Tucked next to the bus station, two blocks east of the senior center, lives a gem of a community-spirited arts organization called Thurston County Museum of Fine Arts.
Look at Alter Michael, hair, wood, cotton, porcelain, by Olive Keilholtz
Viscera 1, starched paper, acrylic, gouache, soft pastels, by Julia Peterson
There Are 419,762 Dots, The Average Amount of Laughs in a Lifetime, acrylic and paint marker, by Reid Urban
TCMoFA consists of founding members Fredderick Dobler, Isabel Yasui, and Kirsten Miller, presently joined by David Hoekje, Jasper Pease, and Olive Keilholtz, who have set about filling the absence of noncommercial spaces to showcase art in the area, their approach is to support more experimental and experiential art which is less likely to be profiled by local galleries who rely on sales to survive. They have made themselves quite the legacy. They usually house group shows twice a year, with some solo shows in between when possible. The Spring Arts Walk show is a local open call, the Fall Arts Walk show, CSMoFA (Coast Salish Museum of Fine Art) exhibits artworks by local First Nations artists.
This spring the theme is Labyrinth, and it is a deeply intriguing show because of its many interpretations. Freddy Dobler explained: “So many different cultures and religions have incorporated the use of the labyrinth, either in meditative practice or in part of their belief system. It’s this one thing that goes back so far, it’s ancient … it represents a singular path through life. A lot of people mistakenly believe that a labyrinth is a maze where there are dead ends, but a labyrinth is a single path, so there’s no way to make a wrong turn, and when you hit the middle, you go back and reflect on everything you’ve learned. There’s something powerful about the way we go through life following the path that we’re taking.”
The multiple interpretations of this universal theme and the uses of varied materials and compositions make the show very interesting. Ranging from a pair of Wellington boots, entitled Two Labyrinths by artist Max Nordile, inviting us to consider anew the interior of which as super simplified labyrinths, to highly complex, skillfully executed pieces that will boggle your mind. There are some challenging, glib, earthy pieces which will make you blush, and others which lift you out of your physical realm and jettison you into the world of your spiritual imagination.
In the space to the left of the door hangs a small collage by Evan Clayton Horbach named Chakravyuha. It depicts a classic cameo profile of a woman with the Chakravyuha labyrinth painted on top. One wonders if the invading army is willingly being held hostage, or if their presence is unwanted, and if the silhouette, being feminine, is pertinent.
Anton Seder’s Reflection Field is large, mesmerizing, and encompassing.
Opposite Seder’s Reflection Field, Julia Peterson’s Viscera offers a relief sculpture reminiscent of a mandala but also calls to mind either brains or intestines with a luminescence which makes it appear to glow. The label reminds us that our bodies are vessels we merely pass through and of our discomfort in its changeability, but also the solace we find in its functioning autonomy.
Reid Urban’s amusingly named There Are 419,762 Dots, The Average Amount of Laughs in a Lifetime makes you wonder how they would ever measure such a thing, but the resulting manifestation of this pondering is truly mesmerizing. Each “laugh” carries its inner light and together presents a suggested depth in texture.
Frederick Dobler’s interactive Marble Labyrinth is a simple and direct invitation to walk with him through his art.
Justin Olmstead’s You Are The Seventh Generation invites us to look at the “indigenous way of being. The Seventh Generation walk upon the earth holding the generational wisdoms from the past three generations while simultaneously constructing a dialogue with the future Three. This perspective at its core opposes modern western perceptual reality in that it provides purpose and responsibility to the land you are from and all its peoples”.
The self-reflective A Night at the Museum (2006) by David Hoekje is made of a mirror which was salvaged from the museum space, and the images were photographed in the space itself.
Joelle Montez’s Labyrinth sculpture is delightful and intriguing. The inspiration cited is that we must reflect on our past to move forward, and this reflective journey is a constant state of existence.
Maia Erickson’s The Way Back Through is like a path within a path. Made from backlit porcelain, it is delicate and meandering but predetermined. The label reads: “When Theseus entered the labyrinth, he laid a thread behind him to find his way back. Memory is how I follow my own path back through time, retracing a way to past junctures that shaped my life. My own thread of memory, imperfect and incomplete as it is, illuminates a way back through.”
Chris Rosso’s I. Mehmet Biber. ‘Pilgrimage to Mecca’ compares the concept of walking the labyrinth with his art practice and the sacred walk to Mecca.
Silas Morrow’s Shrine of Shrines is an embellished wood cabinet salvaged from the home of his family, which doubled as a place of worship and used labyrinths in their practice.
Olive Keilholtz’s multimedia pieces are playful, layered, brightly colored, delicate wall hangings, inviting you to look but not touch.
Silas Morrow’s Shrine of Shrines is an embellished wood cabinet salvaged from the home of his family,
Joey Oey’s Land, Water, Spiral is a 3D digital animated journey into the depths of our liminal meditative selves. It is super relaxing to watch, and the simplicity of the animation adds to the ethereal nature of the piece.
This is one of TCMoFA’s best shows. There are so many well-presented delights and they’re not all mentioned in this article, but all are worth considering and relating to in our shared, existential, lived reality. Walking around this show is like taking a collective mini-break. Highly recommended.
Photos courtesy of TCMoFA.
WHAT:
Labyrinths Group Exhibition at TCMoFA
WHEN: Tuesdays, Fridays, Saturdays 1-4 p.m. until May 24, Saturday, May 10: 3 p.m.: artist Q&A; 7 p.m.: “The Emergency Labyrinth” performed by Arrington de Dionyso, Thee Effluvium, Expulsar, and poetry read by Reid Urban. Friday, May 16: 7 PM: “Opening Spaces” performed by Clay Devilbiss, Crybabe, Giselle, and Liminal Sound Design; Friday, May 23: 7 p.m.: “Banjo Mantras” performed by Kendl Winter, and Bleeding Hearts Choir; Saturday, May 24: 2 p.m.: Shelter for Illegal Sounds, 7 p.m.: closing gala featuring M RA9E, Cultish, and DJ Cluster
WHERE:
120 Olympia Ave NE, Olympia
HOW MUCH:
Free (with donation opportunity)
LEARN MORE:
https://www.tcmofa.org/
info@tcmofa.org