Performance: Friday, May 10, 7:00 - 7:45 pm (during gallery hours of 5-8 pm that evening)

The current exhibition, Muscle Memory, features work by Paul Gerard Somers. Paul uses sports paraphernalia and images from popular media to reflect on cultural norms and values. From his personal experience growing up in a small Midwestern town he reflects on the pressures, joys, and concerns that we all face no matter what our gender identity or age.

Paul notes, “My work is based on a personal investigation of societal institutions, rituals and the exploration of their influence on our culture. I am interested in examining automatic and collective beliefs and how they impact and shape individual behaviors. My work evokes memories and feelings of childhood. I question the boundaries of masculinity within contemporary society and if and when the toys must be put away.”

Paul Gerard Somers is an interdisciplinary artist. He was in a play last year called “Act Five” at Facility Theater in Chicago. The play was directed by dado,  with script by playwright, Katherine Swan. The performance on Friday night at SoNa Chicago is a workshopped excerpt and it will be embedded amongst the artwork of Muscle Memory. Act Five is an exploration of an imagined continuation, or fifth act, of Anton Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard. What if the orchard was not destroyed, and we return a year later to find our musicians still playing out there? In this iteration, we find them amongst the works of Paul Gerard Somers. 

The production will feature Elliot Bibat, Shawna Franks, Sam Hurwitz, Paul Somers, and Santiago Quintana. Join us! Refreshments will be served. 

SoNa Chicago Contemporary Art is located at 1527 N. Ashland Avenue.