July 8 – August 16, 2009
Reception: Friday, July 10 from 6-9PM

Tom McMillan, “Aged Torso”

Gallery Project presents Shrines and Altars, a multi-media exhibit highlighting the objects and images artists create to enshrine, memorialize, honor, adulate, activate, assuage, and protect. Over 30 local, regional and national artists are participating in the exhibit which opens at noon on Wednesday, July 8 and runs until 4pm on Sunday, August 16. The reception is on Friday, July 10 from 6-9.

For eons, diverse cultures have created artifacts and images in an effort to codify and interact with compelling but unknowable ideas and beliefs. Over time, many of these images and artifacts have become associated with the major religions. But others, the ones we find most fascinating, are more individualistic, probing the most personal yet uncomprehended knowledge of self, others, the natural world, and the spiritual realms. The creation of shrines and alters is not just of the past, nor only of traditional cultures. Humans are in a continuous process of enshrining that which they value, imaging that to which they aspire, and memorializing ideas and forces from which they gain hope and sustenance. We believe that it is innate for humans to seek out and try to express and relate to the valued, the sacred and transcendent, however defined and wherever found.

David W. Thomas, “Sacriface”

The exhibit is co-curated by Gloria Pritschet and Rocco DePietro, founders and directors of Gallery Project. Gallery Project is a fine art collaborative. Its mission is to provide a venue for contemporary art that is culturally aware, individualistic, courageous, and thought provoking. Artists include Nancy Brennan, John Bergmeier, Sandra Clark, Bradley Cross, Rocco DePietro, Robin Dintiman, Cynthia Foley, John Gutoskey, Adrian Hatfield, Titus Heagins, Dan Hernandez, Barbara Holmberg, Joe Johnson, Shaque Kalaj, Shaurya Kumar, Vijay Kumar, Juan Laden, Tom McMillan Oakley, Robert Mirek, Tobias Mixer, Takeshi Mori, Cal Navin, C.H.Paquette, Gabrielle Pescador, Juan Javier Pescador, Tom Phardel, Carola Popma, Gloria Pritschet, Sharon Que, Christine Reising, Juli e Renfro, Rick Ruiner, Mike Sivak, Joshua Smith, Jack Summers, David Thomas and Cory Zaradur.

Gallery Project is located at 215 South Fourth Avenue in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Spring gallery hours: Tuesday through Thursday, noon-6; Friday and Saturday, noon-9; and Sunday, noon-4. The gallery is closed on Mondays. For more information, please call 734-997-7012 or visit: thegalleryproject.com.