THE SHEILA C. JOHNSON DESIGN CENTER AT PARSONS
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The Arnold and Sheila Aronson Galleries at the Sheila C. Johnson Design Center (SJDC) at Parsons The New School for Design announces its fall exhibition program, a slate that reflects diverse curricular and research interests from across the university. Launching with a participatory architectural installation exploring the ways design can be used to foster dialogue in contested public spaces—specifically, the last remaining abortion clinic in Mississippi—the season continues with work by Parsons alumni, an exhibition that critically re-interprets the work of queer artists in The New School collection, and images of a post-industrial boom town in Northern Pennsylvania. “Every season, in the SJDC Aronson Galleries exhibition program, the rich social engagements at The New School are telescoped into a critical and compelling series of encounters,” said Radhika Subramaniam, director and chief curator of the SJDC. Private Choices Public Spaces For years, Jackson Women’s Health Organization (JWHO) has been a flashpoint for impassioned demonstrations both for and against Mississippi’s last remaining abortion clinic. Curated by Lori Brown, author of Contested Spaces: Abortion Clinics, Women’s Shelters and Hospitals, and Kimberly Tate, part-time faculty at Parsons, this participatory architectural installation tackles the controversy head on, exploring the ways design can be used to foster dialogue at JWHO. Design ideas, contributed by a wide-range of participants via postcards, will lay the groundwork for design solutions implemented at the clinic. The exhibition is the brainchild of ArchiteXX, an independent organization of women in architecture, and is a collaborative design action addressing “the public-private interface of the last remaining abortion clinic in Mississippi.” Lecture, Panel Discussion and Reception for Private Choices Public Spaces Brown, whose recently published book, Contested Spaces: Abortion Clinics, Women’s Shelters and Hospitals, served as the catalyst for Private Choices Public Spaces, will join Andrew Beck of the American Civil Liberties Union and members of The New School faculty for a panel discussion related to the exhibition. To frame the conversation, Brown will share a brief overview of her research on the legal and legislative decisions impacting the architecture and geography of access to reproductive healthcare in Mississippi and beyond. On the panel: ArchiteXX MiXX MiXX, the monthly meeting for ArchiteXX, is a chance to review ongoing initiatives and opportunities for project participation. Women who are students, practitioners and academics in all stages of their careers are invited to attend. The meeting will include a potluck dinner. Screening of The Last Clinic and discussion For the last two years, the sole remaining abortion clinic in Mississippi has fought to stay open. Known to supporters as “The Pink House,” JWHO was under threat in 2012 when the Mississippi state legislature passed a bill effectively banning abortion in the state. Caught in the political crossfire were the women of Mississippi. Through interviews with clinic employees, patients and pro-life activists, award-winning filmmaker Maisie Crow and writer Alissa Quart paint a personal portrait of the effects of abortion restrictions in the state. Crow, along with JWHO owner Diane Derzis, will be on hand for a post-film discussion. Design Charette Calling all interested designers, artists, thinkers, makers and builders: Collaborate with ArchiteXX in a practice of active citizenship through design! Harness the ideas sparked by the Private Choices Public Spaces exhibition and integrate them into design solutions to be implemented at JWHO. Please bring your design tools of choice. Parsons Alumni Exhibition 2014 Organized by The New School Alumni Association and Parsons The New School for Design, the fourth annual exhibition features work in all media, from painting and photography to interactive media and manufactured products. Towanda: An American Town Pictured During the fall of 2013, 15 students from Parsons collaborated with Vincent Cianni, Documentary Strategies instructor at the New School, in an effort to document the town of Towanda, Pa. The resulting body of work – a striking collection of photographs, interviews and videos –formed a portrait of a community that expands received notions of documentation, subject and observation. The project, a product of disciplinary cross-pollination, is complemented by a printed poster-catalog of images from the exhibition, a live website, and an overall graphic identity developed by a team of 16 students led by Parsons Graphic Design instructor Jeanne Verdoux. Grounding Future Queer The exhibition highlights the artistic contributions of lesbian, gay, trans, bisexual, intersex, asexual and queer practitioners to the current cultural discourse. Culled from the New School Art Collection, the 100-plus pieces will hang in the gallery, and throughout the university, with accompanying texts. These texts, written by members of the New School community and invited guests and additionally gathered on a blog, will propose alternative readings of these works. The exhibition will be accompanied by a forum for presentation and discussion of works in progress by members of the New School community. The exhibition, which is curated by Tony Whitfield, associate professor of art and design at Parsons, will include paintings, prints and sculptural works by Bridget Riley, Luis Cruz Azaceta, Fred Wilson, General Idea, Larry Rivers, Catherine Opie, Glenn Ligon, LOT-EK, Felix Gonzalez-Torres, Zoe Leonard, David Wojnarowicz, George Condo, James Luna, Marilyn Minter, Berenice Abbott and John Cage. The Sheila C. Johnson Design Center is an award-winning campus center for Parsons The New School for Design that combines learning and public spaces with exhibition galleries to provide an important new downtown destination for art and design programming. The mission of the Center is to generate an active dialogue on the role of innovative art and design in responding to the contemporary world. Its programming encourages an interdisciplinary examination of possibility and process, linking the university to local and global debates. The center is named in honor of its primary benefactor, New School Trustee and Parsons Board of Governors Member Sheila C. Johnson. The design by Rice+Lipka Architects is the recipient of numerous awards, including an Honor Award from the American Institute of Architects. For more information please visit www.newschool.edu/sjdc. Parsons The New School for Design is one of the leading institutions for art and design education in the world. Based in New York but active around the world, the school offers undergraduate and graduate programs in the full spectrum of art and design disciplines. Critical thinking and collaboration are at the heart of a Parsons education. Parsons graduates are leaders in their respective fields, with a shared commitment to creatively and critically addressing the complexities of life in the 21st century. For more information, please visit www.newschool.edu/parsons. |
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