There’s No Place Like Home
So said Dorothy Gale, famously, in The Wizard of Oz. Nothing could be truer.
No matter the address, from mansion to humble dwelling - urban to rural, it’s more about individuality, determination and soul. The Art of the Shack, explores and celebrates the concept of home and is inspired by the work of American artist Beverly Buchanan (1940-2015) who was influenced by the sharecropper shacks she experienced in the Deep South and the do-it-yourself builders and architects around the globe.
Opening on Smithsonian Museum Day and developed by the S.C.R.A.P. Gallery and the Coachella Valley Art Center, The Art of the Shack showcases work incorporating reused and recycled materials.
Renae Barnard’s sculpture, Love > Shelter will be on view in The Art of the Shack exhibition at S.C.R.A.P. Gallery. This work was inspired by the Bowerbird’s use of construction and ornamentation as courtship and considers the ways in which beauty, presentation, and perception influence romance, opportunity, and acceptance. Recycled and found materials such as Alderwood scrap, wire hangers, and yarn are used to create the structural form. A combination of water-based paint and magnesium sulfate creates the colorful crystalline covered surface texture.
The S.C.R.A.P. Gallery is an innovative program that addresses two of today’s most urgent issues – the environment and the education of our youth. Conservation and reuse through hands-on exploration with discarded materials is promoted at the S.C.R.A.P. Gallery. Arts and science workshops help students understand complex environmental issues. Materials donated by local businesses and manufacturers are available for reuse by teachers, artists and community programs.