Grand Opening

AUGUST 28 -  OCTOBER 23, 2020

To speak of an empty space in August 2020 is to invoke a sign of the times. The closure of museums and galleries during the pandemic left walls bare and halls silent, a void that signaled not only the absence of viewers but also the suspension of cultural encounter. Against this backdrop, curators chose to transform emptiness into possibility: to occupy what was deserted as a vital gesture, a refusal to yield to the inertia of isolation.

The decision to invite artists to fill those walls reflects a dual motivation. On the one hand, to reclaim the gallery as a social site of dialogue, even under health restrictions. On the other, to affirm that art does not cease in the face of crisis but finds new forms of manifestation. The curatorial choice thus becomes an act of care: acknowledging the fragility of the historical moment while offering audiences images capable of countering silence and absence.

In this sense, curating is not only the arrangement of works in space but also a critical reading of our time. The vacant gallery mirrors a collective void, and by filling it with diverse works the exhibition articulates a symbolic response: to uncertainty, creativity; to isolation, community; and to silence, the enduring voices of artists.

We have taken over the gallery next door to display the fine works of M. Katherine Hurley (our curator), Barbara Ahlbrand, Donna Talerico, Paula Wiggins, and Tracy Casagrande Clancy. Oh and your truly, Jens Rosenkrantz Jr.

Time

Friday, August 28, 2020 AT 6 PM – 9 PM

Location

The Annex Gallery
1310 Pendleton Street
Cincinnati Ohio
45205

‍