Public Invited To 'Connect' at MCCC Gallery 10/17-11/12

Visitors are invited to connect with contemporary art at The Gallery at Mercer County Community College. A new exhibit, entitled "Connect," encourages viewers to explore some of the ideas and relationships behind 16 exciting installations. "Connect" runs from Oct. 17 to Nov. 12, with an Opening Reception on Saturday, Oct. 17, 2 - 4 p.m. Special programming for this exhibition includes a Gallery Talk on Monday, Oct. 26 at 7 p.m. and a concert by the multi-instrumental improv duo, "Stop Correcting Me," Thursday, Nov. 5 at 7:30 p.m. The exhibit and all events are free and open to the public and take place at The Gallery on the second floor of the college's Communications Building on the West Windsor campus, 1200 Old Trenton Road.

"Connect" is curated by the eight-person artist group, Movis, in collaboration with Tricia Fagan, director of The Gallery. Eight additional artists working in contemporary media or themes, including MCCC Professor of Visual Arts Yevgeniy Fiks, have been invited to exhibit as well. Among the sixteen works on display are sound installations, interactive video stations, sculpture, photography, prints, and multi-media sculptures, many installed with objects that inspired or directed the development of the artwork.

According to Fagan, the exhibit invites viewers to think more closely about some connections that the artist has made with objects, art history, personal concerns, and other factors while developing and creating his or her artwork. What inspires the artist? How does a specific influence come to life in his or her hands? Is there something going on under the surface of the piece? And what are the connections - both subtle and obvious - between the works of the artists?

The audience will have an opportunity to discover and share their own ideas about connections between the pieces. A suggestion box will be in The Gallery throughout the exhibit, along with a white board where visitors can experiment with different ways to display the art. At the end of Connect, the artists will review all the suggestions, and then will re-install the exhibit based on those ideas. The newly mixed show, "ReConnect," will run from Nov. 24 to Dec. 17.

The internationally and nationally known artists featured in "Connect" include: Peter Arakawa, Rita Asch, Berendina Buist, Mark Cooley, Anne Dixon, Yevgeniy Fiks, LaToya Ruby Frazier, Brian Goings, John Goodyear, Susan Hockaday, Lucy Hodgson, Eve Ingalls, Margaret Kennard Johnson, Caroline Lathan-Stiefel, Marsha Levin-Rojer, and Frank Magalhaes.

The exhibit is made possible in part through the support of the Mercer County Cultural and Heritage Commission, with funding from the Board of Chosen Freeholders and the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State.

Gallery hours are Tuesdays, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m.; Wednesdays, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m.; and Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

For more information, visit the MCCC website at www.mccc.edu/gallery or email gallery@mccc.edu.