I've got a good mind to give up living and go shopping instead

July 13 - August 17, 2019
Opening Reception: Saturday, July 13, 5 - 7 PM
I've got a good mind to give up living and go shopping instead takes its name from the 1968 blues song by B.B. King, which deals with the heartbreak that comes from a broken relationship, that moment of surprise and shock and of finality.

"I read your letter this morning that was in your place in bed
And that's when I decided that I would be better off dead."

The sentiment begins as an irreverent proclamation but turns darker as King reveals he would be shopping "to pick up me a tombstone and be pronounced dead." Desperation, of course, has a way of distorting things and making them appear in extreme terms, yet the reality is often quite different. The artists in this exhibition explore ideas about relationships that aren't necessarily what they appear to be. Where does the line between truth and reality lie? Interpretation, much like break-ups, can be a constantly negotiated battle between parties. Some things can be read one way and understood in a completely different manner, or perhaps the fluidity of a thing - gender, for example - makes expansive truths and multiple realities possible. Interpretations that seem to embody opposing or contradictory positions often inspire a level of empathy, communication, and creativity that may transform a situation, making it ultimately more relatable and moving.