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Small Works 2020

Exhibition dates: November 7 – December 4, 2020

 

The seventh annual Small Works exhibition at Main Street Arts features work by 182 artists from 30 states. A national juried exhibition of work 12 inches or smaller, this year’s Small Works exhibition was juried by Tiffany Gaines, a Buffalo-based writer, multimedia content creator and emerging curator. Currently she serves as the curatorial and digital content associate at the Burchfield Penney Art Center.

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Artwork copyright is retained by each artist.

“It was truly an honor to juror this year’s Small Works exhibition. Selecting from 320 dynamic submissions was both a unique challenge and an enjoyable exploration ofwork from a national pool of artists. Jurying this exhibition was a pleasant reminder of the many ways art serves as a record of our lifetimes. Art has long been a tool of contemplation to foster understanding; a source for documentation, catharsis, emotion and a statement of the times. During this unprecedented moment in history, it is humbling, and increasingly necessary, to contribute to the amplification of art as a vessel of response.

 

Several selections are direct reflections of a tumultuous set

of current events – whether meditations on the amassing emotions brought on by an ongoing international health crisis or commentary on the continued fight for social justice. Others employ narrative to consider poignant and timeless themes, among them pain, identity, freedom, isolation, and the implications of today’s actions on tomorrow. Some works, exploring more traditional subject matter and technique, provide respite, offering moments of stillness and a subtle reminder of the beauty and fragility that exists

in the natural world.

 

I strived to pick a range of works that both directly and indirectly evoked sentiments of observation, contemplation and mindfulness. When thinking about the work through the cultural lens of the present, it is these sentiments that allow the lessons of the past and present to become the fabric of the future. It is my hope that the selections here, and art in general, inspire us to question not only the lessons of this moment, but where we hope to see ourselves – and our world – after it has passed. May art continue to illuminate the path towards a better, more equitable tomorrow.”

 

— Tiffany Gaines, exhibition juror

View the exhibition walkthrough and award annoucements below or visit our YouTube channel.

 

 

 

Read artist statements and bios from each of the artists in the exhibition in the gallery guide.

 

 

 

 

 

View more photos of the exhibition on our Flickr page.

 

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