High Art 2014: The Tape Challenge

For the Eighteenth time, the Attleboro Arts Museum will host the High Art Exhibition. Year after year, the Museum welcomes in groups of students representing their High School, as they put their talents and creativity on display for all to see. Each year, the students participating in the exhibition are given a challenge to rise to, with this year's challenge being set to the tune of tape. Tape (especially duct) has worked it’s way into the artist’s toolbox over the past couple of decades, breaking the barriers of it being labeled as just a quick fix. Students are implored to find new and creative ways to incorporate the idea of tape into this long-term project. In the previous two years, the challenges presented included the theme of “full contrast” and “the art of assemblage.”

Museum Programs Coordinator Abby Rovaldi is at the center of this special exhibition - organizing, visiting the students in their work space, as well as curating the show in it's entirety. Visiting students in the workspace enables Rovaldi to both check on the project status, as well as giving the students feedback through group discussions. Rovaldi’s guidance with the students, along with their teacher’s, ends up yielding a fantastic culmination in the Museum’s Ottmar Gallery.

Large installations line the walls to create dazzling pieces, showing off Student’s hard work that begin all the way back in September at the beginning of the school year. Students are to push tape to the best of their abilities, as an artistic medium. 11 schools accepted this year’s challenge and will be participating in the exhibition; Attleboro High School, Bishop Feehan, Bridgewater-Raynham Regional, Brockton, Franklin, Joseph Case, King Philip Regional, Mansfield, The Network Program(Attleboro), Seekonk, and Taunton.

Mark Wholey, an artist of Warren, RI will serve as the juror for this particular exhibition.  Mark has shown his work several times in the past and is an artist member at the Attleboro Arts Museum. He will be awarding Best in Show, 2nd place, 3rd place, "Best Use of Materials," as well as merit awards. Those in attendance of the exhibit will also be allowed to fill out their own “People’s Choice Ballot.”

High Art: The Tape Challenge runs from May 21st through June 5th. To view the Exhibition’s official page, please visit http://attleboroartsmuseum.org/index.php/high-art-2014-the-tape-challenge-2/

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