We at Flux were delighted to be invited to make an outdoor nest installation for The Nest Project, a four part exhibition organized by the The Target Gallery of theTorpedo Factory in Alexandria, VA. We have spent the past month or so working on a collaborative piece for the show. After much brainstorming and debate, we decided upon a bee hive to be made of steel wire and clay. Jessica Beels made a fabulous wire hive, cleverly using recycled coat hangers as the base. Laurel Lukaszewski made 200 cherry blossoms from black stoneware and locally dug red clay while I made over 300 porcelain bees.  Here is the hive in our studio, waiting to be loaded into the car.  A close-up of the hive Today we installed the hive from a majestic sycamore tree in the park along the water, beside the Torpedo Factory.   Jessica adjusts a wire  As part of our installation we also installed bees throughout the park and factory, near each artist made nest installation.    It was great fun to walk through the park and meet the other artists and see what their nests looked like:  Alison Sigethy working on her collaborative nest with Lisa Schumaier  Lisa Schumaier and Alison Sigethy working on their collaborative nest  ArtDC featuring the work of Michael Winger  Pyramid Atlantic Art Center featuring the work of  microWave project featuring the work of Pam Rogers  led by Laurel McSherry, program director   Art Outlet featuring the work of Roy Utley & Heather Schmaedeke  The Art League featuring Carlos Beltrán Baldiviezo Come on out to the opening on Thursday night- it should be great fun! More info from their website is below: What Is The Nest Project? The Torpedo Factory’s exhibition space, Target Gallery, in partnership with Habitat for Humanity of Northern Virginia, is excited to share with you, The Nest Project. The Nest Project is in conjunction with the Target Gallery's juried exhibition Nest. This is a four-part collaborative project that includes: *A Juried Exhibition in the Target Gallery with a special reception, April 14, 6-9pm *15 Outdoor Installations along the waterfront *Community built nest in the main hall of the Torpedo Factory *In-Studio nests created by Torpedo Factory Artists More Details Nest Exhibit - April 2 -May 15, 2011 Reception: April 14, 6-9pm with gallery talk at 7pm Nest is a juried exhibition which examines the nest as a symbol for home and refuge, both literally and conceptually. The juror for this exhibition is Gretchen Shermerhorn, Artistic Director for the Pyramid Atlantic Arts Center in Silver Spring, Maryland. As part of this exhibition the gallery will host additional programming that includes both indoor and outdoor community nest installations. A reception on Second Thursday, April 14th from 6-9pm includes a gallery talk with juror Gretchen Shermerhorn at 7pm, a nest scavenger hunt, community nest building with Habitat for Humanity and more. Outdoor Installations – April 10 – May 15, 2011 These nests will be installed along the waterfront of the Potomac River near the Torpedo Factory. Nest sites will include docks, decks, tree stumps, outcroppings of rock, and selected trees. Our goal is to inspire people to look more closely at their own habitat. Free maps will guide visitors on a nest spotting walking tour, along the waterfront, through a park, into the Torpedo Factory and ending at Target Gallery, where the exhibition Nest can be seen. Participating Art Groups: *ArtDC featuring the work of Michael Winger *Art Whino featuring the work of James Walker *Flux Studios featuring the work of Novie Trump, Jessica Beels, and Laurel Lukaszewski *microWave project featuring the work of Pam Rogers *Washington Alexandria Architecture Center (WAAC) featuring Virginia Tech's Master of Landscape Architecture Graduate Students led by Laurel McSherry, program director *Art Outlet featuring the work of Roy Utley & Heather Schmaedeke *Albus Cavus featuring the work of Rosina Terri Memelo Indoor Community Nest – April 2 – May 15, 2011 The public will be invited to participate in the building of a large community nest installed on the main floor of the Torpedo Factory. Long strips of paper will be available for $1 for the public to answer the question “What does home mean to you?” They will then be invited to weave their paper into the nest structure. Proceeds benefit Habitat for Humanity of NoVA. Sunday April 10th from 11am-1pm, Habitiat for Humanity volunteers will lead a kids nest building workshop made out of found objects. This event will be right outside of the Torpedo Factory on the dock and is open and free to the pulic. Click here to learn more! In-Studio Nests – April 2nd – May 15, 2011 Torpedo Factory artists have been asked to participate by making their version of the “nest” in their studios – to be on display during the length of the Nest exhibition. Maps will be available to lead visitors around the building to find all of these Nests. |
The Target Gallery, national exhibition space of the Torpedo Factory Art Center, is located on the waterfront in Old Town Alexandria, VA.
