THE WASSAIC PROJECT INTRODUCES ITS EIGHTH ANNUAL EXHIBITION: DEEP END
Summer Festival also scheduled!
Deep End, the Wassaic Project’s eighth annual exhibition, draws inspiration from J. G. Ballard’s post-apocalyptic short story of Earth’s last remaining men fighting to hold on to a love, life, and their humanity. The exhibition explores themes of the strange, dystopian, supernatural, and end of world, and showcases the work of more than 60 emerging artists, more than 50 of who are former Wassaic Artist Residents. The Wassaic Project invites visitors to climb the seven stories of the Maxon Mills and experience this unusual, playful, and dark exhibition from now through September 20. They also host their annual Summer Festival from July 31st – August 2nd this year.
Featuring five full-room installations by artists Holden Brown, Ghost of a Dream, Elias Hansen, Sarah Hardesty, and Corina Reynolds, Deep End creates a substantial and lasting impression. Holden Brown has transformed the mechanics room of Maxon Mills into the suburban American dream nightmare; using imagery of mausoleums, sunken houses, Brown explores the notions of and what belongs above and under ground. Elias Hansen has created a darkly glowing laboratory of nefarious nature, while Sarah Hardesty offers an installation of both safety, hazard and precaution with her vibrant orange branches and twine looming just over head. Ghost of a Dream‘s multi-media installation Better is THE END sources ending scenes from Westerns to create a continuous horizon line, circling the room with an endless ending. Corina Reynolds has crafted a bleak office space that highlights the comical attempts to inspire workers with motivational imagery but results in a soulless and haunting environment.
The exhibition also continues to excavate these themes through art pieces beyond the full-room installations. On the ground floor, visitors are greeted by Kelly Goff‘s Dumpster, a decaying waste container with an interior painted fluorescent turquoise highlighting the object’s emptiness and rust. Known for her portrayal of mythological mermaids that dispel our traditional understanding, Roxanne Jackson displays some of her shocking sculptures. Kelli Rae Adams has pickled local Wassaic produce and presented the jars as alternative food sources during leaner and harsher times.Christopher Daniels presents a large-scale crayon drawing depicting the horrors of our current world, which is a piece of his collection currently on display at The Cindy Rucker Gallery.
The Wassaic Project Summer Festival is a FREE, annual, multi-disciplinary celebration of art, music, dance, and community featuring more than 100 artists, 25 bands, film screenings, dance performances, and much more! Housed in the unique buildings and property of the Wassaic Project, the festival escapes the white walls of traditional art spaces and focuses on site-sensitive installations and performances. The festival creates a weekend-long opportunity for artists and performers of all mediums to come together, exchange ideas, learn new things, and engage in a thriving community. Participants are encouraged to come for the day or stay the weekend, camping onsite. Programming is cutting-edge yet family friendly. The beautiful Hamlet of Wassaic is remarkably accessible from NYC and a short walk from the train station. Funding for the festival comes from art sales, micro-spending, sponsorship, and donations.
The Wassaic Project has also partnered with Spanish magazine Rizoma to award the first ever Rizoma Art Prize to Granada, Spain-based Heli Garcia. Ever mindful of the importance of art in its social context and its immediate community, the directors and curators have opened a Library/Zine Reading Room filled with artist books, publications, and artworks. This unique facility underlines the great efforts to create a stimulating and engaging community for local and summer residents and professional artists. Be sure to visit the website for the summer programs.
Wassaic Project’s located at the Maxon Mills, is 37 Furnace Bank Road in Wassaic, 12592. Contact them at (347) 815-0783. Gallery Hours are Fridays and Saturdays, 12pm – 7pm, and Sundays 12-5pm and by appointment. Guided Tours are offered every last Saturday of the month at 4pm.
Take the train and then walk; it’s only about a 10-minute walk from the Wassaic train station on Metro-North’s Harlem line.www.mta.info
If you have time, grab a wood-fired pizza or bite to eat at the Lantern Restaurant, which is across from the Railroad tracks at 10 Main Street, 845-373-8389.
Via Dutchess County Tourism
