Juror’s Statement
Danforth Art’s annual Off the Wall is a rare and important breed of exhibition. It brings together an enormous range of work by 96 artists, unified by the thread of locality and this museum. In this, Off the Wall stresses a key, and sometimes overlooked, ingredient in art making: the power of a community. As a curator, it is an aspect of the art process that I especially value and rely upon. It is this shared sense of purpose of working to create and present great art in all forms that frames each and every work and each of our lives within this field.
On display here is the collective voice of an established and growing community of makers and thinkers engaged here in visual dialogues about material, craft, ideas, and their shared histories.
It was an honor to be this year’s juror. It allowed me to see a large swath of artwork being made regionally that, once again, reaffirmed my belief in the strength of this artistic community. Although choosing an artwork without knowing the artist’s name or other work can be stressful and feel out of context, it also has a strange benefit of a freedom from expectations and preconceived notions, and allows one to simply look.
I hope you do the same in the gallery and look closely at the work on view. In the mix you will find a number of daring experimentations with materials—including paint and clay as well as paper, rubber tires, and duct tape. Photography finds its way into painting in unexpected ways, as collage and painting embed themselves into the mechanical process. This blending continues into the very sense of genres—of landscape, portraiture, and still life images—which are cleverly rethought by a number of artists. And while this selection of artists remains critical of their own art practices and histories, there is evident a clear regard for craft and the joys of making with skill.
I would like to thank all of the artists who submitted work this year for all their hard work and dedication. Thank you to Katherine French, Director, Jessica Roscio, Assistant Curator, and the entire Danforth Art staff for organizing this show, this year and very year prior. It is a huge undertaking and one done with exceptional skill, humor, and thoughtfulness.