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Media Contact: Steve Carr, (505) 277-1821; e-mail: scarr@unm.edu

 

April 6, 2007

 

UNM Honors Student to Bring Victorian House to Life with Site-Specific Art Exhibition
Reception for popular Vida Art Exhibitions to feature curator’s artwork in century-old house

Janie Perry Gonzales, a University of New Mexico honors student and curator of Vida Art Exhibitions, will be presenting a show of her artwork in a unique site-specific location – a historical, lovely red-brick Victorian house in the heart of downtown Albuquerque. This exhibition will be her third solo show. A reception will be held Friday, May 18, from 5 to 8 p.m., at 601 Iron, S.W.

In this solo honors thesis exhibition, “Connections – The Big Picture,” Gonzales’ art is about a journey through healing.

This non-traditional venue, ideally suited for Vida Art Exhibitions, is one of the many powerful metaphors that communicate the exhibition’s theme.

Built in the 1890’s, the sturdy two-story building has itself survived many ups and downs, yet it stands in the midst of new development of towering office construction and condos, strong, triumphant, and proud of its history.

Recently, due to the record cold temperatures this past winter, water pipes in the house froze in an upstairs bathroom and water sprayed unnoticed in the vacant house for several days. Gonzales and her husband Art, walked into the ground floor to see water dripping from exposed rafters and soaked ceilings, which lay in piles on the refinished hardwood floors.

Before this tragedy occurred, Gonzales had often thought the house would make a perfect venue to showcase fine art.

“We had always tossed out the idea because we didn’t want to expose the beautiful, original hardwood floors to crowds of high-heeled viewers…sometimes, out of pain comes a new paradigm,” said Gonzales. “We just need to step back and look at the “big picture.’ Suddenly Vida Art Exhibitions had the perfect non-traditional and unexpected venue! This historical, resilient Victorian house is like myself healed and ready for its role in connecting its viewers with the magic of art.”

Gonzales, who is an older, non-traditional student, will graduate with a bachelor of Fine Arts degree with honors from UNM on May 12. In 2005 and 2006, she was awarded two grants for her work with Vida Art Exhibitions from the PLACE program at UNM.

Her work has been exhibited in many venues including the UNM Student Health Center, the UNM Development/Foundation Office, the UNM Student Union Building, the New Mexico

Fair and The Arts Alliance Gallery. Works are presently on exhibit in room 167-G at UNM Zimmerman Library and at the UNM Family Practice Center.

In this new body of work, Gonzales explores her own journey from back-related disability and immobility to hope, inspiration, opportunity and adventure.  Her three years in enchanting Spain play a major role in the exhibition along with stones, marigolds, tickets and her personal symbol, a paper clip. 

In all of Gonzales’ works, a paper clip is either blatantly obvious, as in her five-foot-long wooden paper clip bench, or she hides this image in each piece for the curious viewer to possibly discover. The paper clip imagery is a tribute to her beloved mother, Mary Jane VanDamme Perry. The sculptural bench will be surrounded by large acrylic paintings and her newest vibrant pastel series.

Vida Art Exhibitions is a community-based project whose mission is to place fine art in unexpected places for the mutual benefit of all parties involved. Previous Vida Art Exhibitions have involved as many as 27 artists in a single show, while this seventh event will be the first to feature a solo artist. Following this exhibition, some of the pieces will be shown in medical facilities in Albuquerque. The exhibit may also be viewed after May 18 by appointment.

A portion of any sales proceeds will be donated to Albuquerque’s Healthcare for the Homeless. For more information about “Connections – The Big Picture” or upcoming Vida Art Exhibition opportunities call, 899-2830 or e-mail Perry Gonzales at, jfpg@unm.edu

 

About VIDA Art Exhibitions…

Vida Art Exhibitions’ name was originally inspired from its debut exhibition in December of 2005 at the John Marshall Multi-Service Center in Albuquerque’s South Broadway neighborhood. Because of its community-based mission, a connection was established with the patients and families of the Maternity and Infant Care Clinic, one of the 13 agencies housed in that building. The intention was to bring fine art into a medical environment to help relieve stress and give hope and inspiration to the viewers.

“Vida” meaning “life” in Spanish seemed like a great theme for the exhibition. Since the success of that first exhibition, the theme, “Vida” became an all-encompassing name for the project in general. Everything, after all, relates to the sacredness, the wonder, and each individual’s unique personal journey through “life.” Vida Art Exhibitions can be boiled down into a powerful, undeniable, yet simple idea.

“Since art makes me feel good, what can it do for others?”  

-- Janie Perry Gonzales

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