Readapt Artists Reinterpret MassMu Permanent Collection Objects

Thursday  |  May 19, 2016  |  13:52 PM

News Release:  Readapt Artists Reinterpret MassMu Permanent Collection Objects

Readapt: Artwork Inspired by the Permanent Collection will open at the Massillon Museum on Saturday, June 4.  The Museum commissioned ten Ohio artists to reinterpret 20 objects from the permanent collection.  Their contemporary artwork will be exhibited in juxtaposition with the original artifacts in the main gallery through September 25, 2016.

The exhibition will open with a public reception for the artists on June 4 from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. The event is free and no reservations will be required. DJ Dave Ignizio of Square Records in Akron will remix vinyl records new and old. A free preview party for Museum members will begin at 6:00 p.m.  New members are welcome at any time.

Readapt celebrates the tenth anniversary of a similar exhibition, Adaptations, presented by the Massillon Museum in 2006.

A variety of techniques and materials will be included:  photography, textiles, metal sculpture, drawing, painting, jewelry, and mixed media. The artists include:  

Kevin Anderson, Canton
Kristen Cliffel, Cleveland
Melissa Daubert, Cleveland
Dana Depew, Berea
Andy Dreamingwolf, Mogadore
Brian Harnetty, Columbus
George Kozmon, Gates Mills
Noel Palomo-Lovinski, Kent
Francis Schanberger, Dayton
Gina Washington, Cleveland

Curator Heather Haden said:  "No two people interpret an object the same way.  What does the art and historical legacy of the Massillon Museum collection look like to artists, and how might it inspire continued creativity?  That is the question posed by this project.  The Massillon Museum's collecting history is wide ranging, including ethnographic objects, fine art, historic costumes, and more. Teh "seasons" of the Museum's collection were identified from its 83-year history, and each artist was assigned to one of these seasons; I selected two representative objects from each of these ten collections.  The task of each artist was to adapt some element—aesthetic, historical, or even an emotional response—of his/her assigned Museum artifacts into a new creation. Massillon Museum patrons will have the opportunity to discover the collections anew through the perspective of artists across the state."

The ten artists commissioned for Readapt are as varied in their chosen media as the Museum’s collection is diverse; media include furniture, large-scale drawings, anthotypes, clothing design, ceramics, metalwork, film, neon, and multimedia. 

Visitors to the Readapt exhibition will also be able to see Echo: The Early History of Sound Recording; Paul Brown and Racial Integration in Ohio Football; the Studio M exhibition, Older Than I: Photography by Jeremy Aronhalt, curated by Craig Joseph; Las Mariposas: The Mirabal Sisters; and The Immel Circus.

Several Museum events and classes will accent the Readapt exhibition. Relics and Refabs: MassMu Appraisal Fair and Market, a Capital Campaign fundraiser on Saturday, June 25, will include verbal appraisals, vendors, panel discussions, music, food, children’s art activities, demonstrations, and a beer garden. Heather Haden will present a curator talk and behind-the-scenes tour on Tuesday, June 28. Readapt artist Kristen Cliffel will present a workshop, “Create a Personal Icon,” on Saturday, September 10.  Visit the Museum’s website for more details:massillonmuseum.org.

The Readapt closing party on Saturday, September 24, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m., will feature a raffle of the exhibition artwork.  Proceeds will benefit the Capital Campaign.

In a collaborative project, eight Museum staff members and contracted teachers—on their personal time—will create interpretations of their favorite permanent collection artifacts for an exhibition, Conversations with Our Collection, in the gallery at Cyrus Custom Framing in Canton during August and September. Photographs of the original objects will accompany those contemporary works of art.

The Massillon Museum receives operating support from the Ohio Arts Council and ArtsinStark.

The Massillon Museum is located at 121 Lincoln Way East in downtown Massillon. Free parking is available on adjacent streets and in nearby city lots. For more information, call 330.833.4061 or visit massillonmuseum.org. A visit to the Massillon Museum is always free.