New Art Opening, Glitterbomb, Drops On Art Enables
New Art Opening, Glitterbomb, Drops On Art Enables
New Exhibit Opens March 9th, 1-4pm (ET); Benefit Party on March 23rd from 7-10pm (ET)
WASHINGTON, DC -- Forget everything you thought you knew about glitter. It’s been defamed, devalued, mocked, ridiculed and called excessive and gaudy. But, outsider art collector, Paul Yandura, in collaboration with Art Enables, wants to change how you see, understand and respond to glitter in a new show opening at the Off-Rhode Studio at Art Enables from March 9th- 30th titled Glitterbomb.
“The medium of glitter is redefined in these works,” said Glitterbomb curator and Art Enables Executive Director, Mary Liniger. “The use of glitter and the process of making something glitter or sparkle is a central theme in Glitterbomb, which celebrates both the mesmerizing beauty, and unconventional use, of glitter and sparkle as an artistic medium.”
The works in Yandura’s collection, to be showcased at Glitterbomb, includes:
- A life-size gorilla and elephant head made entirely from tinfoil by self-taught artist Dean Millien from Brooklyn’s L.A.N.D. Gallery. The Daily Beast featured Millien in their “10 Artists to Buy Now” article covering the 2013 Outsider Art Fair in New York.
- Works by Nancy Josephson, an artist inspired by Vodou, who creates life-size animal sculptures that are covered scale-like in glitter, gems, beads and sequins. Josephson’s works in the show include a life-size glittered dog, squirrels and a full sized four-poster bed, entitled "Princess Layer Cakes Vodou Boudouir" that has been only displayed twice before--once at the Halle St. Pierre in Paris and more recently at the American Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore.
- Assemblages from self-taught artist Paul "Baltimore Glassman" Darmafall who spent most of his life secretly creating art celebrating Americana with broken glass, glitter and found objects. Almost 20 pieces are included in the Glitterbomb that were purchased from the Darmafall family at auction that have never been seen before in public.
- Glitter donated by the lead activists from two prominent political “glitterbombings” over the past election cycle of former presidential candidate Rep. Michelle Bachmann (R-MN) and former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich.
Other prominent outsider and self-trained artists included in Glitterbomb are: Linda St. John, Gregory "Mr. Imagination" Warmack, Roland Knox, Annie Lucas, Joseph Butta, Chris Clark, Vollis Simpson, Rev. J.L.Hunter, Q.J. Stephenson and Clarence Woolsey.
In addition to the over 50 pieces Yandura is lending to the opening from his private collection, many never before seen in public, Glitterbomb will also feature new works for sale by Art Enables’ artists in residence. A full listing of Art Enables’ artists in residence, many of whom will be exhibiting artwork for sale at Glitterbomb, can be found here: http://art-enables.org/artists/artists.php
About The Collector
Paul Yandura has been obsessively collecting art from American outsider, folk and untrained artists for more than 15 years. Art collecting started as a weekend pastime and quickly turned into a full-time passion. In addition to art collecting, Yanudra advises progressive donors on individual political giving strategies and is a partner of Scott + Yandura, a successful progressive political consulting firm in Washington DC.
A few years ago a fire raged through the offices of Scott+Yandura in Washington, D.C. where many pieces of his collection were displayed. While the office could not be saved, the firefighters took it upon themselves to remove each piece from the walls and stack them where they were protected from smoke, heat and water. The D.C. firefighters saved every piece, many of which are included in the Glitterbomb show.
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Off-Rhode Studio -- located at 2204 Rhode Island Avenue NE, Washington, DC, 20018 -- is an auxiliary arts space dedicated to local, emerging and self-taught artists housed with Art Enables. Exhibits, panels, discussions, and more happen in this small-scale and intimate environment.
Art Enables is a 501(c)3 non profit gallery and supported employment program for adult artists with developmental disabilities. The artists at art enables earn more than money from art sales: they earn pride, accomplishment, and a sense of belonging.
