INTERCONNECTIVITY at The Art Center Highland Park from June 18!

Is it possible for the world to experience both the hyper-connectivity that comes from social media, the internet, and blurred world boundaries; while at the same time feel disconnected from family, friends, and the world at large?

Art, by its nature, is a conduit, merging artists’ ideas into physical entities, connecting to its audience and bridging community. The role art plays in connecting people takes the manifestation of thought and emotion, acting as a springboard to build greater levels of communication and ultimately, interconnectivity.

TAC is exhibiting works that explore the connections that make up our lives, from our relationship to each other, to nature, to community, to the universe, and especially to ourselves.
Challenge: In a bit of ‘meta-connectivity’, we challenged artists to reach out to one other artist and invite them to submit to this show to be ‘connected.’ Artists Mary King and Sara Peak Convery have contributed to this mission through their work/video.

Guest jurors/ featured Artists, Juliann Wang and Julie Rotblatt Amrany are both established Chicago artists, whose work encompasses the theme of interconnectivity in different but complementary ways.
Juliann Wang is a Chicago-based artist, performer, designer, and culture activator. She writes, "As a bicultural Chinese-American artist, my work reflects how culture, time, and location influence individuals and society as they grow and change. The works evolve based on observations about identity, search for connection, sense of belonging, fragile impermanence, and even isolation. Through an interdisciplinary method that utilizes different approaches and materials specific to each project, my creation embraces moments of fleeting beauty and connectivity of life." Her early influence of Eastern thought plays a significant role in her practice, considering humans as part of the natural world tied to the unanswerable mystery of life and existence, thus creating a sense of connection to a greater whole.

Julie Rotblatt Amrany grew up in HIghland Park, returning in 1989 where she has worked and collaborated with her husband/ artist, Omri Amrany. The couple founded the Fine Art Studio of Rotblatt-Amrany, and was famously commission for the bronze statue of basketball player Michael Jordan at Chicago's United Center. After battling breast cancer, Rotblatt Amrany’s work deepened her interest in consciousness and how it integrates with matter, on how matter and energy transform, and on the evolution of human intelligence. In her statement she writes, “I have the intension to depict the dichotomy between the subatomic and the cosmic universe. On a grander scale, there is an interconnectedness of all living and nonliving things surrounding us. There is no true degree of separation. In the center of one of the hexagons is a fiber optic neon light to represent life, the pulsation of breath.”

As guest jurors, Juliann and Julie selected 22 artists, mostly from Illinois and the Midwest. The works range from digital media to drawings on paper, from collage to sculpture, exploring how our relationships are interconnected.

Please join us for our artist reception on July 23, 5:30-8:00pm, with live music. Free to the public.

On Sunday, August 1, from 2-4 PM, we will hold an artist talk with Juliann Wang as she discusses the significance of being a Chinese-American artist in today’s world.

For more information visit: www.theartcenterhp.org

The Art Center, a non-profit organization, is the North Shore’s home for artistic discovery and creative exploration. Through innovative programs, exhibitions, and classes designed for all levels and ages, The Art Center provides a welcoming space for our diverse communities to experience and participates in the arts. For more information, contact James Lynch, Executive Director, or Caren Helene Rudman, curator, at info@theartcenterhp.org or call 847-432-1888.
The Art Center Highland Park, 1957 Sheridan Road, Highland Park, IL 60035. 847-432-1888, info@theartcenterhp.org