Journey Into a World of Memory at New John Michael Kohler Arts Center Exhibition

SHEBOYGAN, Wis., Aug. 3, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- With the recent opening of Hiding Places: Memory in the Arts, the John Michael Kohler Arts Center began a provocative and lively six-month exploration of the rich and complex terrain of memory.

"Memory is embedded in everything around us; it is in our culture, beliefs, possessions and relationships," said Amy Chaloupka, lead curator. "We continually search for new ways to keep memories alive. Through varied avenues, Hiding Places offers a compelling and illuminating excursion into this enthralling territory."

HIDING PLACES includes the work of nearly 50 artists in a major exhibition, performances; community collaborations with artists, and educational programming.

The exhibition, which runs through December, encompasses all 12 Arts Center galleries and features works of art as diverse as the individuals who created them. Among the many aspects of memory considered are coping with Alzheimer's and dementia, comprehending shared cultural experiences, and processing the enormity of information encountered in daily activities.

Artists Gregory Blackstock and George Widener are autistic savants who transform their exceptional capacity to remember into awe-inspiring drawings. Blackstock rigorously addresses subjects ranging from recipes to avian species. Widener channels astonishing computing powers into detailed works full of calculations, calendar dates and census statistics.

Pat Graney and Deborah Aschheim each confront a family history of memory loss through interdisciplinary works. Graney's House of Mind fills an entire gallery and likens memory to the rooms of house; some are open and others locked shut. Aschheim and collaborator Lisa Mezzacappa offer an enveloping interpretation of the cerebral cortex, where memory lives, and surround viewers in a web of lights, video and sound.

Photographer Peter Feldstein explores shared memory. In 1984, Feldstein invited every resident in his hometown, population 676, to have her or his photograph taken. In 2004, he did it again. The subjects' reminiscences of the intervening years, compiled by journalist Stephen G. Bloom, accompany the two sets of images.

Sharon Church preserves otherwise intangible memories in expertly crafted contemporary mourning jewelry. Jon Coffelt's "memory clothing" utilizes the connection between people and the garments they wore by miniaturizing well-worn clothing into objects of commemoration.

For more information about HIDING PLACES, call (920) 458-6144 or visit www.jmkac.org. Admission to the John Michael Kohler Arts Center and its galleries is free.

SOURCE John Michael Kohler Arts Center