Much to the dismay of many students, summer is swiftly coming to an end.
The Urban Arts Space, however, is embracing the remaining bit of the season through its annual Summer Series, a program showcasing various projects and exhibitions in order to foster collaboration, artistic diversity and multifaceted approaches to art. Below are events hosted by the Urban Arts Space in the coming weeks, all of which are free of charge. Click the title of any event for more information.
Artist Commune: Fashion Upcycling – July 28
This month’s Artist Commune encourages guests to toe the line between fashion and art by bringing in old clothing to adorn with various multimedia materials provided by the Urban Arts Space. The free upcycling event — from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. — is intertwined with Ana Lowe’s “Reimagined by Ela é.” fashion exhibition, displayed in the Urban Arts Space corridor.
Yaafoa, Home Is Calling, Finally Home – July 12-Aug. 19
Columbus-based artist Edmund Boateng reflects on his family and home life in Ghana through this collection of photographs conveying “a deep-rooted sense of African culture,” according to the Urban Arts Space website. Boateng — known often for his murals in the Short North Arts District and artwork in the Sharon Weiss Gallery — presents a collection of portraits connecting onlookers to his African heritage. The exhibition is open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Thick Like Me – Aug. 3-5
Through unpacking the types of bodies systemically highlighted in fine arts spaces, this exhibition reimagines a world in which dance celebrates fat Black women. The 7 p.m. performances — featuring artists like OSU dance doctoral candidate Alesondra Christmas and Elliot Norton Award-winning choreographer Jazelynn Goudy — are followed by an artist talkback, all of which serve to capsize systemic injustices and make attendees rethink their personal positionality within power systems. The Aug. 5 exhibition also offers movement workshops for those interested in exploring movement alongside Urban Arts Space artists.
Meandering North – Aug. 4-18
This collaboration between artists Meagan Smith and Chen Peng allows for an exploration of beauty, isolation and feminist connections to nature via Smith’s abstract digital weavings and Peng’s paintings and ceramics. By meandering the mysterious Nordic scenery in Hopkins Hall Gallery, viewers are invited to examine their own personal landscapes and relationships with nature. The Aug. 12 exhibition presents an art workshop, wherein participants are invited to create a watercolor painting of a landscape personally precious to themselves, which they will then transform into a paper weaving to be hung at the gallery’s entrance.
Bibliomancy – Aug. 10-12
Bibliomancy suggests by reading passages from various — oftentimes sacred — texts, questions about the future can be answered. In these hour-long performances, audience members are encouraged to ask a question, for which they will receive a response combining text and movement. Michael J. Morris — an Ohio State dance studies Ph.D. recipient — will explore themes of moving with questions and dancing with uncertainty through their performance, which takes the “stage” each night at 8 p.m.
Two Neighbors – Aug. 16-26
Up-and-coming artists Sarah Esposito and Alex Vlasov explore the boundaries of painting through their collaboration. By confronting the similarities and differences between these two artists’ work, the overlapping art can allow for a conversation questioning the conventions of painting. The exhibit will be open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
