FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Springfield, MO. (August 9, 2023) – The Springfield Art Museum is pleased to present Tradition Interrupted, opening on Saturday, August 19 in the Eldredge, Spratlen, and Armstrong Galleries from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Tradition Interrupted is an international group exhibition that explores the methods used by artists to conflate contemporary ideas with traditional art and craft in a range of media, from rugs and mosaics to metalwork and ceramics. The twelve featured artists merge age-old media and technique with innovation, and re-visioning culturally historic ideas to create new work that interrupt traditional practice but still collaborates with the past.
For generations, traditional craft and art practices held steadfast and often visually defined a culture. Today, artists are unraveling certain traits and facets of these ancient customs to redefine or reclaim them for the contemporary world. For many of the artists in Tradition Interrupted, everyday objects are sources of powerful agency to recall memories in danger of being forgotten, or to call into question revisionist histories. Many of the artists work in a conceptually “uncomfortable” space with the traditions and theories of their past as they create hybrid artworks that address contemporary concepts and concerns.
This traveling exhibition features 23 works including sculpture, installation art, and 2-D objects. Featured artists hail from around the world and include: Anila Quayyum Agha (Pakistan), Faig Ahmed (Azerbaijan), Camille Eskell (U.S.), Mounir Fatmi (Morocco), Ana Gómez (Mexico), Shirin Hosseinvand (Iran), Dinh Q. Lê (Vietnam), Steven Young Lee (U.S.), Jaydan Moore (U.S.), Ramekon O’Arwisters (U.S.), Jason Seife (U.S.), and Masami Teraoka (Japan).
The artists of Tradition Interrupted attempt to reconsider the universal, ageless truths as well as the comfortable and uncomfortable histories of their heritage. By doing so, they unearth transmissions of the past as a means to explore the future. The final task is left to the viewer: to consider aspects of the past, embrace current and future traditions, and reflect on what these shifts and changes mean to all of us moving forward. Tradition Interrupted was organized by Bedford Gallery at the Lesher Center for the Arts, Walnut Creek, CA.
See Tradition Interrupted August 19 through November 12, 2023. This exhibition includes Spanish language translations for all exhibition text. Presenting sponsorship of the 2023 exhibition season is generously provided by the Friends of the Springfield Art Museum, Inc. Major support for this exhibition is provided by Melinda J. McDaniel Charitable Trust, UW, Bank of America, N.A., Trustee. Additional financial assistance for this project has been provided by the Missouri Arts Council, a state agency. The Springfield Art Museum is located at 1111 East Brookside Drive Springfield, MO 65807. Admission is always free. Donations are gratefully accepted.
Public Programs:
Free Take-Home Project Bag: Weaving New Creations from Old Traditions
Registration opens August 14
This art-making kit features activities inspired by Dinh Q Lê’s unique photographic weavings in Tradition Interrupted. Register for your free project bag and then pick it up in the Museum's Lobby during our normal hours of operation. Don't forget to share your work in progress or completed project with us on social media using the hashtag #sgfprojectbag
Slow Viewing with Shauna LeAnn Smith
Wednesday, August 23, 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Join us for Slow Viewing of F-Ezra Made a Woman by Camille Eskell on view in Tradition Interrupted. Slow Viewing is a supportive practice for anyone who wants to develop their skills of interpretation, observation, and discussing art. Guests spend an hour carefully observing and speaking about the works on view, resulting in a deeper understanding of how they and others relate to the artwork and to each other. This program is facilitated by artist Shauna LeAnn Smith. This program is free, but space in-gallery is limited so registration is required.
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The Springfield Art Museum is Springfield, Missouri’s oldest cultural institution, founded in 1928. A department of the City of Springfield, the Museum invites you to connect with the world, your community, and yourself through active engagement with art objects. For more information, please visit www.sgfmuseum.org or contact Joshua Best, Museum Affairs Officer at (417) 874-2859 or jbest@springfieldmo.gov.
