Breaking Criminal Traditions at the Human Rights Institute Gallery of Kean University

The entrance to
The Art of Influence: Breaking Criminal Traditions
at the Human Rights Institute Gallery of Kean University, Union New Jersey
 

This past March, I had the honor of speaking at the United Nations, Commission on the Status of Women-60th session. The session—Chaired by social activist, Cheryl Jefferson—was titled “Change Artists: Using the Arts to Leverage Change” and the ideas that were discussed were based on an always evolving traveling fine art exhibition titled “The Art of Influence: Breaking Criminal Traditions.” As the Curator for the exhibition, my contribution to the discussion focused on the conception of the show, my curatorial selection process, and the project’s evolution over the past three years.

Earlier this week, I installed the latest version of “… Breaking Criminal Traditions” at the Human Rights Institute Gallery of Kean University in Union, New Jersey. The show consists of more than 50 works-of-art —painting, drawing, prints, sculpture, photography, and mixed media—created by twenty-two artists from around the country. A video tour of a past show—featuring Cheryl Jefferson—is projected to an adjacent outside public space… sparking interest and inviting onlookers into the expansive exhibition space.

The content of the exhibition calls attention to ongoing ancient rituals that continue to kill or maim millions of people each year—yet are not considered crimes. The interpretative content addressed violations such as honor killing, child marriage, human trafficking, and acid violence. Using the beauty of high-quality fine art pieces, the intent is to raise awareness of human rights issues and—in doing so—open a dialogue that may encourage change. The exhibition is designed to begin an exchange of ideas—raising social consciousness, which is the first step in preventing the continuation of these horrific acts.

The substance of each show is reevaluated, re-imagined and then chosen for each specific venue. With various human rights issues in mind, I select work that is approachable, yet makes a visual connection to the atrocities. Many of the exhibiting artists never intended that their work define these subjects. The work that is included is selected to allude to the issues—the meaning ultimately decided by the interpretation of the viewer.

An Opening Reception for “The Art of Influence: Breaking Criminal Traditions” is scheduled for Tuesday, October 4th from 5-8 pm. The College Hour, Pre-Reception Programming with Cheryl Jefferson, will begin at 3:30. The Human Rights Institute Gallery is located at 1000 Morris Avenue in Union, New Jersey. The gallery is roughly fifteen-minutes via Uber from the Newark airport. Gallery Hours are Monday thru Wednesday: 11:00am–6:00pm, Thursday: 11:00am–4:30pm, and Friday: 11:00am–4:00pm Exhibitions are free and open to the public. Additional information on this project can be found at: BreakingCriminalTraditions.com

The exhibition includes works of art by: Carol Brookes [Chicago,IL], Corinna Button (Chicago, IL), James Deeb (Evanston, IL), Sheila Ganch (Chicago, IL), Claire Girodie (Baltimore, MD), Charles Gniech (Chicago, IL), Sergio Gomez (Chicago, IL), Andrea Harris (Chicago, IL), Teresa Hofheimer (Chicago, IL),  Lelde Kalmite (Chicago, IL), Paula Kloczkowski Luberda (Naperville, IL), Richard Laurent (Chicago, IL), Kathy Liao (Seattle, WA), Chandrika Marla (Northbrook, IL), Zoriah Miller (New York, NY, Paris, France), Joyce Polance (Chicago, IL), Nancy Rosen (Chicago, IL), Lorraine Sack (Tucson, AZ), Dominic Sansone (St. Charles, IL), Valerie Schiff (Evanston, IL), Barbara Simcoe (Omaha, NE), and Anne Smith Stephan (Wilmette, IL)
.

Breaking Criminal Traditions at the Bridgeport Art Center

Richard Laurent, “Arcadia”, oil on canvas, 36 x 36” 2015

Save the Date: October 16th, 7-10pm
From our Press Release for the upcoming exhibition...

The Art of Influence: Breaking Criminal Traditions
An exhibition utilizing the beauty of high-quality fine art to raise awareness of human rights issues

October 16 – November 13, 2015
Reception: Friday, October 16, 7-10pm

Opening October 16th at the Bridgeport Art Center is, The Art of Influence: Breaking Criminal Traditions. This fine art exhibition, features the work of twenty artists from around the country, calling attention to the ongoing ancient rituals that kill or maim millions each year—yet are not considered crimes. The exhibition utilizes the beauty of high-quality fine art to raise awareness of human rights issues and—in doing so—begins a dialogue that may encourage change. It’s no mistake that this unique rendition of the Breaking Criminal Traditions exhibition is presented during October—Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

This provocative yet engaging exhibition debuted in 2013 at the IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law, putting the shadowy topics of honor killing, child marriage, acid violence—among others—directly in front of current and future law makers. Since the show debuted, new art pieces have been added. The show has evolved into the unique presentation designed specifically for the Bridgeport Art Center.

Chuck Gniech is the curator of the always-changing Breaking Criminal Traditions exhibition. With various human rights issues outlined by Executive Producer, Cheryl Jefferson, Gniech began researching and selected pieces that could be interpreted to define the issues at hand. Gniech points out that “Many of the exhibiting artists never intended that their work define human rights issues. I simply select beautifully intriguing works-of-art that contain multiple levels of meaning. Each was chosen to allude to the issues—the meaning ultimately decided by the interpretation of the viewer.”

Gniech continues… “Although most of the work in this exhibition is taken out of context, from the artist’s original intention, there are pieces that have been created to address specific criminal traditions.”

“Richard Laurent’s Arcadia, is a surreal composition of a faceless female figure amongst a strangely beautiful landscape. The painting—filled with subtle surprises—highlights a monumental mask as the point of focus. The mask rests gently against a patterned mountain range—that upon closer inspection—appears to be the haunches of an animal. The eyes of the mask, stare blankly off into space… providing an expression of loss or disillusion.”

Artist, Richard Laurent explains that “The image references an ancient social idea—an idea where women are considered feral and by ancient logic... dangerous. She exists only as a mask. Her dream is to be transformed from an empty vessel, into a moral—if not empowered—human being. The title points to a personal outcome without limits.”

Chuck Gniech has curated numerous fine art exhibitions with an emphasis on social justice. The Art of Influence: Breaking Criminal Traditions continues the string of shows that offer a visual exploration of human rights issues. This show is designed to begin a dialogue and raise consciousness, which is the first step toward preventing the continuation of these horrifying acts.

“The global reach of these complex behaviors extends to the United States,” points out executive producer, Cheryl Jefferson, a participant in the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women. “The exhibit allows us to take the first step toward change and to support the legal evolution that can only come from within other cultures and our own.”

The exhibition includes works of art by: Corinna Button (Chicago, IL), James Deeb (Evanston, IL), Sheila Ganch (Chicago, IL), Claire Girodie (Baltimore, MD), Charles Gniech (Chicago, IL), Sergio Gomez (Chicago, IL), Andrea Harris (Chicago, IL), Teresa Hofheimer [Chicago IL], Lelde Kalmite, [Chicago, IL], Paula Kloczkowski Luberda (Naperville, IL), Richard Laurent (Chicago, IL), Kathy Liao (Seattle, WA), Chandrika Marla (Highland Park, IL), Zoriah Miller (New York, NY, Paris, France), Nancy Rosen (Chicago, IL), Lorraine Sack (Indianapolis, IN), Dominic Sansone (Chicago, IL), Valerie Schiff (Chicago, IL), Barbara Simcoe (Omaha, NE), and Anne Smith Stephan (Wilmette, IL)

The Art of Influence: Breaking Criminal Traditions will be on display through November 13. A public Opening Reception will take place on Friday, October 16 from 7-10pm. The Bridgeport Art Center is located at 1200 W. 35th Street, Chicago, IL 60609. The gallery is open Monday–Saturday 8am-6pm and Sunday 8am-12pm. Most of the pieces included in the exhibition are available for purchase. Additional information can be found at BreakingCriminalTraditions.com.

Breaking Criminal Traditions ~ Additional Programming: Friday, February 27 at 7pm

Paula Kloczkowski Luberda, Overwhelme, Stoneware, 6 x 6 x 6.5" 

Please join us on Friday, February 27 at 7pm, for evening of Free Programming in conjunction with the fine art exhibition, Breaking Criminal Traditions on view at The Schoenherr Gallery of North Central College

The evening will include a Dance Performance Piece by Jasmin Jahal, followed by a Panel Discussion lead by Breaking Criminal Traditions Executive Producer, Cheryl Jefferson, and a screening of the documentary "Honor Diaries". The event should conclude at 9pm.

The Madden Theatre is located in the same building as the Schoenherr Gallery of North Central College… 171 E. Chicago Avenue, Naperville, IL 60540. We look forward to seeing you!

Additional Information:
The art of influence... Breaking Criminal Traditions is an exhibition created to raise awareness of global criminal traditions. Criminal traditions are ancient, ongoing rituals that kill or maim millions each year—yet they are rarely considered crimes. In creating awareness and beginning a dialogue, the intention is to promote change from within each affected culture.

Debuting in 2013 at IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law, variations of the exhibit have been presented at: The Beverly Art Center, The Art Center-Highland Park and the Schoenherr Gallery of North Central College. Each new venue presents a unique body of work—incorporating select pieces from prior exhibitions, as well as new works. All of the pieces are selected to allude to the issues without being overtly obvious. The content of the exhibition addresses the harsh reality of the world in which we live—and the intense beauty of empowerment and freedom. Additional information can be found at BreakingCriminalTraditions.com
.

Opening Tonight: Breaking Criminal Traditions at the Schoenherr Gallery of North Central College

 

Opening Tonight: Breaking Criminal Traditions at the Schoenherr Gallery of North Central College 171 E. Chicago Avenue, Naperville, IL 60540. The event is from 6:30-9

The art of influence... Breaking Criminal Traditions is an exhibition created to raise awareness of global criminal traditions. Criminal traditions are ancient, ongoing rituals that kill or maim millions each year—yet they are rarely considered crimes. In creating awareness and beginning a dialogue, the intention is to promote change from within each affected culture.

Debuting in 2013 at IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law, variations of the exhibit have been presented at: The Beverly Art Center, The Art Center-Highland Park and the Schoenherr Gallery of North Central College. Each new venue presents a unique body of work—incorporating select pieces from prior exhibitions, as well as new works. All of the pieces are selected to allude to the issues without being overtly obvious. The content of the exhibition addresses the harsh reality of the world in which we live—and the intense beauty of empowerment and freedom.

The exhibition includes work by: Corinna Button, James Deeb, Sheila Ganch, Charles Gniech, Sergio Gomez, Andrea Harris, Lelde Kalmite, Paula Kloczkowski Luberda, Richard Laurent, Kathy Liao, Chandrika Marla, Nancy Rosen, Lorraine Sack, Dominic Sansone, Valerie Schiff, Barbara Simcoe, and Anne Smith Stephan.

The Art of Influence: Breaking Criminal Traditions opens tonight with an Opening Reception from 6:30-9pm. All works are available for purchase. The Schoenherr Gallery of North Central College is located at 171 E. Chicago Avenue, Naperville, IL 60540. The Breaking Criminal Traditions exhibition will continue through April 6, 2015. Additional information can be found at BreakingCriminalTraditions.com
.

Breaking Criminal Traditions at the Schoenherr Gallery of North Centeral College, Opens Friday

Charles Gniech, Bound, Acrylic on Canvas, 40x60"

This Friday, the latest incarnation of The Art of Influence: Breaking Criminal Traditions exhibition will open at the Schoenherr Gallery of North Central College in Naperville. The exhibition features artists from around the country, calling attention to ongoing ancient rituals that kill or maim millions each year. The exhibition utilizes the beauty of high-quality fine art to allude to human rights issues.

The exhibition is filled with symbolic imagery with multiple levels of meaning. Bound a 40 x 60 inch acrylic painting, can be seen as a tied figure but the ropes can be seen as metaphor for the psychological constants that are imposed on victims of violence and abuse. The heroic figure isn't restrained by the rope, yet he seems to grasp for the fibers that restrict him.

The exhibition includes work by: Corinna Button, James Deeb, Sheila Ganch, Charles Gniech, Sergio Gomez, Andrea Harris, Lelde Kalmite, Paula Kloczkowski Luberda, Richard Laurent, Kathy Liao, Chandrika Marla, Nancy Rosen, Lorraine Sack, Dominic Sansone, Valerie Schiff, Barbara Simcoe, and Anne Smith Stephan.

The Art of Influence: Breaking Criminal Traditions opens Friday, February 13th with an Opening Reception from 6:30-9pm. All works are available for purchase. The Schoenherr Gallery of North Central College is located at 171 E. Chicago Avenue, Naperville, IL 60540. The Breaking Criminal Traditions exhibition will continue through April 6, 2015.

The Art of Influence... Corinna Button

Corinna Button, Little Black Dress, Stoneware

"The Art of Influence: Breaking Criminal Traditions" is currently on exhibition at The Art Center-Highland Park. The show presents more than fifty paintings, drawing, prints and sculptures created by fifteen fine artists from around the country. Each artist directed by their own specific passion, has created work not necessarily intending to address human rights issues... And yet they do.

I've selected pieces that are intriguing—with many levels of interpretation. Being conscious of the human rights issues outlined by Executive Producer, Cheryl Jefferson, I chose beautifully intriguing works of art that contain multiple levels of meaning—the meaning ultimately defined by the interpretation of the viewer.

Button's work—painting, sculpture, and prints—tend to explore humanity. Utilizing the figure as subject, the outcome defines a visual vocabulary where distressed beauty converges with quiet elegance. She points out...

"It's my fascination with people, the masquerades, performances and dramas seen in daily life that provides me with a continual source of inspiration."

"Little Black Dress" [shown above] seems to address the repression of women in male dominated societies. The bondage-inspired apparatus with voluptuous curves and pleated ruffles, accentuates the femininity of the form, referencing the beauty and grandeur of red carpet fashion. The piece may be a symbol of suppression, or perhaps the piece is just a nod to the beauty of women and fashion. Either way... it begins a dialogue.

The exhibition continues through December 29. The Art Center-Highland Park is located at 1957 Sheridan Road, Highland Park, Illinois. This event is free and open to the public. All works are available for purchase.

The Art of Influence: Breaking Criminal Traditions includes works of art by: Corinna Button, James Deeb, Sheila Ganch, Claire Girodie, Sergio Gomez, Andrea Harris, Paula Kloczkowski Luberda, Richard Laurent, Kathy Liao, Chandrika Marla, Zoriah Miller, Nancy Rosen, Lorraine Sack, Valerie Schiff, Barbara Simcoe, and Anne Smith Stephan.

Originally from Sheffield, England, Corinna Button earned her BA (Honors) in Fine Art from Leeds Metropolitan University. Although continuing to paint, Button adopted printmaking as her primary medium of expression and earned a postgraduate degree in advanced printmaking from the Croydon School of Art. Her exhibition history is extensive, with shows in the US, Hungary, Denmark, Germany, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Korea, and of course her country of origin, the UK. Her work is held in a number of important collections including the BBC, The University of Aberystwyth, the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford and Castle Lesley in Ireland. She has garnered recognition with awards, including the Hector Purchase prize and the University of of Aberystwyth prize . Button's work is featured in several publications, such as 'Extraordinary Sketchbooks' and 'Printmaker's Secrets' (Published by A&C Black). Button is an elected member of the Royal Society of Painter-Printmakers. Corinna Button works in several mediums and will often combine these, blending painting, printmaking and collage to create the qualities she is seeking in each individual work. The results are uniquely textured artworks that embrace both the deliberate and accidental elements of the artist's process.

Dominic Sansone ~ "Away From This Inverted World"

An exhibition titled “Away From This Inverted World” just closed at the Bridgeport Art Center. Michiko Kobayashi curated the show. Kobayashi selected a variety of pieces that explore issues inflicted on humanity. The artists included were: Cleveland Dean, Dominic Sansone, Lara Nguyen, and Corinna Button.

Lelde Kalmite, Curator of the Bridgeport Art Center, alerted me of the exhibition—urging me to see the show before it closed. She wanted me to experience the exhibit due to its connection to a traveling exhibition that I’ve been curating, titled “…Breaking Criminal Traditions”. So last Friday, I took a ride out to Bridgeport.

When I entered the gallery, I was enthralled. The work was beautifully presented—creating an opportunity to pause before moving on to explore the next visual statement. I’ve work with Corinna Button on the BCT show and was very familiar with her work, but this was my second exposure to the sculpture of Dominic Sansone. Sansone’s pieces slap the viewer in the face with their brutally direct interpretation of the world in which we live and the society that we’ve become. Sansone’s statement in part reads:

Through my current body of artwork I explore the violence of humankind and the role each of us play in facilitating an endless cycle of barbarity. Americans, in particular, have seemingly become addicted to the state of war, in part, due to our desensitization at the hands of the media we consume. From video games glorifying killing, to twenty-four hour coverage of conflicts, to real time video of smart bombs dropping down chimneys, we have an endless supply of stimuli to numb ourselves. The pain and suffering endured by others becomes nothing more than flickering images on a screen.

The work is brilliantly honest. I hope to include Sansone's work in future presentations of “Breaking Criminal Traditions”. I’ll keep you posted.

Dominic Sansone is a native of Chicago Illinois and holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign and a Master of Fine Arts from the Herron School of Art and Design in Indianapolis. After completing his BFA studies, he spent two years working for an aerospace company producing fabrication and assembly drawings for satellites, military aircraft, and mobile artillery units. He next spent over a decade in the tradeshow industry and has overseen worldwide exhibition programs for major multinational corporations. Dominic has exhibited in group and solo exhibitions across the United States and he is represented by Baang + Burne in New York City, Minan Gallery in Los Angeles, and Fulton Market Gallery in Chicago; in addition to teaching at the Evanston Art Center.

James Deeb: Breaking Criminal Traditions at The Art Center-Highland Park

James Deeb, "Silent Witnesses" Monotype, 30"x22" 

Save the Date: Friday, November 7th

Opening November 7th at The Art Center of Highland Park is, The Art of Influence: Breaking Criminal Traditions. This fine art exhibition, features the work of fifteen artists from around the country, calling attention to the ongoing ancient rituals that kill or maim millions each year—yet are not considered crimes. The exhibition utilizes the beauty of high-quality fine art to raise awareness of human rights issues and—in doing so—begin a dialogue that may encourage change.

This provocative yet engaging exhibition debuted in 2013 at the IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law, putting the shadowy topics of honor killing, child marriage, acid violence—among others—directly in front of current and future law makers. Since the show debuted, new art pieces have been added. The show has evolved into the unique presentation designed specifically for The Art Center of Highland Park.

The pieces selected for this exhibition are intriguing—with many levels of interpretation… Conscious of the human rights issues outlined by Executive Producer, Cheryl Jefferson, I selected beautifully intriguing works of art that contain multiple levels of meaning. Each piece was chosen to allude to the issues at hand… the meaning ultimately defined by the interpretation of the viewer. For example, "Silent Witnesses" by James Deeb, is a 30x22” Monotype, that was developed from Deeb’s interest in medical and dental x-rays. I found it appropriate for inclusion due to the implied content; the use of figurative abstraction with an emphasis on the bones of the mouth—a graphic image that alludes to the silencing of the repressed. Deeb explains...

 “… After I finished it [Silent Witnesses] and the other pieces in the series, I realized that they were less about human interaction with medical technology and more about taboo subjects often left unspoken. This fits particularly well with the theme of Breaking Criminal Traditions. Speaking out against these crimes almost always leads to violent reprisals. The victims’ coerced silence helps give these “traditions” and their perpetrators an air of normalcy that allows the vicious cycle to continue. I want Silent Witnesses to point out the need to give a voice to the voiceless.”

The exhibition includes works of art by: Corinna Button, James Deeb, Sheila Ganch, Claire Girodie, Sergio Gomez, Andrea Harris, Paula Kloczkowski Luberda, Richard Laurent, Kathy Liao, Zoriah Miller, Nancy Rosen, Lorraine Sack, Valerie Schiff, Barbara Simcoe, and Anne Smith Stephan.

The public Opening Reception will take place on Friday, November 7 from 6:30-9pm. The Art Center of Highland Park is located at 1957 Sheridan Road, Highland Park, IL 60035. The gallery is open Monday–Saturday 9am-4:30pm. Most of the pieces included in the exhibition are available for purchase. Additional information can be found at BreakingCriminalTraditions.com.

James Deeb was born behind the wall in Berlin, Germany. He received his undergraduate degree from Indiana University South Bend in 1988 and earned a Master of Fine Art degree from Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo in 1994. Deeb’s first one-person show was ‘Dislocated Media’ in 1988. Since then, he has shown his work in numerous competitive, group and solo exhibitions. James lives and works in Evanston, Illinois.
.