Intellectually-engaging art gallery would grow IF art scene
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I love art and wish, like many others, that Idaho Falls had a bigger art scene. However, I ask if our weak art scene is due to a local aesthetic apathy or boredom with the local art that is displayed? Landscapes, horses, fruit, fishermen, and old barns are pleasant to view, but do not intellectually challenge viewers.
I encourage someone to start an art gallery in Idaho Falls that challenges us intellectually. I like art that confuses me at first, makes me think, promotes discussion among viewers, and allows multiple interpretations of its meaning. Oftentimes this type of art is controversial or shocking, but that is not always necessary.
Art that challenges viewer’s preconceptions and intellects inevitably generates controversy, which can have positive and negative aspects for this type of business. Negative aspects are of course those that keep some people from visiting the gallery because of what they heard, and positive aspects are of course the free press you would get from letter-to-the-editor battles and visitors wanting to see what all the hubbub is about (who may not have visited before hearing the controversy).
This gallery would do well to respect community standards by restricting some exhibits (or parts of exhibits) to those at least 18 years old.
I think this gallery would do well to host periodic contests in certain themes, like political angst, feminism, racism, socio-economic stratification, war, sex weapons, pornography, AIDS, addictions, greed, etc. I don’t know all there is to running galleries, but I understand that selecting artists and gallery material is challenging.
Running contests like I described has worked well for several university galleries, because the exhibit fills up with the pieces from numerous artists. Most importantly, this type of contest involving local artists submitting one or two pieces engages more people and grows our local art scene.
This type of art gallery would do better in an originally designed building with avant-garde architecture that challenges the mind as much as the art contained within. I don’t think the plain box buildings we have locally would function as well for this concept.
I thought an appropriate name for this space could be “Engage Art Gallery” to clearly communicate the purpose is to challenge minds and preconceptions.
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Comments
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0 
0 What is a “Mo”?
Vote:
0 0 That old argument is a copout to failure, an excuse for naysayers and armchair entrepreneurs to be negative, that Mormons won’t allow it. This isn’t a porn shop. There are lingerie and smoke shops in town, this would not be more morally offensive than those.
Back to the topic:
do you think the kinds of art we see in IF is too bland?
does it challenge you intellectually?
have you ever seen and discussed art that challenged you intellectually?
Vote:
0 0 I’m not understanding your starting point, Joe. Please furnish as example of artwork that you’d consider intellectually challenging.
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0 0 Good point, as an example look at the University of Idaho’s Prichard art gallery (need Flash 7 to view slides), you can hit play in the lower right corner and it’ll roll through hundreds of slides. Some are mundane, but some will capture your attention and make you study them and think about them some more.
It’s still running as I write this, and I’m seeing things I never see locally.
Here’s another example on the web: http://www.luag.org/pages/viewfull.cfm?ElementID=10
or here http://www.artmolds.com/ali/halloffame/ron_muek.htm
or here
http://www.abc.net.au/brisbane/stories/s871783.htm
or here
http://www.artdaily.com/index.asp?int_sec=2&int_new=11815
or here
http://photomatt.net/2004/04/07/mosaic/
or here
http://www.artdaily.com/index.asp?int_sec=2&int_new=14741
or here
http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/13.08/bansky.html
or here
http://www.i-20.com/artist.php?artist_id=19
or here
http://www.illegal-art.org/print/index.html
or here
http://www.cowlesgallery.com/Burtynsky05.html
or here
http://arts.guardian.co.uk/gallery/image/0,8543,-10404817103,00.html
Ok enough’s enough. Do you see the difference between these types of art and what we see locally?
I love and hate the annual sidewalk art festival that’s this or next weekend. I love that art is out so prominently, and I hate how tame the local art scene is.
The local art scene is so tame it could be carried at Wal-Mart
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0 0 Joe - I agree that we need something like those exhibits you linked. To answer your questions - some local artists “challenge” me (if that’s the word), but they don’t really have a place to feature their work. Davin Hanson is an incredible local artist: http://www.davinsart.com if you want to check him out.
I would avidly support this project. In fact, I hear Davin’s working on such a project.
Vote:
0 0 I’m glad for the art we do have, don’t get me wrong, and the art we do have is created with fine craftsmanship.
However I find local pieces that make me stop and study them and think like I have found in other places (Boise or Moscow or Europe).
Perhaps that’s why many locals aren’t into art, because all they see is the same old pottery and horse scenes.
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0 0 I’d still like to know what a “Mo” is.
Vote:
0 0 Mo=Mormon
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0 0 I was hoping that JeremyPlo would define his own terms. Oh, well.
I figured that is what JeremyPlo meant by “Mo”. Perhaps you could include religious bigotry as another theme for an art contest.
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0 0 Religious bigotry is a real problem in America, and I could see it easily being a theme for this type of art gallery.
I’ve seen several art pieces based on racial bigotry, so religious would definitely fit the idea of challenging viewers.
Vote:
0 0 Are you alluding that using the term “Mo” is bigotry? It’s a nickname, my friend. It’s no different than me using the term “Pres” when telling people what church I attend.
I suggest a less defensive stance when dealing with what I must assume by now is your religion. A little chill-out will go a long way here.
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0 0 It’s not the nickname “Mo” that reflects bigotry. It is the prejudicial expression, JeremyPlo, that an entire identifiable group “won’t allow it” that represents a bigoted mindset.
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0 0 Considering the Mormon influence in this town, particularly their conservative nature (ie anti-provocative art), I believe that the Mormon population would attempt to block such an exhibit, and probably succeed.
If it’s my sentiment you find offenseive, I suggest you argue that, not my choice in terminology.
ps. Identifying a group and their intentions is not necessarily bigotous. I think thou dost protest too much.
Vote:
0 0 ehhhh, I have to agree with 8B on this one. You’re generalizing the entire group’s mindset based on the actions of the few (and likely the fringe).
For example, I recall several years ago some lady in Blackfoot got all twisted up over Motley Crue playing at the fair. I don’t know her religion, but she didn’t get much support on the issue from anyone. Therefore, she was in the fringe group, and she did not define the whole group.
Regarding your “Identifying a group and their intentions is not necessarily bigotous”, if it’s not bigotry it’s at least stereotyping. Think of the so-called ‘identifying a group’s intentions’ that go applied to blacks, Mexicans, Jews, immigrants, even 60’s hippies.
Just because you’re extremely judgemental of Mormons, does not mean other non-Mormons are as judgemental.
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0 0 And one other thing, this topic was about the merits of our local art scene, and if it is engaging us intellectually or not.
There has already been a post regarding religious debate. I hope further debate on that topic can move back to that comment string.
It’s right here: http://idahofallz.com/2006/06/25/religion-discussion/
I don’t want to lay a heavy-hand down on this, but further comments about religion in this topic will be deleted. Please keep the comments related to the topic originally posted.
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Vote:
I support it, but it will never happen. The Mo’s won’t allow it.
My buddy Davin’s been thinking about opening a gallery though.
We’ll see.