Photo Courtesy of Dr. Alla Myzelev
Don't forget to stop by the Lederer Gallery while the exhibit is still up!
This past Tuesday, Nov. 3, SUNY Geneseo hosted an art exhibition in the newly reopened Lederer Gallery in Brodie Hall. The event, titled “Age of Ascension,” showcased artwork by Toronto-based artist Ilene Sova.
Professor and Chair of Art History Dr. Alla Myzelev and the students in her Advanced Museum Studies class collaborated in curating over 200 soft sculpture dolls from Sova, marking their first curatorial project. Dr. Myzelev was extremely proud of the project, writing: “One of the most rewarding aspects of this exhibition was the opportunity to co-curate Ilene Sova’s work alongside my students. Ilene’s remarkably diverse body of work, created from upcycled objects, explores themes of femininity, transformation, and the creative process. It was especially exciting to bring the students’ perspectives into dialogue with her artistic vision.”
Students were divided into four groups, each placing Sova’s dolls in their own themes, titled “Nadir,” “The Shape of Becoming,” “Birds of Hope,” and “Spring and Renewal.” As a student of this class, I can attest to the weeks of hard work put into this opening. We began by brainstorming in the classroom for themes, titles, and layout. Once we moved into the Lederer Gallery, we began to assemble our planned layouts. While all groups mounted their dolls, some hung them from the ceiling. Notably in the “The Shape of Becoming” section, students mounted the dolls in the shape of the fibonacci sequence, drawing awe from audiences. While each section was unique, we took careful consideration in making sure the pieces all flowed together as one collective work.
Sova’s dolls are made of recycled materials, such as fabrics, costume jewelry, and plastic greenery. During her artist talk, Sova remarked on sourcing her materials from curbs, recycling centers, and artist friends. According to her artist page, the dolls are meant to depict goddesses coming to aid a polarized world by emphasizing the importance of nature and community. Sova shared her background in and connection with spirituality, which was taken into consideration during curation. She was extremely happy with how the exhibit turned out and was especially interested in the students’ and Dr. Myzelev’s thought processes.
Besides the displays of dolls, the walls also featured early-stage collages that inspired Sova to create “Ascension.” In the center of the Lederer Gallery stood three life-sized mannequins, dressed similarly to the glittering goddesses mounted on the walls. As audiences circle the room, these centerpieces add a touch of visual disruption and interest. The opening had a table of CAS-provided refreshments as well as elegant piano music from student Luke Carlson. Guests were given a tour of each group’s section led by Sova with comments on the curation process by the students themselves. The talk was incredibly enlightening and interactive as she took the audience around the gallery, stopping at each of the four sections. Being able to engage with the audience side-by-side with the artist was nerve-wracking but inspiring.
The gorgeous exhibit will be on view until Dec. 1, so make sure to stop in and experience these goddesses first-hand! Feel free to use the inside door by Alice Austin or the outside entrance up the Brodie courtyard stairs.
In the future, I hope SUNY Geneseo continues to host and support more artists like Ilene Sova!