TONTO REVISITED: Native American Stereotypes Collection of Tom Huff. November 6 to December 18, 2010
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COMBAT PAPER: Drew Cameron—Iraq Veterans Against the War. October 8 to November 1, 2008
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Welcome to ArtRage
Opened in 2008, ArtRage Gallery has hosted 53 exhibitions that combine visual appeal and discuss various issues, including civil rights, effects of war, and notions of community.
ArtRage has displayed photos by Milton Rogovin and Marjorie Wilkins. Many of Milton’s images documented Buffalo neighborhoods, while Marjorie’s work was on Syracuse’s 15th Ward, a predomi nantly African-American neighborhood devastated by urban renewal and Route 81. A third show featured Lida Suchy’s portraits of Syracuse Community Choir members, celebrating this vibrant community organization.
The link is clear between Matt Herron’s documentary-style photos of three 1965 Selma-to-Montgomery civil-rights marches and Keith Morris Washington’s haunting landscape paintings of lynching locations. Herron’s exhibit provided historical context, but also acknowledged that civil-rights issues were not all resolved during the 1960s. Washington emphasized the continuing impact of lynchings in our nation.
“Global Citizen,” featuring Marlena Buczek Smith’s drawings, referenced human rights, environmental threats, and other issues. “Remnants of a Secret War” presented Mike Greenlar’s photographs of day-to-day life in Hmong communities in Laos still dealing with bombs and ordinances from the Viet Nam War. Mexican communities resisting globalization were the focus of “The Power of Revolt: Grassroots Resistance in Oaxaca.”
ArtRage reflects flexibility in working with artists from Syracuse and around the nation that consistently fulfill two objectives: displaying socially conscious work and organizing shows with lots of eye appeal.
–Carl Mellor
Dik Cool and Rose Viviano co-founded the ArtRage Gallery as a space devoted to activist art exhibitions and programming on the social issues related to eachexhibition. Renovations to 505 Hawley Ave. (the gallery’s current location) began in 2007 with a generous donation from Ruth Putter for that purpose.
The gallery is staffed by Kimberly McCoy as CEO (Community Engagement Organizer) and Rose Viviano as Director, along with dozens of volunteers, including a 12 member Board of Directors from the Syracuse community. Since opening in 2008, ArtRage has held 53 exhibitions and hosted over 58,000 visitors.
–Rose Viviano
Reflections
ArtRage, maybe uniquely in the US, has redefined what it means to be a gallery and what art itself may mean and be in our minds. ArtRage is so much more than its diverse and outstanding exhibits. We especially remember its very first exhibit back in 2008—the veterans’ paper project. That event set the high standard that has us returning to ArtRage time and again. Not just for the unique and conscious art, but for the rich assortment of films and dramatic presentations. Who can forget those live and startling productions of “Project Unspeakable” and “The Vagina Monologues” or talks by so many activists and creative artists? Besides the consistently remarkable events, ArtRage is unique in hospitality. The space is available for our meetings and celebrations, open to every progressive cause—a true community asset. Viva Kim! Viva Rose!
–Ed Kinane and Ann Tiffany
Among the most enlightening ArtRage exhibits I’ve seen were Tom Huff ‘s collection of kitschy American Indian images from pop culture, eye-opening photographs of family and social occasions in Germany during the Third Reich, and Dick Ford’s piano performance demonstrating how “Coon Songs” influenced American pop music in the early-20th Century. Thanks ArtRage!
–Russ Tarby
How could I not have high praise for “Still The One: Douglas Lloyd Makes Portraits of Women Making Change the Old Fashioned Way” and Max Ginsburg’s “The Realities of Our Times?”
–Mary Ann Zeppetello
This past year I was particularly affected by “We All Fall Down,” which reminded us that animals are our relations. I appreciate the suggested reading list related to
each show that ArtRage has been offering.
–Aggie Lane
Much like the Peace Council, ArtRage often represents a viewpoint not otherwise available in our community. You don’t always agree, but often the work opens your eyes and ears to a perspective that you never considered… and that is agood thing.
–Lanny Freshman
The huge accomplishment of ArtRage is not only its survival, but also improvements over the years in mounting the exhibits, finding artists,and hosting excellent programs. A high quality takeaway is also the catalog which accompanies each exhibit, serving not only the community but the artist as well. ArtRage has grown into a first-rate art gallery to be taken seriously.
–Nancy Rhodes
My favorite show that ArtRage has put on is “Still the One.” The opening reception was overflowing with people of all ages, so much so that there was a line out the door. The focus of the evening wasn’t just the work, but on the women themselves—special attention paid to the 26 local women 80 years and older who had made such a profound impact on the community and on the people gathered in the room. Many of them were in attendance that evening. I walked from photograph to photograph nearly speechless, in wonder at both the presentation of the portraits and the accomplishments of the women themselves. It was awe–inspiring.
–Stasya Erickson
ArtRage gallery is among the most beautiful public spaces in all of Syracuse and a place where I have a profound experience at each exhibit. The work inspires me, makes me grieve, laugh, and think deeply. This is a result of the partnerships between the powerfully creative artists whose work is shown at the gallery, and our gifted staff—Rose and Kim—who are so skilled and conscientious in the way they display and contextualize each show. The work is always treated with great care,
both aesthetically and politically, in a way that highlights the content and media, and how the two intertwine. Thank you ArtRage! Happy 10th anniversary!
–Julie Gozan
