MANCHESTER, NH – The Currier Museum of Art has been awarded a $15,000 Art Works grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to support the upcoming exhibition featuring work by NH artist Soo Sunny Park, called BioLath. The exhibition will be on view at the Museum from February 25 through August 6, 2017. The Art Works category focuses on the creation of art that meets the highest standards of excellence, public engagement with diverse and excellent art, lifelong learning in the arts and the strengthening of communities through the arts.
“The arts are for all of us, and by supporting organizations such as the Currier Museum of Art, the National Endowment for the Arts is providing more opportunities for the public to engage with the arts,” said NEA Chairman Jane Chu. “Whether in a theater, a town square, a museum or a hospital, the arts are everywhere and make our lives richer.”
In BioLath, New Hampshire artist Soo Sunny Park will create a new, site-specific work that will transform the Museum’s Putnam Gallery into an immersive sculptural environment that explores the effect of light on visual perception. Luminous sculptural forms will fill the space—suspended from the ceiling and placed on the floor. The sculpture will be animated by shifts in daylight caused by the time of day, weather conditions and changing seasons, as well as the perspective of visitors as they move through the installation.
“We are delighted to receive a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts for this exhibition,” said Alan Chong, director of the Currier Museum of Art. “Soo Sunny Park’s installation will fill an entire gallery and capture natural light in shifting patterns from moment to moment.”
This exhibition is the latest project in the Contemporary Connections series, a platform for exhibiting new work by New England artists made in dialogue with the Currier’s collection or the local environment. Soo Sunny Park will give a public talk and lead an installation with school-aged children from the community. Tours, hands-on activities for families and a small, free exhibition catalogue will complement the exhibition.
NEA Chairman Chu has approved more than $30 million in grants as part of the NEA’s first major funding announcement for fiscal year 2017. For more information on projects included in the NEA grant announcement, visit arts.gov/news.
About the Currier Museum of Art
The Currier Museum of Art, located at 150 Ash Street in Manchester, N.H., is open every day except Tuesday. It is home to an internationally respected collection of European and American paintings, decorative arts, photographs, and sculpture, including works by Monet, Picasso, Matisse, and O’Keeffe. Visitors of all ages will enjoy engaging exhibitions, dynamic programs ranging from art-making and lectures to music, a Museum Shop and an airy, light-filled café. Free Wi-Fi is available throughout the building. The Currier welcomes visitors with disabilities and special needs; we are wheelchair accessible and offer FM headsets for sound amplification for most public programs. For more information, visit www.currier.org.
The Museum also owns the Zimmerman House, a home designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, which preserves its original furnishings and art. The Currier Art Center offers studio classes, art camps, master classes, and intensive workshops for all ages.
