Most often, art exhibitions—even entire museums or galleries—organize their works temporally. There are museums of modern art and collections that focus on baroque painters. With its upcoming juried exhibition, “Art in Motion,” Strathmore straddles the divide.
Rather than aligning works by time period or media, Strathmore joins its works by a theme: motion. This thematic organization means visitors are likely to see kinetic sculptures next to traditional paintings, and everything in between. Strathmore describes “Art in Motion” as an exhibition that “explores representations of movement, dynamics, gesture, flow, oscillation and flux.”
The exhibition brings back long-revered Strathmore artists while welcoming newcomers to the fold. Visual Arts Coordinator Gabrielle Tillenburg noted, “We want to give new artists a platform to become the next set of artists that exhibit here for a long time.” All featured artists highlight the exceptional local talent in Bethesda and surrounding communities.
One new Strathmore artist represented at the exhibition is Olivia Tripp Morrow, whose installation Stretch highlights movement and tension. The artist works by pulling women’s garments, donated for the project, across chicken wire. As Tillenburg explained, “The installation bends and responds to the space, and comments on the movement she uses to install it.”
All artists will be considered for Best in Show as well as second- and third-place prizes. Honorable mentions will also be awarded to those artists excelling in their particular media. The challenge of judging the eclectic group of works is left to Harriet W. Lesser, curator at the Strathmore, and Adah Rose Bitterbaum, owner and director of the Adah Rose Gallery in Kensington, Maryland. “We are looking for mastery of their form and their medium,” stated Tillenburg, “but also how the artist interprets motion and inspires the viewer.”
The “Art in Motion” exhibit is the 25th Annual Strathmore Juried Exhibition. This year’s exhibition featured a unique element in the submission process. For the first time, all submissions were entered electronically, with artists submitting photographs of their work. The change, Tillenburg noted, keeps Strathmore on the leading edge of gallery practices and also makes it easier for artists to submit entries.
The Mansion at Strathmore, a 116-year-old building, offers a unique space for the visual arts. As a former private home, its galleries contain windows, an unusual architectural element that engages works with natural light and exterior surroundings.
The exhibition opened to the public on Saturday, January 9, with an opening reception on Thursday, January 14. The opening reception is free to the public and does not require prior registration. A panel discussion that includes exhibition winners is slated for Saturday, January 24.
Exhibition works above, from top to bottom:
Carol Moore, Dream Fishing
Diane Weiner, Ode to Toulouse
Jennifer Barlow, Sweet New Year