Artists Kalaktive, Benjamin Willis, Lexie Smith, Adee Roberson, Calista Lyon, Bobby T Luck, Susu Laroche, Dawn Kim, Cameron A. Granger, Natasha Cantwell, Dru Batte
Curator Heather Taylor
Venue Beeler Gallery, Columbus
All images Courtesy of Beeler Gallery, Columbus
The exhibition, on view by appointment Tuesday, Jan. 19, through Saturday, March 6, 2021, features 12 emerging Columbus-based, national, and international artists: Dru Batte of Columbus; Natasha Cantwell of Melbourne, Australia; Cameron A. Granger (Cinematic Arts, 2016) of Columbus; Kalaktive collaborative duo (Bahareh Khoshooee and Sareh Imani, both of New York), Dawn Kim of Austin, Texas; Susu Laroche of London, England; Bobby T Luck of Columbus; Calista Lyon of Columbus; Adee Roberson of Los Angeles; Lexie Smith of New York; and Benjamin Willis of Columbus.
For the exhibition, which was initially scheduled for November 2020 but was postponed due to COVID-19, Taylor asked each artist to respond to the ominous tone of 2020 and the uncertainty of the near future, compounded by the U.S. General Election. The show retains the title November as a reminder of the month’s menacing hypothesis, its prophetic realization, and the suspended gratification that we are still navigating. November is part of a collaboration with FotoFocus, a Cincinnati-based nonprofit arts organization that champions photography and lens- based art through exhibitions and public programming, and is made possible thanks to the generous support of FotoFocus, The Skestos Endowment Fund for Visiting Artists and Lectures, the Greater Columbus Arts Council, and the Ohio Arts Council.
“The artists participating created works that respond to this moment, our rituals, and the nature of being isolated,” says Taylor. “My hope is that this exhibition will create a restorative escape for viewers.”
Faculty Director of Galleries Tim Rietenbach is excited to welcome visitors back to Beeler Gallery and the opportunity to share Taylor’s curatorial vision. Beeler Gallery has numerous new health and safety protocols in place in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including timed admission tickets, face mask requirements for visitors and staff, limitations to the number of visitors allowed in the gallery at a given time, social distancing requirements, and enhanced cleaning procedures. CCAD will follow guidelines set by the state of Ohio regarding COVID-19 prevention, which may impact plans for November.
