Metro Poles: Art in Action – A tri-borough collaborative art exhibition

Metro Poles: Art in Action at the Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning
Jamaica Center for Arts & Learning (www.jcal.org)
161-04 Jamaica Avenue, Jamaica, NY 11432
November 13, 2008 – January 17, 2009
Reception: Thurs, November 13, 2008, 6 - 9 pm
Panel: Sat, Jan 17, 6-9 pm
Gallery Hours: Mon-Sat, 10 am-6 pm

*Please note JCAL is closed from Wednesday, November 26th afternoon - Saturday,
November 29th. JCAL reopens on Monday, December 1
December 23rd afternoon - January 3, 2009. JCAL will reopen Monday, January 5, 2009.

New York, October 10, 2008 - This month, Jamaica Center for Arts & Learning (JCAL presents Metro Poles, Art in Action, a curatorial collaboration with the Bronx River Art Centre, the Asian American Arts Center, and the Maiden Lane Exhibition Space. Metro Poles, Art in Action debuts on Friday, October 17th with the opening of John Powers: Captain America at the Maiden Lane Exhibition Space located at 125 Maiden Lane, in lower Manhattan. John Powers' Captain America was commissioned by Jamaica Center for Arts & Learning, and Maiden Lane Exhibition Space is sponsored by Time Equities Inc.

From October 17, 2008 – January 17, 2009 the four galleries will serve as hubs for creative experimentation. A core group of artists will be given the opportunity to create work in each gallery and off site locations that reveal their vision of nexus, collaboration, and social relationships. The gallery/sites will be their stage for the duration of a week. Each artist in the core group will then invite an additional artist to continue their work expanding upon the original artist's momentum through addition, subtraction, inversion or re-position. This second group of artists will then each invite another artist to continue the process. This will continue for the duration of the exhibition with approximately 60 artists participating in the project. Throughout this time, each gallery will function as a collective studio—a site of constant creation and revision.

The idea for Metro Poles was originally conceived by Heng-Gil Han, JCAL's curator. It was later developed in collaboration with Jose Ruiz, Bronx River Art Center's curator and realized in collaboration with Robert Lee and Elisabeth Akkerman curators of Asian American Arts Centre and The Francis J. Greenburger Collection/Time Equities Inc, New York respectively.

"I wanted to create a show that was a collaborative activity among emerging contemporary artists and would bring people to discover art organizations located like Jamaica Center for Arts & Learning, Bronx River Art Center and Asian American Arts Centre, which are off the "beaten art path." It is at organizations like these where many critics, curators and art buyers are introduced to emerging contemporary artists, according to Mr. Han. The artistic collaborations will result in an installation which evolves over time and incorporates the cultural and artistic diversity of individual participants."

Participating Galleries:

Maiden Lane Exhibition Space
125 Maiden Lane, New York, NY 10038
John Powers: Captain America
Ict 17-Jan 30
Reception: Friday October 17, 5 - 8 PM
Gallery Hours: daily, 9 am- 6pm

Asian American Arts Centre (www.artspiral.org)
26 Bowery, New York, NY 10013
Oct 14 - Dec 5 (dates vary with each location - see website)
Chinatown Manpower Project, 70 Mulberry St., 3fl, across Bayard St.
Charles B. Wang Community Health Center, 268 Canal St
Construction Site: Corner of Mott & Worth St. Site TBA
Walking tours: October 27, November 12, December 5
Panel: Fri, Dec 5, 5:30 pm
Reception: Fri, Dec 5, 7:15 pm

Bronx River Art Center (www.bronxriverart.org)
1087 East Tremont Avenue, Bronx, NY 10460
October 27 – December 6, 2008
Reception: Fri, November 21, 2008, 6-9pm
Talk & Screening: Sat, Dec 6, 3-5 pm
Gallery Hours: Mon-Fri, 3 pm-6:30 pm, Sat, 12 pm-5pm

Jamaica Center for Arts & Learning (www.jcal.org)
161-04 Jamaica Avenue, Jamaica, NY 11432
November 13, 2008 – January 17, 2009
Reception: Thurs, November 13, 2008, 6 - 9 pm
Panel: Sat, Jan 17, 6-9 pm
Gallery Hours: Mon-Sat, 10 am-6 pm

Participating artists include:

Maiden Lane Exhibition Space:
John Powers

Jamaica Center for Arts & Learning:
Shelly Bahl
Brian Balderston
Jason Balicki
Lindsay L. Benedict
Caitlin Berrigan
Andrea Christens
Emcee C.M., Master of None Liz Deschenes
Jason Eisner
Yevgeniy Fiks
Christopher K. Ho
Klara Hobza
Takashi Horisaki
Vandana Jain
Lin + Lam
Mary Lum
Carlos Motta
Jason Mortara
Annie Shaw
Chad Stayrook
Chanika Svetvilas
Tattfoo Tan
Claudia Weber

Asian American Arts Centre:
Olivia Beens
Wan Ling Li
Angela Valeria
Tamara Gubernat
Laura Chipley
Francisca Caporali
Katarina Wong
Wennie Huang
Ke Qin Yang
Tamiko Kawata
Yo Park
Avani Patel
Nathalie Pham

Bronx River Art Center:
Shinsuke Aso
Kai Bailey
Marcy Brafman
Amy Brenner
Robert Anthony Bryn
Emie Catedral
Corey D'Augustine
Zack Davis
Asa Elzen
Zachary Fabri
Paul Clay
McKeedre Key
Sandra Lee
Chang-Jin Lee
Rossana Martinez
Esperanza Mayobre
Jim Nolan
Brian Zanisnik
Mike Rader
Leonid Tsvetkov

Metro Poles, Art in Action is funded, in part, by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Jerome Foundation.

The Jamaica Center for Arts & Learning is housed in a landmark building owned by the City of New York and is funded with public funds provided through the New York State Council on the Arts, a state agency; the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs with support from Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg; Cultural Affairs Commissioner Kate D. Levin; the New York City Council; Council Speaker Christine Quinn; the Queens Delegation of the Council; Deputy Majority Leader, Councilman Leroy Comrie; and Queens Borough President Helen M. Marshall.