Amplify Arts ACWG in the Mini Gallery
Starting in May 2023, Family of Things’ Mini Gallery became an incubator and testing ground for Amplify Arts' Alternate Currents Working Group members' creative research around alternative modes of exchange that position curiosity and criticality as currency.
Working around a traditional space of commerce (retail shop), within a space that is both tied to and separate from the shop’s traditional business – the Incubator Gallery serves as its own entity. Cohort members are encouraged to use the space as a site where the theoretical dimensions of creative research can be practically applied.
2023 Schedule:
Joy's work positions cyclic time as a mode of exchange between personal and political realities both past and present. In collages using clipped print media strategically obscured by washes of red and magenta acrylic, she questions the physiological and psychological pressures of history continually repeating.
Joy Cotton is a mixed-media artist living in Omaha. Joy uses a combination of pencil, acrylic, and oil to create paintings and murals. She creates pieces that hold great significance to personal emotions, like happiness, sadness, anger, and depression. The characters she makes depict different forms of fantasy and realistic figure drawings. These works contain multiple layers of textures and different types of painting applications.
Opening Fri, May 12 from 5-7pm; through July 7
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From Aspen: “This installation demonstrates the experience of a Transgender or Gender Non-conforming individual in regards to their personal rights, self reflection, and affirmation of their body through symbolic expression. During this year, more than 525 anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been introduced in 41 states, and over 75 have become law. The nature of these current issues is a threat to the LGBTQ+ Community’s freedom, protection, and overall well-being. The purpose of this exhibition is to educate those unfamiliar with our culture and a reminder for those who are undergoing transition that radical self-love always wins.”
Aspen Monet Laboy (they/them) is an interdisciplinary artist from a Black and Puerto Rican background who works in poetry, glass, and installation. All of Aspen's work is influenced by the social sciences, hermetic philosophy, nature, and consciousness to explore the concepts of internal identity through self-awareness, sexuality, gender, and culture.
Opening Fri, July 14 from 5-7pm; through Sept 1
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Artur Melika
Opening Fri, Sept 8 from 5-7pm; through Nov 3
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Lauren Simpson
Opening Fri, Nov 10 from 5-7pm; through Jan 2