NOMI SILERMAN EXHIBITION OF “THE SHEPARD CYCLE” EXTENDED THROUGH FEB 25, 2011
Feb. 4, 2010
Contact: Robbin Zella 203-332-5052
The Shepard Cycle on view at Housatonic Community College
Nomi Silverman Prints Chronicle Matthew Shepard Murder
STUDENT AND PUBLIC PROGRAMMING:
February 10: Reception for the Artist, 4:00 – 6:00 p.m.
February 21: Panel Discussion, 5:00 – 6:30 p.m
In 1998, Matthew Shepard, a young gay man, was murdered by peers. In court the defense claimed the crime was a gay bashing. Titled “The Shepard Cycle,” Nomi Silverman of Glenville, Connecticut, created a suite of prints in 2008 that detail this narrative. Silverman’s prints are on view on the third floor of Beacon Hall at Housatonic Community College (HCC). The installation is sponsored by the Housatonic Museum of Art and is on view through February 25, 2011.
Two programs for the installation are scheduled for February. Both events are co-sponsored by the Housatonic Museum of Art and Housatonic Community College’s Gay/Straight Alliance. They are free and open to the public, with free parking in the HCC garage. On Thursday, February 10, a reception for the artist will take place at Beacon Hall from 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. On Monday, February 21 a panel discussion with Nomi Silverman as well as guests from HCC faculty and the surrounding community is scheduled from 5:00 – 6:30 at Beacon Hall.
The works on paper are created using two printing processes, lithography and etching. Silverman sees the series as a continuation of her impulse to address social and political issues, “Over the years, [my art] has dealt with the origins of hate and how it spirals through the generations into violence, so often against those perceived as outsiders.” Through printmaking, the artist harnesses the storytelling capabilities of rendered images and expresses her emotional response to a senseless act with confidently etched lines and visceral applications of ink. Silverman hopes viewers will react to the feeling of each type of print as they follow Shepard’s story.
The exhibition is open to the public at no charge. Hours are: Monday through Thursday, 8:00 a.m. – 10 p.m., Friday 8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m., Saturday 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., Sunday 11:30 a.m. – 5p.m.
Housatonic Community College provides an affordable and accessible education through two-year degrees, transfer preparation, and certificate programs, as well as a wide variety of continuing education and personal/professional enrichment seminars and workshops. In addition, HCC offers employee and occupational training for businesses, municipalities, government agencies, and professional associations to help develop the educated and skilled workforce required to meet regional business and industry needs. HCC is nationally recognized as an “Achieving the Dream” institution. To learn more, visit the college’s website at: www.hcc.commnet.edu <http://www.hcc.commnet.edu> .
HCC is located at 900 Lafayette Blvd. in downtown Bridgeport, less than 150 yards off I-95 (Exit 27) and Rte. 8 (Exit 1), a block from the Arena at Harbor Yard. Free parking is available in the Housatonic garage.