An art exhibition opening Friday night is highlighting the work that fifteen unique artists have created exclusively in 2015.
Nic Wiesinger is the curator and founder of Rhetorical Galleries, the local gallery presenting “Here & Now: 15” at the shipping containers located off of Roosevelt and Third streets. Rhetorical Galleries isn’t confined to a specific location, and Wiesinger is using the shipping containers as the space for his new group art show.
“It’s really cool that they reuse the shipping containers,” Wiesinger said. “It’s like a metaphor for the neighborhood, that they can take something that was used for one thing and turn it and make it into something completely awesome.”
Throughout this year, Wiesinger has observed local artists and their new works, taking note of the most impressive people and pieces.
“I specifically wanted to create a group show that showcased what I thought was the most cutting-edge, up-and-coming art that I saw this year,” he said. “There are 15 artists in the year 2015, and I plan on having future shows and having this turn into an annual event, with 16 artists in 2016 and 17 in 2017.”
Each year, Wiesinger plans on giving a new set of artists the chance to participate and showcase their most current work. For this inaugural exhibit, the featured artists work in a variety of mediums, including photography, painting, fibers, video, sculpture, installation, printmaking, engraving and mixed media.
Viewers will get a glimpse of what local artists are working on right now, and they will see the abundance of talent in Phoenix, according to Wiesinger.
“They will be able to see some of the most exciting, newest and freshest artwork that’s coming out of the valley by exceptional artists,” he said. “There’s a lot of thought about Los Angeles and New York, but Phoenix makes really great contemporary art as well.”
The shipping containers give a unique spin to the art show.
“It adds a lot to the art scene in a different way than a regular new brick-and-mortar gallery might,” said Laura Spalding Best, a muralist and photographer, and one of the featured fifteen artists. “There’s an opportunity for so many different people to be in there and you see artwork that you may not normally see somewhere with a little more space.”
By including such variety, the exhibition has potential to highlight the wider Phoenix art scene.
“I think that Nic chose really great artists who are present in the Phoenix community and who are developed and respected,” added Alexandra Bowers, a local artist who specializes in wood-burning and is being showcased in the exhibition. “Nic chose a great demographic of artists because we all work in different mediums.”
Contact the reporter at rbouley@asu.edu
