Three artists, three weeks—see the resulting Hot Mess at WVU through November 7.
Not every hot mess is an accident. Now through November 7 at the WVU Canady Creative Arts Center, you can see a deliberate Hot Mess—an art installation that is the accumulated collaboration of three artists.
“We latched onto the moniker Hot Mess because it reflects the randomness, humor, and sense of chance inherent to this process of inviting three very different artists to work together on a unified exhibit,” says WVU Associate Professor of Sculpture Dylan Collins, one of the project organizers.
Hot Mess: A Collaborative Drawing Installation is a collaboration in space and across time. It took shape over three weeklong residencies that placed mixed-media installations on the walls of the Laura Mesaros Gallery and included the participation of students.
First, in mid-September, fiber artist Hannah March Sanders of Cape Girardeau, Missouri, worked with students to crochet twisty, multicolor forms from recycled fabric and install them on the walls.
The following week, artist in residence Dawn Martin Dickins of Clarksville, Tennessee, drew directly on the walls of the gallery in response to what was already in place. Her black-on-white drawings of charcoal and acrylic paint are a stark contrast to the sinuous meanders that came before and bring interesting stories to mind to explain the juxtaposition.
Finally, Judith Braun of Albany, New York, is adding her touches this week. No spoilers here—you’ll just have to go see it.
Collins co-instigated the project with colleagues Joseph Lupo and Nichole Van Beek.
The Laura Mesaros Gallery is open 10 a.m. through 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The installation is free and open to the public.
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