3/3/2004
Wind Farm
Mass MoCA, North Adams
For the first half of the Earth, Wind, and Desire series, Kidspace at MASS MoCA was transformed into a Nature Park. Now, for the second half, the gallery morphs into a Wind Farm complete with a sea of metallic, wood, and feathered kinetic sculptures against a backdrop of large photos of wind turbines. The group exhibition features photographs by Carrie Baker and kinetic sculptures by Tim Prentice, Pedro S. De Movellan, and William R. Bergman.
New Exhibition in Kidspace at MASS MoCA
Featuring work by Carrie Baker, William R. Bergman, Tim Prentice, Pedro
S. De Movellan
(North Adams, Massachusetts) For the first half of the Earth, Wind, and
Desire series, Kidspace at MASS MoCA was transformed into a Nature Park.
Now, for the second half, the gallery morphs into a Wind Farm complete
with a sea of metallic, wood, and feathered kinetic sculptures against a
backdrop of large photos of wind turbines. The group exhibition
features photographs by Carrie Baker and kinetic sculptures by Tim
Prentice, Pedro S. De Movellan, and William R. Bergman.
Visitors to Kidspace will harvest new ideas about wind and wind energy
as they walk through the exhibit. The artwork offers myriad perspectives
on wind and movement. A resource area for children of all ages will
feature books, music, and videos about wind energy, and examples of
work by other artists, poets, and storybook writers. And, visitors will
be invited to make "moving madness" artwork at tables that offer
wonderful views of the Wind Farm art.
Carrie Baker of Montpelier, Vermont, takes evocative photos of wind
turbines throughout the country. Her large-scale images give the viewer
a vivid sense of just how impressive these giant machines are in real
life. Baker's photos are alternately naturalistic -- emphasizing the
grace of the wind turbines -- and eerie -- creating the illusion that
the turbines are looming creatures.
Connecticut-based Tim Prentice is known for kinetic works of stainless
steel and aluminum. Though crafted from industrial materials, many of
his works recall pollen, flower petals, and other natural materials that
float on the wind. Pedro S. De Movellan of East Chatham, N.Y.. , creates
works in natural materials such as wood, as well as industrial materials
such as rough-cast brass, aluminum, and stainless steel. When in motion
his pieces recall the movement of the large wind turbines shown in
Baker's photographs.
For Wind Farm, both Prentice and De Movellan have created new works.
Prentice has built a series of sixteen identical lightweight metal
turbines with brightly colored feathers for blades. His piece hangs
from the ceiling and is turned by air from heating vents. De Movellan's
50-foot long sculpture is made of painted steel and incorporates an
electric air pump to force air to rotate the sculptural pieces
propeller-style.
William R. Bergman of Albany, N.Y.. , designs sculptures that take a
different approach to kinetic art. His work allows visitors to create
wind using innovative mechanical devices and hand cranks to bring his
work to life.
A public opening reception for Wind Farm is scheduled for Thursday,
March 4, from 3:30 to 6:00 pm. Refreshments will be served, and
visitors will have the opportunity to meet the artists.
About the artists:
Montpelier, Vermont-based photographer Carrie Baker holds a BFA from
Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). She was the artistic director for
the Perlata Hacienda Historical Park in Oakland, Calif., where she
oversaw art and history programs for at-risk youth. Baker was an arts
educator at RISD's museum and a teaching assistant for RISD's
photography and illustration courses for adults and high school
students. She has exhibited her work in several group shows of emerging
Bay Area artists in alternative spaces.
Tim Prentice, a sculptor from Cornwall, Conn., holds a Master's degree
in architecture from Yale University. Prentice has been awarded a
master craftsman award from the Society of Connecticut Crafts and a
certificate of merit from the New York State Association of Architects.
His work is in many private collections and has been exhibited in solo
and group shows in such galleries, museums, and public spaces as: the
New York Public Library, N.Y.; Chesterwood, Stockbridge, Mass. ; Jacob's
Pillow Dance Festival, Becket, Mass. ; Bradley Airport, Hartford, Conn.;
St. Peter's Church, New York; and the Aldrich Museum, Ridgefield, Conn.
. He is represented by the Maxwell Davidson Gallery, New York.
Pedro S. De Movellan, a sculptor from East Chatham, N.Y., holds a BFA in
sculpture from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. His work is
in private and corporate collections in the United States, as well as
Switzerland, Germany, and Saudi Arabia. De Movellan's work has been
exhibited in solo and group shows in such galleries as: the Herter
Gallery, University of Massachusetts at Amherst and the Grinnell College
Art Gallery, Bucksbaum Center for the Arts. He is represented by the
Maxwell Davidson Gallery, N.Y.
William R. Bergman, a sculptor from Albany, N.Y. holds an MFA in
sculpture from Alfred University. He is a sculpture technician at the
College of Saint Rose, Albany, N.Y. His work has been exhibited in
group exhibition in such galleries as: The Arts Center of the Capital
Region, Troy, N.Y.; Chesterwood, Stockbridge, Mass.; The Tang Teaching
Museum at Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, N.Y.; the Albany
International Airport Gallery, Albany, N.Y.; and the Williams College
Museum of Art, Williamstown, Mass.
About Kidspace:
This March, Kidspace will continue its partnership with the North
Berkshire School Union (Clarksburg, Gabriel Abbott Memorial, and Savoy
Elementary Schools). The overall focus of the Kidspace program is on
movement found in art and nature. In addition to their visit to
Kidspace, students will have the opportunity to work with the artists in
an extensive residency program funded by a Massachusetts Cultural
Council Creative Learning grant. Through funding from the Howard Hughes
Medical Institute grant to Williams College, fourth through eighth grade
students will be provided with additional programming to explore wind
energy. These students will visit the Searsburg Wind Farm in Searsburg,
Vt., with staff from the Center for Ecological Technologies, Pittsfield,
Mass. Curriculum materials, educational resources, and programs have
been developed by Kidspace staff to complement the exhibition.
Kidspace at MASS MoCA is a joint program of the Williams College Museum
of Art, the Sterling & Francine Clark Art Institute, and MASS MoCA.
Additional funding has been provided in part by the Massachusetts
Cultural Council (a state agency), the National Endowment for the Arts
(a federal agency), the Howard Hughes Medical Institute grant to
Williams College, and the Brownrigg Charitable Trust in memory of Lynn
Laitman.
>From March 4 through June 20, Kidspace's public hours will be Saturdays
and Sundays, noon to 4 P.M., plus additional hours on holidays. From
June 20 through September 5, Kidspace will be open every day from noon
to 4. Please call Kidspace at (413) 664-4481 x8131 for more details on
hours, programs, and exhibitions. Admission to Kidspace is free.
Katherine Myers
Director of Marketing & PR
MASS MoCA 1040 MASS MoCA Way N. Adams, MA 01247
ph 413.664.4481 x8113 fx 413.663.8548