Conexión Artist Talk
Conexión Artist Talk // Gamut Gallery and ACME Collective partner to host a conversation with three artists in our current exhibition, Conexión.
Gamut Gallery invites you to join us for a panel discussion moderated by Melissa Sisk with guest curator Gerardo Morado and three featured exhibiting artists on Saturday, May 7th. As the founder of ACME Collective, Morado has become an active player in the Twin Cities events scene and promoted intersectional opportunities for musicians, performers, and artists featured in his shows. With this intersectional spirit at heart, Morado has assembled the high-octane and visually arresting Conexión as his curatorial debut.
Morado cites contributing artists John Alspach, Evan Weselmann, and Nichole Showalter as profoundly influential in developing his appreciation of art. Characterized by their past participation with ACME Collective shows, he publicly admires their shared professionalism and quality of work. “They give such a huge piece of themselves…” he says, “…the fact that what I’m doing translates to them speaks to the timelessness of that connection.” We are thrilled to host all three, inviting their work and experiences as artists in the Twin Cities to enliven our space through discussion and discourse.
Friends of the gallery will remember moderator Melissa Sisk as a featured artist from our most recent art talk which highlighted the MPLSART Sketchbook Project. We appreciate the opportunity to bring Sisk back to facilitate the upcoming discussion, allowing attendees an engaging glimpse into the cross-cultural and inter-generational conversation fostered through Conexión.
Conexión Artists Talk:
Saturday, May 7, 2022 // 10 AM
Moderated by Melissa Sisk followed by an Open Q & A
Featuring Gerardo Morado, Evan Weselmann, John Alpsach & Nichole Showalter.
• $5 pre-sales available until May 6th
• $7 at the door, FREE for members
• This is 30 person limited capacity event
• Entry will be available at the door if pre-sales do not sell out
ABOUT THE CURATOR
Gerardo Morado is a Mexican American Artist and Curator based in Minneapolis. In 2006 experiencing the youthfulness of 17, Morado was introduced to Underground Rave culture in Northeastern Mexico. This quickly became an obsession and he began to focus all of his energy into organizing parties, collecting music and learning how to DJ. Gerardo uniquely applies/emulates an approach to an event curation and brand development which is rooted in 15 years of personal experience and regeneration, a phenomenon powerful enough to unveil and inspire ACME Collective.
His main focus is promoting art, culture, and music in an intersectional, and inclusive way with a non-conforming approach. Gerardo is currently producing bi-monthly showcases which feature renowned and emerging artists in underground dance music and visual arts. These showcases intersect full-fledged raves with concert-grade sound + visual systems, and pop-up installations featuring local exhibiting artists.
ABOUT ACME COLLECTIVE
ACME is a collective of interdisciplinary artists from the Twin Cities promoting art culture and music in an intersectional and inclusive way. Throughout the years, ACME’s experimental, avant-garde stylistic events have been uniting artists from various subcultures and generations with the aid of dance music and interactive installations.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
John Alspach has been making art in Minneapolis for over 30 years, much of that time as the operator of the art studio Shiny Robot. He was a member of the artist collective Rosalux and curated shows in condo spaces through Broadcast Exhibitions. His works are inspired by the colors and energy of the city streets.
Evan Weselmann is a Minneapolis-based artist and designer working primarily in illustration, animation, and painting. He creates looping drawings that focus on carving a relationship between positive and negative space through subtle color variations. Evan has worked with clients ranging from local mutual aid funds to international advertising agencies. He is currently represented by Closer & Closer.
Nichole Showalter is a Minneapolis-based fiber artist. While she has been embroidering for over a decade, most recently, she has shifted her creative focus to crafting tufted wall hangings. Her subject matter is largely sex-positive and greatly inspired by Georgia O’Keefe. She creates work that celebrates and honors one’s sexual autonomy and choice.
Melissa Sisk is a Minnesota-based visual artist and educator. As a multidisciplinary artist, she works in a range of mediums and illustrates a wide variety of subjects, aiming to highlight the beauty and wonder of our everyday world. Her background in biomedical visualization grounds her creations in well-researched details and accuracy. As a designer, she elevates her artwork by using bold lines and striking compositions.