Now | Contemporary 2021
JURIED BY DR. LAUREN CROSS
JULY 23 – SEPTEMBER 4, 2021
FEATURED WORK
PRESS RELEASE
Art Room presents its annual juried exhibition Now | Contemporary 2021 at the Fort Worth Community Arts Center (1300 Gendy St, Fort Worth, TX 76107), which features a compelling group of artworks in a variety of media. The exhibition showcases work by Fernando Alvarez, Andrea Anderegg, Jessica Baldivieso, Lane Banks, Steven Barker, Michael Beattie, Kelly Berry, Alejandro Borges, Susan Brents-Sheldon, Jim Brightwell, Megan Brown, Greg Brown, Amy Buyers Harwood, Aimee Cardoso, Ron Crouch, Curie, Sarah DePetris, Brian Dickson Jr., Sheena Dorton, Jennifer Galanis, Beronica Gonzales, Ross Graphix, Greg Gutbezahl, Jessica Hart, Kayla Henson, Mark Herron, Cindy Holmes, Brandon Hudson, Laura Hunt, Katie McKay Jones, Norman Kary, Andrea Lamarsaude, Natalie Lambert, Benjamin Loftis, Molly Magill, Laurie Martineau, Romulo Martinez, David Mask, Eliana Miranda, Cher Musico, Craig Nadziejka, Janak Narayan, Madeline Ortega, Stormie Parker, Kristen Penrod, Parade Ruckus, Komal Shah, Deyjah Stewart, Guen Sublette, Jae-Eun Suh, Sarah Theurer Hunt, Corrie Thompson, Shellye Tow, Laurence Unger, Chet Urban, Bernardo Vallarino, Frieda Verlage, Trisstah Wagstaff, and Vance Wingate. The show runs from July 23 through September 4, 2021.
Now | Contemporary 2021 was juried by Dr. Lauren Cross, who is an interdisciplinary artist/filmmaker, curator, and scholar whose work has been screened and exhibited across the country. Cross earned her BA (2006') in Art, Design, and Media from Richmond, the American International University in London, England, and her MFA (2010') in Visual Arts from Lesley University in Cambridge, MA. She is a Ph.D. candidate in Women's Studies with a concentration in Multicultural Studies at Texas Woman's University in Denton, TX. Cross' feature film, The Skin Quilt Project, was an official selection for the 2010 International Black Women's Film Festival in Berkeley, CA, and screened at various museums, universities/colleges, and community organizations across the country. She is a passionate advocate for diversity in the arts and has written and contributed research in fields of women's studies, visual studies, and multicultural studies. In 2013, Cross was among three Fort Worth artists selected for the 2013 Fort Worth Weekly Visionary Awards.
In regard to her selections for the exhibition, Cross writes, “When approached by Art Room to be the juror for Now | Contemporary 2021, I was thrilled to have the opportunity to highlight the emerging materials, processes, and ideas that are informing contemporary artists today. Most importantly, juried exhibitions offer the platform to curate opportunity and to extend one’s lens to consider new perspectives and conversations. Art Room has been a one-of-a-kind facilitator of these types of exchanges amongst artists, an important stage where new concepts can be shared, and a trusted guide for the public to be empowered by the ways that art sparks innovation and investigation.
“The 68 works selected for Now | Contemporary 2021 were chosen to reflect the diversity of representations within the field of contemporary art. A field that challenges artists to not only reflect their current times but to also chart a path forward. The artists featured in the show highlight these varied physical, metaphysical, and cultural landscapes that inform our worlds, and champion the support of artists whose works range in style, form, and influence.
“Within my curatorial approach, I particularly look for opportunities to support the bridging of different contemporary art communities that often coexist in relationship to one another, from those that are grounded in tradition, history, and theory as well as those that are rooted in the everyday. My goal is often to create spaces where these various communities can be in conversation with one another, and sometimes challenge either other; the artists selected for Now | Contemporary 2021 reflects these distinct areas of exploration. I am pleased to be able to share their works, especially after over a year and a half in social and cultural isolation. The current moment seems especially important to reflect on who we are and to experience the many nuances of art.”