MAIN GALLERY
The Shared Meal – Group Exhibition
curated by Lora Durr
April 30 – June 1
Opening Reception: May 4, 7-9pm
Shared Meal Ticketed Event: April 28th, 5-7pm ( SOLD OUT)
PARTICIPATING ARTIST
Alia Bensliman, Christine Cleary, Jeffrey Cobbold, Lora Marie Durr, Kathleen Eastwood, Mel Leipzig, Niki Ciccotelli Stewart, Andrew Wilkinson, Courtney Young
“The shared meal elevates eating from a mechanical process of fueling the body to a ritual of family and community, from the mere animal biology to an act of culture.” – Michael Pollan
Aulii, 47, Art Educator, 2017 Lora Durr
Food is one of the essential elements to our existence as human beings. We need to consume food to maintain life. But food plays a much bigger role in our lives as humans; it brings us together, it divides us, it nourishes us, it destroys us…
Contemporary culture has elevated food to a new level of importance – we celebrate celebrity chefs; we snap photos of our meals to share on social media; we follow strict diets that place judgement on those who aren’t vegetarian, paleo, keto, raw, vegan; we argue over how perfect our groceries are – how many items contain the words organic, non-gmo, free-range, grass-fed, local, artisanal… Meanwhile, more than seven percent of Americans live in a food desert; for many, their neighborhood has no grocery stores, there are only corner stores with limited products; there are no farmers markets and there is no space for gardens; the dollar menu is the only option because spending the money to buy ingredients to make a healthy meal isn’t possible. And still others struggle with food in completely different ways – under eating, over eating, the ideas of “earning” food and “deserving” food.
Waffles – Courtney Young 
Grilled Cheese – Courtney Young
We invite you to explore your relationship with food through art created from 8 very different vantage points. This show explores the explicit connection artists feel to food. Food has been a source of artistic inspiration throughout history, but at this point in time, food has become a heavy presence in our culture and our individual cultural identity.
Family Table – Kathleen Eastwood 
Table Manners 4 – Andrew Wilkinson
The exhibit will feature primarily 2D work in a variety of media. The collection of artists was carefully selected to represent a diverse outlook on the singular topic of food. The selected works and artists can be compared to a fantastic dish that hits every flavor note – from sweet to salty, sour to bitter and umami – your eyes and ears will explore food from all angles and we aim to leave you feeling satiated.
Check out the recent press about Lora Durr’s 40+ piece installation in the exhibition, and the exhibition!