What happens when daily life meddles with the creative process? Or vice versa? Attend a curator’s talk to examine what artist Robert Rauschenberg famously described as acting in “the gap between art and life” during Art After Hours at the Zimmerli Art Museum at Rutgers University. The June program begins with a 5:30 p.m. docent-led tour of Rachel Perry Welty: 24/7, the artist’s first solo museum exhibition, which addresses the effects of compulsive consumerism and information overload on our lives with humorous commentary. At 6:15 p.m., Donna Gustafson, the Zimmerli’s Andrew W. Mellon Liaison for Academic Programs and Curator, elaborates on what Welty has termed “the business of living” within the larger context of contemporary art.
The Zimmerli welcomes New Brunswick band Blithe (doll), taking the stage for two sets, beginning at 7 and 8 p.m. Blithe (doll) is the latest collaboration between artists James and Lisa Woodley, who blend their collective non-conformist punk ethos with experimental electronic music and electronic dance genres to create music that is at once avant-garde and accessible. This live electronic group uses synthesizers, acoustic drums, samples, and powerful vocals to create music that ranges from dark and introspective to up-tempo and innovative. The Museum Store features 20% off all purchases and a free CD music sampler to the first ten visitors.
Admission is $6 for adults; $5 for 65 and over; and free for museum members, children under 18, and Rutgers students, faculty, and staff (with ID).
