- Exhibition Walk + Talk (Sept 8 and Oct 13): A guided walk-and-talk through Shrines and Altars, and Wild Things [in the GAAC Lobby Gallery], Sarah Bearup-Neal, GAAC gallery manager, leads a conversational tour of the Exhibition. FREE.
- Coffee With The Authors: Frankfort painter Ellie Harold traveled to Paris in 2022, a pilgrimage to view an exhibition of paintings by Impressionist Claude Monet and Abstract Expressionist Joan Mitchell. The souvenirs from that trip weren’t T-shirts and tote bags, but questions, including: What does it mean to be a “real” artist? Harold explores that question in the resulting book, Monet, Mitchell & Me: A Painter’s Pilgrimage. Sarah Bearup-Neal engages the author in a conversational Q+A. September 29, 1 pm. FREE.
- Sight and Sound Shrine: Watch a recorded interview with Josh Denby of the Traverse Area District Library about the Sight and Sound shrine. ONGOING
