Configurations artist reception & open studio night

First Friday in September marks the kick off to the fall arts season and the Harrison Center is celebrating with Configurations, an artist reception and open studio night to take place on Friday, September 7 from 6 to 10pm. In the Harrison Gallery, veteran Harrison Center studio artist and designer William Denton Ray debuts new work “based purely on abstraction using a variety of mediums to create colorful, energetic, moody and surreal configurations. Stylistically these works are inspired and take notes from Neo-expressionism (Basquiat), Cubism (Picasso) and the primal aesthetics of cave paintings.” Ray goes on to explain, “I think of this new body of work as visual instances, brief snapshots from my subconscious and vague dream-like memories that explore new realms…What I enjoy most about this new work is by not forcing the subject matter these paintings are revealing new forms and configurations that are abstract with hints of things slightly recognizable. This new process is key in developing new imagery, abstraction and distorted worlds for the viewer to explore.”

In the City Gallery, painter Courtland Blade presents Place or Non-Place, Supermodernity 2.0, continuing an analysis of our current society through images of spaces but on a grander scale. It asks the viewer, “What is a place and what is a non-place?”

In the Speck Gallery, illustrator and screen printer Aaron Scamihorn presents The RONLEWHORN Portrait Show, a collection of unique and interesting faces with an emphasis on pop culture. 

The Gallery Annex features Sequel by Bobby Gilbreath, and work by C.J. Martin.

HC studio artist Christina Hollering guest curates the Underground Gallery in September with Vuja De, an interactive and experiential group show. Local artists will be showcasing artwork, installations and fashion wear that is either UV responsive or uses light creatively to interact with the audience. Opening night will also feature UV face painting by artist Julie Young and one of a kind outfits by local fashion designer Katy Newton that can be worn by the audience.

All 36 Harrison Center studio artists open their doors on September 7 for our fall open studio night.

Join Naptown Stomp in the historic gymnasium for swing dancing.

The work hangs through September 28.

With support from: the Arts Council of Indianapolis, the Indiana Arts Commission, Christel DeHaan Family Foundation, Allen Whitehill Clowes Foundation, the Indianapolis Foundation, Sun King Brewery, and Matinee Creative.