The 84th Artist Members Exhibition and Mary Boochever: Chart of the Inner Warp opened at Guild Hall on Saturday, October 28, with a members-only reception. Earlier in the day, Awards Juror Virginia Lebermann, Ballroom Marfa Co-Founder & Board President, selected Claire Watson as the Top Honors recipient.
Claire Watson’s Bye Gone, 2023, is constructed of pattern parts of leather pants, leather remnants, thread, canvas, and gesso. Watson’s work encompasses drawing, sculpture, and mixed-media constructions from found materials. Her recent work is based on shapes found in salvaged, disassembled leather clothing made with traditional sewing and self-taught tailoring techniques.
In addition to the Top Honors prize, Lebermann awarded Honorable Mentions to Michael Butler for his acrylic painting The Pepperidge Tree, Philippe Cheng for an untitled work on sandpaper with archival inks, Isla Hansenfor her mixed-media Hand Tools (or Tools for No Masters) made of stainless steel, thermoplastic and shown on wood, Mary Margaret Lambert for her oil and charcoal Revenant, and Chris Siefert for his mixed-media Rib. Robert Longo received a Juror’s Special Award for Untitled (After Cave Painting in Lascaux).
“I’m excited by all the potential brewing at the newly refurbished Guild Hall,” shared Awards Juror Virginia Lebermann. “The fertile history of this multi-disciplinary institution is being ushered forward with respect and style by its current Director, Andrea Grover and Director of Visual Arts, Melanie Crader. Being a juror for the Artist Members Exhibition was a beautiful introduction to the dedicated community surrounding this illustrious East End Institution. I’m looking forward to many years of engagement in visual art, performance and education at Guild Hall.”
Since its inception, the Artist Members Exhibition has supported artists and Guild Hall by offering the works on view for purchase, with proceeds split evenly between the two. Works in all forms of media, from painting to sculpture, can be found on Guild Hall’s Shopify page, with prices ranging from $125 to $14,000.
In addition to the Artist Members Exhibition, which is presented in the Marks Family Galleries North and South, 2019 Top Honors winner Mary Boochever’s Chart of the Inner Warp can be viewed in the Tito Spiga Exhibition Space. Boochever was chosen by former MoMA PS1 Associate Curator Jocelyn Miller. Deeply rooted in research and investigations of color systems, Boochever creates color experiences for the viewer through her paintings, sculptures, and installations.
Both exhibitions are open through January 8, 2024. Galleries are open Friday to Monday, 12-5 PM. Museum admission is always free.
