Visaural: Sight, Sound and Action

Visaural: Sight, Sound and Action
Nave Gallery, Sommerville, Massachusetts, October 9-31, 2015

ARTISTS

BEST OF SHOW

LORRAINE BONNER
"Scapegoat"
24 x 10 x 7 inches
Clay, barbed wire
Musical Pairing: Nina Simone "Strange Fruit"
CHOSEN BY JUROR CECILY MILLER

JACALYN LOPEZ GARCIA
"Sueños del Norte"
3:00
Digital Montage
Music in Video
CHOSEN BY JUROR MARY CURTIN

JENNIFER WEIGEL and MOAN LISA
"Everything: Nothing"
Collaboration with Moan Lisa
Variable Size
Pill bottles, Labels, Pill capsules with printed Words 'Everything' & 'Nothing' on reverse side
Musical Pairing: Elliott Smith "Everything Means Nothing to Me"
CHOSEN BY JUROR SUSAN BERSTLER

EXHIBITION THEME

Artists were invited to submit works around themes of social, cultural, economic, human rights, women’s rights, political and social justice activism that combine visual art with music in order to tell a compelling story and, by doing so, affirm the many bonds between sight and sound. Artists were asked to choose a song to which to pair their art – a song that was directly linked to the theme of the work, a song that inspired the work or that was played as part of the artistic process. Selected works were displayed next to QR codes, which took viewers to iTunes, YouTube,Vimeo or other link, where the paired music could be heard.
The opening weekend coincidesdwith Honk! Festival of Activist Street Bands. Information about the bands will be included in the Nave Gallery.

RESPONSES FROM OUR VISAURAL COMMUNITY

"As an interdisciplinary artist working on political and social issues it is often challenging to find a vehicle to exhibit my work. I think that Karen Gutfreund and Sherri Cornett should be applauded for organizing exhibitions around the country which address the historical and contemporary themes that are defining our culture." - Cheryl Hirshman, Visaural artist
"Working with Karen Gutfreund and Sherri Cornett can only be described as exhilarating! Both women have so much energy and enthusiasm for curating shows about compelling issues. Feminism, gender identity, and democracy are just a few of the topics they have taken on. I look forward to exhibiting my photographs in GutfreundCornett shows in the future!" - Marky Kauffmann, Visaural artist, Fine Art Photographer, Boston
"When I first conceived of an art piece that addressed the impact of invasive plant species on local flora as a metaphor for the insidious encroachment of global crises in our personal lives, and then collaborated with a composer to create a sound element for the piece, I held out little hope of such a work ever seeing the light of day. I was therefore thrilled by the call for works for of this nature for Visaural. It has been a very professional and rewarding experience to be a part of this exhibit." - Lilianne Milgrom, Visaural artist
"I was delighted to be included in this innovative and powerful show. The art was authentic, skillful and well-selected. Karen and Sherri are a pleasure to work with." - Karl Stephan, Visaural artist
"Artists are uniquely suited to create work that challenges the status quo, and stimulates thought, action and critical discussion yet few opportunities to exhibit in shows dedicated to activism and commentary exist. I was delighted to discover GutfreundCornettArt.com. Karen and Sherri share my passion and belief that we can create change through art and work tirelessly to that end; they are consummate professionals and a joy to work with." - Penny Mateer, Visaural artist
"I'm appreciative of the kind of socially relevant shows that Karen and Sherri are creating. It is good, and apparently rare, to have an opportunity to show that is, or at least attempts to be, overtly political." - Lorraine Bonner, Visaural artist
"I really got off on the Visaural Show. I loved the premise and felt it stimulated me. I am now looking at other ways to work with this concept." Mary K. Shisler, Visaural artist
"I have worked with Karen Gutfreund on several occasions and she always approaches her projects with passion and pushes the envelope. Every show she has worked on has been thought-provoking and professionally-presented, and very well-documented. It is always an honor and a joy to work with her.” - Jennifer Weigel, Visaural artist
"In the US citizens tend to take their freedoms for granted. In a dictatorship one of the first acts of the leader is to censor artists. Art and activism combined is a powerful weapon against oppression." - Karen Joy, Visaural artist
"Thank you Karen and Sherri! What a unique opportunity you have given us in matching our activist art with music in the Visaural: Sight,Sound and Action Exhibit. What a powerful way to view art while listening to the music that inspired it." - Christine Giancola, Visaural artist
"GutfreundCornettart.com organized the Visaural exhibit with focus on important contemporary issues. -The artists collectively presented with true activism." Beth LaKamp, Visaural artist
“Being a part of “Visaural: Sight, Sound and Action” was a wonderful experience, as was working with Karen and Sherri. “Art as activism”, is something I will continue to interested in, and hopefully there will be other opportunities to work with Karen and Sherri.” - Robin Shores, Visaural artist
"Thanks again for the opportunity to be part of your exhibit. The premise was exciting, and the execution was compelling and thought provoking-- you both did amazing work bringing together music and visual art that strongly resonated among each other." - Dante Kirkman, Visaural artist

CATALOG

The "Visaural: Sight, Sound and Action" catalog is available for purchase at Create Space https://www.createspace.com/5690865.
82 pages with color plates of all art in the exhibition
8.5 x 8.5 inches
ISBN/EAN13: 1516993098 / 9781516993093
$20
The catalog is also viewable on Issuu.com
https://issuu.com/gutfreundcornettart/docs/visaural_catalog_for_issuu

ABOUT BOSTON CITY SINGERS

With each exhibition, Gutfreund Cornett Art highlights work of nonprofits related to the theme.

Founded in 1995 and headquartered in Dorchestester, Boston City Singers' mission is to provide the highest level of musical training and wide ranging performance opportunities to young people ages 4-18, inspire personal development, celebrate diversity and foster good will. Their vision is to transform the lives of inner city young people one voice at a time, inspiring and developing each heart to live with compassion in a world of differences.
Website: www.bostoncitysingers.org
Facebook: BostCity Singers
Twitter: @BostCitySingers
Melissa J. Graham, Managing Director
[email protected]

Art created by the Cantare Division students of Boston City Singers in response to the question, "What Does Singing Look Like to You?" Works will be shown in a portfolio in the gallery.

BEST OF SHOW JURORS
Susan Berstler is a visual artist and arts producer. Her main interest is in transformative media, especially in the realm of public art. She is the founder and director of the Nave galleries, two nonprofit art spaces in her hometown of Somerville, MA.

Mary Curtin (www.marycurtinproductions.com) has had a long-standing commitment to promoting and producing artistic endeavors that best affect positive change within the community where she lives. Her business motto 'dedicated to staging insightful entertainment, particularly in non-traditional venues' speaks to her enthusiasm in supporting local grass roots cultural activism, which can often cause a ripple effect in raising social awareness beyond the borders of her home town, currently Boston and vicinity.

Cecily Miller (www.cecilymiller.com) is an independent arts consultant with a specialty in cultural programs and a personal mission to develop arts programming which strengthens a sense of community, provides new insight or understanding of issues, offers opportunities for self-expression, and creates experiences of hope and joy. Cecily has been a fan of the Honk Festival since its founding; although she has volunteered every year, she has yet to fulfill her longstanding dream to run away and join a Honk Band.

ABOUT NAVE GALLERY ANNEX
53 Chester St., Somerville, MA 02144

"Since 2004 the Nave Gallery in Teele Square has been the public face of ARTSomerville, a nonprofit, loosely knit volunteer group of artists and arts enthusiasts with the mutual goal to create new space(s) to present art in Somerville. In 2013 we added a second exhibition space, the Nave Annex in Davis Square. In addition, we have created a number of public music, dance and art events including Project MUM (a dance party under McGrath Highway), 2012′s Yarnstorm Perry Park (part of our ongoing Wrap Around Project), and SqueezeBox Slam, an outdoor festival dedicated to accordion and concertina music."

Somerville is the "4th Coolest Neighborhood in the US" per Thrillist, with Davis Square as its epicenter. Somerville's mayor claims that it has the largest number of creatives/artists per capita of any city in the U.S.
Email: [email protected]
Susan Berstler (director)
Tori Costa (outreach)

ABOUT HONK! FESTIVAL OF ACTIVIST STREET BANDS

A full day of activist band performances in Davis Square, just north of the Nave Gallery Annex (Saturday, October 10th) and a parade of bands from Davis Square to Harvard Square (Sunday, October 11th) . . . "live performances and street actions in support of social justice issues, ranging from increasing the minimum wage to immigration reform. Simply put, if Occupy! had a marching band, the HONK! Festival would be it. Honk for Social Change, Bill Lichtenstein, Huffington Post article.
[email protected]
Website
Presskit
2015 Bands

Visaural: Sight, Sound and Action Nave Gallery, Sommerville, Massachusetts, October 9-31, 2015

Visaural: Sight, Sound and Action
Nave Gallery, Sommerville, Massachusetts, October 9-31, 2015