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Visiting Artist Wendy Jehlen to Present Dance Performances Alongside "Kiki Smith and Paper"

Tuesday, September 5, 2017

To accompany Kiki Smith and Paper: The Body, the Muse, and the Spirit, the OSU Museum of Art is pleased to announce a series of programs featuring visiting artist Wendy Jehlen.  

Jehlen, founder and artistic director of ANIKAYA Dance Theater in Somerville, Massachusetts, is a choreographer and storyteller, communicating through movement and space. Her performances weave together music, dance, and storytelling, secular and sacred, aural and visual. Under the direction of Wendy Jehlen, ANIKAYA’s mission is to break down the perceived boundaries between people, cultures, and art forms.  

Kiki Smith and Paper: The Body, the Muse, and the Spirit is on view from Aug. 8 – Dec. 2, 2017, at the OSU Museum of Art. Programs featuring visiting artist Wendy Jehlen are listed below. 

Unfamiliar Butterfly  
Saturday, Sept. 23, 7 pm  
Presented by [Artspace] at Untitled  
LOCATION: 21c Museum Hotel in Oklahoma City
Beginning in darkness, percussive sound builds slowly, revealing an initially imperceptible rhythm. Thin beams of light from above, from below, from all sides, illuminate her body one part at a time, revealing more of her.  She is quivering, breaking.  This is a study of vulnerability, an embodiment of constant change and travel.  Loosely based on the life cycle of a butterfly, the performance is intended to change in each rendition.   
 
In addition to this performance, [Artspace] at Untitled is presenting a special display of Kiki Smith’s artwork, showcasing three pieces in their Library. The pieces will be on view alongside Fluvial Terra, an exhibition of paper and installation work by Megan Singleton, who credits Kiki Smith as an influence on her own artwork. During the Unfamiliar Butterfly performance at 21c Museum Hotel, viewers can explore a continuation of Singleton’s installation on the 2nd floor gallery. Her work is featured in their ongoing Elevate program, an exhibition highlighting regional artists. Read more about Megan Singleton and [Artspace] at Untitled:https://www.1ne3.org/
 
This event is free and open to the public. No RSVP required. 
 
Lilith  
Wednesday, Sept. 27, 7:30 pm  
LOCATION: Stillwater Community Center (Houston Theater) 
Inspired by a Kiki Smith sculpture of the same name, Lilith is a study of the story of the first woman, created as Adam’s equal, who rebelled against Adam and fled Eden.  In this performance, the character is explored as a figure from ancient texts who has been re-envisioned and reclaimed in modern feminist thought. 
 
The performance views Lilith as an observer of history, dwelling outside of linear time, who constantly relives her own creation, her fall/escape from Adam and Eden, her punishment (to have one hundred of her children die every day), and the injustice that led to it.  She appears as a creatrix, a serpent, and a winged creature, embodying the many ways that literature and art has viewed her through the ages, but reinterpreting these images into one whole, complex being. 
 
This event is free and open to the public. No RSVP required. 
 
drawingLAB 
Thursday, Sept. 28, 6 pm  
LOCATION: Stillwater Center for the Arts 
A recurring program at the OSU Museum of Art, drawingLAB is an evening of art making and conversation. In this drawingLAB led by Wendy Jehlen at the Stillwater Center for the Arts, participants will explore the use of the body as a vehicle for drawing. drawingLAB is welcoming to visitors of all ages and abilities. The only thing needed is a willingness to participate. 
 
Free and open to the public. No RSVP required.  
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