HOT•BED is pleased to present SUMMERHOUSE, an open call exhibition curated around the idea of escapism. Featuring 58 contemporary artists working in sculpture, painting, photography and mixed media, curator Bryan Hoffman invites visitors who seek a distraction from daily life to engage in a fantasy. After a year of upheaval and transformational cultural shifts, this artistic oasis is designed to let people take a beat, reconnect and prepare to emerge into a new world. SUMMERHOUSE will be on view from June 19 – August 21, 2021 with an opening event on June 19, 2021 at 6-9pm. To RSVP, please visit our website.
In the last year of social distancing, the natural world has become an even more necessary part of the lives of urban dwellers. HOT•BED is creating an inner-city summer escape teeming with horticulture — bringing the essence of the outdoors inside, and honoring the offerings and delicate ecosystems of nature. This is a place to explore, relax, and forget the bustle of the city amid lush greenery and art. The immersive gallery experience will include towering trees and palms — nature’s original shade structures — as well as additional covered spaces designed as cool, shady places to relax and unwind.
The artists featured in the show employ a wide variety of mediums and styles to evoke an aesthetically bold sense of the season. Among those represented are fiber artist Caitlin McCormick, whose intricate mixed media pieces combine embroidery with sculptural elements; Tom McFarland, who is best known for his textured string sculptures and geometric compositions; photographer Don Bell whose Aerial Isolation series captures extreme social distancing through aerial landscape photographs; Kay Seohyung Lee’s Hellscapes series consisting of hyper-detailed illustrations and painting; and many more.
Each nature-inspired work provides a unique take on escapism, evoking the ambiance of summertime spent in the outdoors. Together they present a luminous and playful immersive experience that replicates a temporary departure from urban living and builds a deeper sense of community. The exhibition also sparks the nostalgic feeling that comes with the end of the season. A gathering place of respite, reconnection, and joy, SUMMERHOUSE encourages visitors to eat, drink, and be merry. As the days get longer and more leisurely, this exhibition is the perfect seasonal reprieve.
SUMMERHOUSE will have conjunctive event programming throughout the course of the exhibition, including a residency by Lino Kino, a Philadelphia-based media arts collective, in MICRO•GALLERY. Lino Kino will transform the space into the home of their internet art TV channel, LKTV, hosted on Twitch. MICRO•GALLERY will become a multi-use production and broadcast studio that serves as the focal point to spontaneous broadcasts including live music, DJ sets, current events, cultural commentary, performance art, dance, comedy, and the strange and uncategorizable. LKTV will be open to the public for viewing during gallery hours beginning on July 24 until the end of the exhibition. For more information and additional updates on SUMMERHOUSE events, please visit our website’s current events page.
Featured Artists:
Albo Jeavons, Alex Spragens, Alicia Finger, Alissa Eberle, Andre Rubin, Anastasia Vasiliadis, Ashley Catharine Smith, Barbara Handler, Barbara Sosson, Bernadette Calnon-Buote, Bradford Carmichael, Brandon Fisher, Caitlin McCormack, Chau Nguyen, Christl Stringer, Christopher Richards, Colleen Rudolf, Connor McCabe, Don Bell, Drew Austin, Emilio Maldonado, Emma Keller, Frank DePietro, Isabella Akhtarshenas, Jason Koons, Jennye Stubblefield, Jill Allen, Julia Hyun Bin Kim, Julie Waltz-Stalker, Karen Kieser, Kay Seohyung Lee, Keith R Breitfeller, Kriss Olsen, Lauren Whearty, Lenna Keshishian, Linda Dubin Garfield, Lori Thomson, Marguerita Hagan, Mär Martinez, Maureen Drdak, Megan McManus, Michael DeLuca, Mikhail Haramati, Nancy Agati, Orlando Saverino-Loeb, Timothy Gierschick II, Paula Cahill, Peter Frantz, Phyllis Anderson, Rebecca Saylor Sack, Sally Richards, Samuel Solomon, Sophie Najjar, Stan Smokler, Susan Stefanski, Timothy Magenta, Tom McFarland and Tyler Kline.
