Alternative Transportation the Focus of Resident Artist at ASU

From Eric Iwersen, City of Tempe Bicycle Coordinator:

Between September 7 – October 12, Brazilian Artist Jarbas Lopes will be the artist-in-residence at the Arizona State University Art Museum. Jarbas is interested in working with the community to develop his concepts/interests in alternative transportation and utopia.

During his stay in Tempe he will have a gallery space at the Art Museum. He wants to make this space interactive; work with the community to create, design and fabricate using recycled materials (especially bicycle parts). He will need donated bikes, parts, equipment and other recyclable materials. He will also need YOU to be there, collaborating with him to build scultpure, bikes, or just ideas.

The city will be working with local bike shops and the city’s surplus yard to provide materials. We will also look into commissioning a sculptural piece by Jarbas (working with the community) for the Tempe Transportation Center.

Please plan on getting involved with this project. Contact John Spiak (480-965-2787 jdspiak AT mainex1.asu.edu) for more information.

Full press release below:

ASU Art Museum’s new initiative:

Global Arizona addresses the international scope of Phoenix, carrying the fastest growing metropolitan area to the global level. ASU Art Museum’s partnerships in Cuba, Brazil, and Argentina are a priority– recognizing that our communities are more connected each day and we can learn from other perspectives. Global Arizona will bring international exhibitions to Phoenix and carry the global issues that are exemplified in Phoenix to the international art world. As part of Global Arizona, Social Studies is an artist residency program that will turn an ASU Art Museum gallery into a workshop-studio for the visiting artist. The gallery floors will be protected by cardboard, tools, equipment, art supplies and a few works will be in the space when the residency begins. The space will be open not only to allow audiences to view the artist at work but to invite artists, art students, faculty, children, and all of our visitors to query the artists and collaborate to whatever degree they wish. Community engagement, one of the most important Arizona State University commitments, will take the work and the artist beyond the Museum to whatever location and context the process leads. The first annual Social Studies project will open in the fall of 2007 with Jarbas Lopes from Brazil.

September 7, 2007 – December 30, 2007

Artist Residency: September 7, 2007 – October 12, 2007

GLOBAL ARIZONA

Jarbas Lopes : Cicloviaérea

– Friday, September 14, 2007, 7:00 – 9:00p.m.: Public Reception introducing Jarbas Lopes, with Business as Usual opening

– Friday, October 12, 2007, 7:00 – 9:00 p.m.: Reception for the end of the artist residency

Jarbas Lopes of Rio de Janeiro works in a converted studio-gallery, using the space as a laboratory for creativity and community interaction as students, children, and museum visitors participate to help create his utopia alternative transportation. Using bicycles, sculpture, drawing, installation, video and performance, Lopes builds the work within the gallery and then takes it into the community.

This project is curated by ASU Art Museum in collaboration with Marcio Botner, director of A Gentil Carioca, Rio de Janeiro. It is made possible through a partnership with the Institute for Arts, Media and Culture at ASU. Additional support provided by Sharon Figarelli/Latin American Art Gallery, Scottsdale; Lori and Howard Hirsch; The Maurice R. and Meta G. Gross Foundation; Phyllis and Stuart Steckler; and Friends of the ASU Art Museum.

Arizona State University Art Museum
Tenth Street and Mill Avenue
Tempe, AZ 85287-2911
t. 480.965.2787
f. 480.965.5254
e. [email protected]
w. http://asuartmuseum.asu.edu/