February 14 – May 10, 2007
Special Events  |  Press Release

Greencastle, IN, February 2007 — The 2007 DePauw Biennial, an exhibition featuring the work of contemporary artists based in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio, will be on view at the Richard E. Peeler Art Center at DePauw University from February 14 through May 10, 2007.

Much like the large, international-scaled biennials that have become ubiquitous vehicles for identifying and showcasing trends and particularities in contemporary art, the DePauw Biennial was conceived as a means of bringing attention to the innovative work of artists based in the Midwest. Although it is more modest in scale and scope than its more comprehensive counterparts, its objective is the same: to legitimize the artists and work being produced in the region by inserting them into contemporary art discourse and to break with the isolation of the local/regional art scene by connecting it to a larger, national/global art world.

In addition to the gallery-based component of the show, several participating artists and artist groups/collectives in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio have been invited by curator Kaytie Johnson, DePauw’s Director and Curator of University Galleries, Museums and Collections, to experiment with modes of presentation by developing projects beyond expected exhibition sites – that is, the “white box” of the gallery space. By challenging the boundaries of contemporary art practice, the work and projects they are undertaking will engage people beyond traditional art audiences and explore the dynamics between artist and audience.

The 2007 DePauw Biennial explores richly divergent approaches to art-making in which site-specific projects – several staged or installed outside of the gallery and requiring the participation of the audience as “co-producers” – is intended to be not only an exhibition, but a dynamic and experiential forum for cultural production. The Biennial and its related projects will explore and redefine the relationship between audience and cultural institution, and artist and audience, and will test new structures of collaboration and venues for the presentation of innovative work.

Invited artists and artist groups/collectives include: Biggest Temporary Gang Ever (Biggest Fags Ever, Temporary Services and ausgang), CarianaCarianne, Matt Coors, Paul Coors, Ken Fandell, Diana Guerrero-Maciá, Kevin Hamilton, Terence Hannum, Mark Harris, Stuart Hyatt, Stephen Irwin, Andrew Loughnane, David Lozano, Sarah Lyon, newsense enterprises, Brian Nicely, Cynthia Norton, Melissa Pokorny, Letitia Quesenberry, Chris Radtke, Academy Records/SIMPARCH/Chris Vorhees, José Versoza, Matthew Waldbillig and Matthew Weddington.

The 2007 DePauw Biennial and its accompanying programs have been made possible by the generous support of the Indiana Arts Commission, a state agency, and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. Additional support has been provided by Neal Abraham, Donna Wiley and an anonymous donor.

SPECIAL EVENTS

Saturday, April 21, 2007

3:00 - 4:00 pm
Live performace of a radio play created by Academy Records, Simparch, and Chris Vorhees

4:15 - 4:30 pm
Parade of a carpet of 6000 aluminum cans created by the artists collective Biggest Temporary Gang Ever (Biggest Fags Ever, Temporary Services, and ausgang) from the Peeler parking lot to McKeen Field area

4:30 - 6:00 pm
BBQ/Cookout and Ballon launch at McKeen Field Area

Richard E. Peeler Art Center

For more information about special events associated with this exhibition, please call the gallery information line at 765.658.4882