November 22–December 21, 2011
Reception:
Thursday, December 1, 6–8pm
Visual Arts Gallery
601 West 26 Street
15th floor
New York City
212.592.2145
School of Visual Arts (SVA) presents “Being American,” an exhibition surveying responses by visual artists to some of the most pressing social issues in America today. Culled from various forms of contemporary visual culture, the works address topics ranging from recent environmental catastrophes to the pervading effects of the economic crisis; from the long shadow of 9/11 and two overseas wars to the home-front debates surrounding religious tolerance, gay marriage, capital punishment and firearms possession. “Being American” is curated by Visual Arts Gallery Director Francis Di Tommaso.
The preponderance of the over 85 works in the exhibition—whether drawn from the covers of popular weekly magazines or from Chelsea gallery walls—focus on the hot-button topics at the forefront of our national dialogue today, while others provide a mise-en-scène of telling details of everyday life in America.
Participating artists include: Susan Anderson; Sandow Birk; Steve Brodner; Edward Burtynsky; Jessica Craig-Martin; Andrea Gennari; Reiner Gerritsen; Bob Giraldi; Dustin Grella; Alfredo Jaar and David Levi Strauss; Shai Kremer; Christoph Niemann; Robert Priseman; Aurora Robson; Martha Rosler; Alix Smith; Charles Traub; Lane Twitchell; Type A; and Kehinde Wiley.
An illustrated catalogue to accompany the exhibition features essays by curator Francis Di Tommaso and critic Phong Bui.
The Visual Arts Gallery, located at 601 West 26th Street between 11th and 12th Avenues, 15th floor, is open Monday through Saturday, 10am to 6pm; closed on Sundays and public holidays.
School of Visual Arts (SVA) in New York City is an established leader and innovator in the education of artists. From its inception in 1947, the faculty has been comprised of professionals working in the arts and art-related fields. SVA provides an environment that nurtures creativity, inventiveness and experimentation, enabling students to develop a strong sense of identity and a clear direction of purpose.
