Joint Exhibitions Open June 26 at Bronx Museum of the Arts and Wave Hill
For three decades, the Bronx Museum of the Arts’ Artist in the Marketplace (AIM) program has helped to demystify the often opaque professional practices of the art world for artists at the beginning of their careers and has introduced the work of these emerging artists to the public. On June 26, the Bronx Museum will open two exhibitions to celebrate the 30th anniversary of this ground-breaking program, Taking AIM and Bronx Calling: The First AIM Biennial.
JONGIL MA Untitled, 2011
Bronx Calling: The First AIM Biennial: Bronx Calling will consist of a joint exhibition at the Bronx Museum and Wave Hill, the two largest institutions in the Bronx dedicated to showcasing the work of local emerging artists. Curated by Wayne Northcross and Jose Ruiz, the exhibition will feature sculptures, works on paper, video installations, photographs, and other works by the 72 participants in the 2011 AIM program. A full list of artists is attached. All AIM artists currently live in the New York area and were born in the U.S., as well as countries around the world, including South Korea, Ecuador, Brazil, and Trinidad. Bronx Calling will be accompanied by an illustrated catalogue featuring the work of the 72 participants, as well as essays by Jose Ruiz, Wayne Northcross, and Christian Viveros-Faune.
Taking AIM: Curators Marysol Nieves and Monica Espinel will look at the history of the AIM program and how it has evolved as the field of contemporary art has become more complex, decentralized, and global over the past 30 years. Taking AIM will feature materials related to the history of the program, and the centerpiece of the exhibition will be a timeline mural commissioned for the anniversary designed by AIM alumna Amy Prior.
Thanks to a grant from the Rockefeller Foundation, the Bronx Museum is also working in partnership with the Randall’s Island Sports Foundation (www.randallsisland.org) and Made Event (www.madeevent.com) to host FLOW.11: Art and Music at Randall’s Island, an exhibition of site-specific works by AIM artists that explore the intersection of art and environment, to be installed along the scenic shoreline and waterfront pathways of Randall’s Island Park in the East River. Proposals have been submitted and the winners will be announced in late April; up to five works will be produced in 2011 and five (as FLOW.12) in 2012. The first set of works going on view along the Island’s waterfront on June 26th, and related events will also be produced around Made Event’s Electric Zoo festival, taking place at the park over Labor Day Weekend 2011.
In conjunction with the 30th anniversary of AIM, the Bronx Museum is working with Fordham University Press to publish Taking AIM! The Business of Being an Artist Today, a detailed guide with information and tools to help emerging artists develop strategies for building and sustaining successful careers.
“AIM was launched 30 years ago to give participants in the program real-world experience on how to survive as a professional artist, the type of training you don’t get in art school,” said Bronx Museum Director Holly Block. “The idea behind AIM is to empower artists, asking them what they want to learn about the profession, helping them network and build a sense of community, and exposing their work to new audiences. We believe that artists play a critical role in exploring the issues and ideas of our time and supporting emerging artists is part of the core mission of the Bronx Museum.”
AIM is structured as a “collaborative residency” in which participants work directly with established artists, collectors, art critics, curators, dealers, lawyers, and other art world professionals. AIM sessions provide information, instruction, and professional guidance by addressing areas of practical concern to artists, among them curatorial practice, copyright law, exhibition and public art opportunities, gallery representation, grant writing, income taxes, and marketing. The 13-week seminar is offered annually in two sessions, each with 36 artists, and culminating with an exhibition of the participants’ work. Among past participants in the AIM program are Glenn Ligon—who was one of the early AIM artists and whose work was first exhibited at the Bronx Museum—and Polly Apfelbaum, Rina Banerjee, Amy Cutler, Anton Vidokle, and Pheobe Washburn. In 2010, Christian Viveros-Faune was selected as the first Art Critic in Residence for the AIM program.
In 2009, an International Artist Residency was added to the AIM program. In the last two years, eight international artists have participated in the AIM sessions, including Raymond Romero (Venezuela, 2008), Andre Komatsu (Brazil, 2009), Billie Zangewa (South Africa, 2009), Dulce Gomez (Venezuela, 2009), Magdi Mostafa and Mahmud Kahled (Egypt, 2010), and Samba Seydi and Ibrahima Niang (Senegal, 2011).
THE BRONX MUSEUM OF THE ARTS
Founded in 1971, the Bronx Museum of the Arts is a contemporary art museum that connects diverse audiences to the urban experience through its permanent collection, special exhibitions, and education programs. Reflecting the borough’s dynamic communities, the Museum is the crossroad where artists, local residents, and national and international visitors meet. The Museum’s home on the Grand Concourse is a distinctive contemporary landmark designed by the internationally-renowned firm Arquitectonica.
To get to the Museum, visitors can take the B or D train to the 167 Street/Grand Concourse Station stop and walk south along the Grand Concourse two blocks. Please note: D trains do not stop during rush hour peak times (from 6:15 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. on Manhattan-bound trains, and from 4:00 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. on Bronx-bound trains). Visitors can also reach the Museum via the 4 train to 161 Street/Yankee Stadium. At the exit, walk east three blocks to Grand Concourse and north four blocks along Grand Concourse. For more information please visit www.bronxmuseum.org.
WAVE HILL
Often described as one of the greatest living works of art, Wave Hill is a public garden and cultural center overlooking the Hudson River and Palisades in the northwest Bronx. Its mission is to celebrate the artistry and legacy of its gardens and landscapes, to preserve its magnificent views, and to explore human connections to the natural work through program in horticulture, education and the arts. Its exhibition space, Glyndor Gallery, under the direction of Director of Arts and Senior Curator Jennifer McGregor, offers installations of contemporary art inspired by nature.
www.bronxmuseum.org