| First Friday receptions: April 2 and May
7, 5 - 7 pm
J.J. McCracken, as a guest Artist-In-Residence at The Clay Studio,
spent the summer laying the foundation for this active installation
in direct response to hunger in Philadelphia. Hunger, Philadelphia
juxtaposes plenty with value, and immediate gratification
with sustainability. McCracken’s work has probed accumulation,
the ideal of perfection and decay as she reflected on the passage
of time, mass production, consumption and consumerism. With Hunger,
Philadelphia McCracken’s focus shifts toward repair and
tending as this new project develops in response to hunger within
Philadelphia’s urban community. Drawing from the use of
kaolin (a kind of clay) within various cultures for nutrition
in the absence of other food sources, McCracken highlights the
need for nutritious food sources for indigent populations in our
own community. Hunger, Philadelphia will include a clay-based
installation featuring a staged setting with slip-cast vegetables
forms; a fully functioning garden and live performances
on April 1-2 from 6:30 to 8:30pm and May 7 from 5 to 7 pm.
Hunger, Philadelphia was organized in support of INDEPENDENCE:
The 44th Annual National Council on Education for the Ceramic
Arts (NCECA) Conference.
Commissioned by The Clay Studio and by New York art critic John
Perreault with support for development and planning provided by
the Philadelphia Exhibitions Initiative, a program of the Philadelphia
Center for Arts and Heritage, funded by The Pew Charitable Trusts
and administered by the University of the Arts. With support from
Harpo Foundation (Los Angeles, CA and Coconut Grove, FL) under
the sponsorship of the Arlington Arts Center (Arlington, VA).
Additional funding provided by the William Penn Foundation.
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