A table and chair covered with used tea bags, two large charcoal drawings of the human navel and abstract forms of the female body may not be the first items that come to mind when imagining an art show.

But those and many other creations are on display at an exhibit sponsored by The Institution of a Now Culture, a progressive arts and culture organization located in downtown Syracuse. ThINC’s current exhibit has impressed local art aficionados and community members alike.

The Women’s Art Vibrates Everywhere exhibit was the brainchild of female artists and staff members within ThINC who wanted to collect a showcase of works created by women, said Michael Barletta, artistic director of ThINC.

The exhibit, which opened Aug. 21 and will run until Sept. 12, is on display at two locations: the Company Gallery at 110 W. Fayette St. and Great Artspectations at 321 N. Clinton St.

While crayon drawings are nowhere to be found, the exhibit includes a far more interesting range of visual art, such as pencil and charcoal drawings, fiber, quilting, felting, sculpture, acrylic and watercolor paintings. Several works are made from unusual materials, such as eggshells, amber and aluminum.

‘There’s really a large variety of materials used in these pieces. There was no theme to the work, except that it’s all done by women,’ said Mary Giehl, an assistant professor of sculpture in the College of Visual and Performing Arts.

Susan D’Amato of Liverpool said she learned of the exhibit through word of mouth and sent two charcoal drawings, both of which were chosen to be displayed.

D’Amato said that some of her works have been featured in other galleries, including several in New York City, Boston and North Carolina.

Her two works were ethereal, abstract charcoal drawings of the human navel, titled ‘Dissent’ and ‘Departure.’ They highlight the relationship between the body and art that D’Amato integrates into her work, she said.

Near each piece is a placard listing the artist’s name, the name of the piece and the medium. Most of the artists wrote a brief description of their work and the message they hoped to convey. Many artists explained that they use metaphorical images and materials to provoke everyday thoughts or explore images of the earth, body, energy and love.

Amy Cancelmo, the artist of a black, blue, navy and yellow oil painting entitled ‘Nude,’ wrote that her work ‘is about something primal’ with ‘no gender bias.’

The response from the public, the artistic community and exhibit participants has been very positive so far, Barletta said, and organizers, who hope to make the showcase an annual event, are confident that it will continue to make ‘waves’ in the future.

‘Of our 9 showcases, it’s been the most successful,’ Barletta said.

The WAVE exhibit features work from 39 visual artists and 10 performance artists, all from the Central New York area.

The works of the exhibit were chosen through a blind jury process, Giehl said. As the exhibit’s juror, she examined each submitted piece and decided which should be included in the exhibit.

‘Some were easy to choose, those that were very, very excellent,’ Giehl said. ‘But overall all of the work was very good. It’s fun to see that much good art by women in Central New York.’

While local artists could submit two pieces for the exhibit, Giehl and the jury committee did not always choose both pieces from each artist. The artists of the chosen pieces were notified in late July, after the selections were made. At the opening receptions, the exhibit’s performance artists entertained the crowds with their work and kicked off the exhibit with vigor.

‘The performances really helped to keep people moving, and get that flow around the room,’ said Jacob Roberts, executive director of ThINC.

Roberts said the organization is working to create a partnership with Syracuse University to collaborate on future exhibits and advertise to students that it could display their work in its space.

‘It’d be nice to form a solid relationship that we can really grow from,’ Roberts said. ‘The students need opportunities like this, and it’d be great to bring some students back out into the community.’

The area had been lacking alternative art galleries before ThINC began three years ago, and local artists and community members have already discovered the benefits of ThINC, Roberts said.

‘ThINC is doing a great job having this gallery right downtown,’ Giehl said. ‘The general public can come in and see quality artwork.’

Published on September 2, 2003 at 12:00 pm