Southampton Arts Center Announces New Exhibition: Clearing the Air
The Transformative Power of the Arts
Following a year of unique and unprecedented challenges, Southampton Arts Center’s [SAC – southamptonartscenter.org] new exhibition, CLEARING THE AIR, examines the healing and transformative power of the arts. This thoughtful exhibition offers a much-needed sense of community and strength in the time of a global pandemic, political divide, and racial and social injustice. Curated by Jay Davis, artist and curator of Memorial Sloan Kettering [MSK] Cancer Center's Ambulatory Care Arts Program, the exhibition is presented by Primary Care and Reproductive Medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian. Opens on Friday, September 17 at 12 PM. Learn more at southamptonartscenter.org/clearing-the-air.
“Art is a powerful tool in the healing process – for both the artist and the observer,” shares SAC executive director Tom Dunn. “The need to create can be extremely compelling for those navigating health or personal challenges, resulting in meaningful work that offers more than meets the eye. Southampton Arts Center has long endeavored to install exhibitions that are thought-provoking, meaningful, and inclusive. Complementing and surrounding CLEARING THE AIR will be films, talks, workshops, and events across all disciplines highlighting art as a means for therapy, escape, distraction, elevation, and reflection. I feel this is the right show for right now.”
The work ranges from site-specific installations to audio and video work, ephemeral and occasionally humorous to meditative, introspective to scientific, and over the top. A quarter of the CLEARING THE AIR artists are or have been patients at MSK or other hospitals, with almost all having some experience in exhibiting within Davis’ installations at MSK.
“CLEARING THE AIR presents a new interpretation of how art can aim to be transformative,” Davis explains. “Never simply a cure, but something that can help strengthen, sustain, provide introspection and growth, this exhibition looks to break the status quo of how art can participate in healing. The work presented in this exhibit explores the different ways art can be a transformative, healing tool, coming from a diverse group of artists – some with experience as patients themselves, and art as a personal tool to recovery, while others have used their art to nurture, elevate and expand what it means to function as ‘healing art.’”
Artists include Hisham Akira Bharoocha, Matteah Baim, Tyler Beard, Sarah Bednarek, Patrick Berran, Robin Cameron, Amelia Carley, Joseph Cohen, Andy Cross, Jay Davis, Jeremy Dennis, Bill Donovan, Magali Duzant, Kimia Ferdowsi Kline, Karen Flatow, Peter Fox, Chie Fueki, Andrew Guenther, Ilana Harris-Babou, Jonah King, Ryan Kitson, Cara Lynch, Pooneh Maghazehe, Oliver Michaels, Alice Momm, Robert Moore, Kiyoshi Otsuka, Glorimer Ovalle (Gloflo), Emilio Perez, Matthew Raynor, Will Ryan, Hope Sandrow, Mark Sengbusch, Jef Scharf, Adam Sultan, Molly Surno, Carmen Teixidor, Alina Tenser, Stephen Truax, and Mitchell Wright.
SAC’s galleries will be open Thursday through Sunday from 12 to 5 PM beginning Friday, September 17. Learn more at southamptonartscenter.org/clearing-the-air.
SAC continues to follow all New York State and CDC guidelines for all programs and events.
The presenting sponsor of CLEARING THE AIR: The Transformative Power of the Arts is Primary Care and Reproductive Medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian. The exhibition media partner is The Southampton Press.
Select Southampton Arts Center programs are made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature. The SAC Summer Stage is sponsored by Primary Care and Reproductive Medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian. Clearing the Air is sponsored by Primary Care and Reproductive Medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian, with media partner The Southampton Press. WHIMSY is sponsored by Hauser and Wirth, with additional support from Marlborough Gallery and James Lane Post. FILM @ SAC is sponsored by Brown Harris Stevens. KIDS @ SAC is sponsored by Investors Bank. Additional support comes from Southampton Bath and Tennis Club. Financial Literacy Partner: J.P. Morgan Private Bank.
ABOUT SOUTHAMPTON ARTS CENTER
Southampton Arts Center is committed to community building through the arts. We present and produce inspiring, inclusive, socially and regionally relevant programs across all disciplines – welcoming, connecting, and collaborating with the diverse members of New York’s East End community and beyond. SAC is a not for profit 501(c)(3) organization.
For more information about Southampton Arts Center, located at 25 Jobs Lane, Southampton, New York 11968, visit southamptonartscenter.org or call 631.283.0967. Follow SAC on Facebook and Instagram @southamptonartscenter. For press inquiries, contact Rachel Bosworth via email at rachel@rachelbosworth.com or by phone at 631.220.1220.
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