Ephemera: The Power of Impermanence

Artist Reception: May 21, 5:30 (TBD: Zoom or Outdoor Weather Permitting)

The Art Center Highland Park (TAC) is looking forward to bringing the community together for an ‘alive and well’ art experience. For the last year, we have been extending work outwards into the community, from virtual exhibits to art in our city-wide storefront windows. Now, we invite the talents of artists to fill our walls (and floors) with the many ephemeral art processes that span the range of impermanence. 

The formal definition of ephemeral art includes, “art that only occurs once, like a happening, and cannot be embodied in any lasting object to be shown in a museum or gallery.” However, Curator Caren Helene Rudman and Executive Director James Lynch decided to take street art off the street and bring it into the galleries! The artists’ mediums in this unique exhibit may include art forms from chalk and graffiti, to video and performance, filling the center with art and energy. 

With two Chicago locals, guest jurors/ featured artists, Victoria Fuller and Nate Baranowski, TAC searched for a broad interpretation of the theme as we expand our definition of ephemera to include art that reflects the transient nature of things existing in the natural world. It is not mandatory that work use ephemeral material. Instead, artists illustrate the theme by addressing the power of what is ephemeral, impermanent, and fleeting.

Street painter, muralist and fine artist, Nate Baranowski will be creating an on-site 3-dimensional wall-art mural, allowing the viewer to step into the space and document it with images. This type of art is usually reserved for the street, as we bridge the boundaries between inside and out. Award winning artist, Victoria Fuller, exhibits installations using appropriated and constructed objects symbolizing the natural world, along with the powerful “Bring Back the Extinct Northern White Rhino.” The inflatable sculpture of the extinct rhinoceros will both shock and amaze audiences as she reflects on the temporal nature of life itself. 

Ephemera coincides with our annual benefit, Draw Together. Community members will have the opportunity to share in the exhibit, both within our galleries as well as extending into their own homes, by purchasing chalk art kits, spreading creativity and connection with chalk art!

The Art Center, a non-profit organization, is the North Shore’s home for artistic discovery and creative exploration. Through innovative programs, exhibitions, and classes designed for all levels and ages. The Art Center provides a welcoming space for our diverse communities ot experience and participate in the arts.

For more information, contact James Lynch, Executive Director, or Caren Helene Rudman, curator, at 847-432-1888, info@theartcenterhp.org