Have + Hold

Detroit—July 11—Wasserman Projects is pleased to announce Have+Hold, the first exhibition in an ongoing series of curatorial collaborations with Michigan-based Butter Projects. The partnership supports both entities’ efforts to bring to the light the tremendous creative diversity and ingenuity of artists living in and near Detroit and to foster the exchange of ideas and dialogues between locally and internationally-based artists. The endeavor is being driven by curator Alison Wong, who co-founded Butter Projects in 2009 and has also served as Wasserman Projects’ Director since 2015. By uniting in a series of exhibitions and supporting public programs, both organizations aim to enhance resources for the local artistic community and to expand audiences for and engagement with the arts.
“I am delighted to incorporate Butter Projects’ curatorial vision and approach into the Wasserman Projects program. Butter Projects is engaged with a dynamic array of artists and has established interesting and engaging lines of dialogue across the region. I am very much looking forward to working together to provide new opportunities for an even wider spectrum of artists, community leaders, and the public, and to build on the spirit of collaboration and creativity that distinguishes Detroit from other cities,” said Gary Wasserman, founder of Wasserman Projects.
Have+Hold is curated by Wong and artist John Charnota—with whom Wong runs Butter Projects—and will be presented in the main galleries at Wasserman Projects from July 14 through August 26, 2017. The group exhibition includes Detroit-based artists Sophie Eisner, Margaret Hull, Kasper Ray O’Brien, and Margo Wolowiec, Michigan-based artist Shane Darwent, and New York-based artists Loren Erdrich and Ellie Krakow. Through a wide range of media and approaches the featured artists examine the physical environments and objects as well as the interpersonal relationships that shape our day-to-day lives and experiences.
“At its core, Have+Hold is about connections. The works, which range from photography and painting to mixed-media installation to video pieces, examine the way we hold on to spaces, objects, images, and people to feel connected to a time and place, as well as to our sense of self. These relationships, whether to others or to things, shape our reality,” said Wong. “At the same time, the visual richness of the exhibition actively invites viewers to engage with the work and artists, adding another layer of connection and experience. This broad exploration of relationships seemed the perfect way in which to launch the collaboration between Wasserman Projects and Butter Projects, setting the tone for our mutual visions to continue to build a network of individuals and communities.”
(Works by Margo Wolowiec courtesy Jessica Silverman Gallery)