Thu 6/11 @ 5:30-8PM

Artists Archives of the Western Reserve has announced an intriguing triumvirate of new shows, opening Thursday June 11.

“Artists Archives of the Western Reserve has a history of presenting exhibitions that provide social content which are of immediate currency to the communities it serves,” the gallery shares. “It is with that history in mind that we are proud to present a trio of three concurrent exhibitions that tackle some of the difficult problems facing our country today through the lens of art.”

Likely to be one of the most provocative recent shows is fiber artist Anne T. Kmieck’s Dobbserwocky: Robes to Perdition. Kmieck’s work has centered around creating garments to reflect women’s status throughout history. Her installation at AAWR, a response to the 2022 U.S. Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision overturning Roe v. Wade, will center around embroidered judicial robes that gallery visitors can wear, assuming the weight of court decisions that impact women’s lives. It features a primary robe with a “Burden of History Train,” made up of 25 feet of women’s garments that tells the history of abortion access in the U.S., as well as four secondary robes.

“Participants are invited to wear the robes, feel the burden of history, walk symbolic laps in the gallery, and then upload performances to social media, using the hashtag #dobbserwocky, transforming viewers into witnesses, mourners, and activists,” we’re told.

Barbara Martin’s Plastics, An Acquired Taste addresses a different aspect of justice — environmental justice. Her sculptures, mixed-media assemblages and installations look at how microplastics and toxic polymers have infiltrated the human body, as well as the environment in general, fueling degradation and climate change. They include a installation of blown-glass breasts filled with translucent fluids and plastic debris to suggest the exposure to these contaminants that impact children from infancy.

Finally, RESPECT, curated by artist and AAWR board member Unity Powell, showcases the diversity of Northeast Ohio women artists, featuring work by Jeanetta Ho, Sarah Kabot, Natalie Lanese, Archived Artist Baila Litton, Lauren Pearce and Honey Pierre.

The shows open with a free, public reception on Thursday June 11, and will be on view through August 8.

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