Ithaca College

The Handwerker Gallery is excited to be reopening its doors with the second exhibition of the semester featuring the work of two artists, Austin Ballard and J. Michael Lowe. Ballard will be giving an artist talk in which he discusses the trajectory of his practice and the work featured in the exhibition on Wednesday, October 24, at 6.00 p.m..   

Austin Ballard (born Charlotte, North Carolina) received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in sculpture and fibers from The University of North Carolina at Charlotte and his Master of Fine Arts in sculpture from the Rhode Island School of Design.  Sculptor, curator, and writer, his practice has been included in numerous group exhibitions, at venues including Rooster Gallery (New York City), Gelman Gallery (Providence, Rhode Island), and the UNT Gallery (University of North Texas, Denton).  Ballard currently teaches at the The University of North Carolina at Charlotte and will be an artist-in-residence at the Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop in 2013.

Phase of the Devout juxtaposes familiar and unknown materials into structures balancing on the cusp of solidity and fragility.  This precarious relationship staged by each of Ballard's sculptures disrupts the usual dialogue between audience and art, the voyeuristic tension overshadowed by that between the parts of the whole.  Ballard's practice is choreographic, setting up abstract microstructures on the brink of collapse/control suggesting a more emotional and psychological origin that leaves us wondering.

All Handwerker events are free and open to the public.  Gallery hours are Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, 10 a.m. to 6.00 p.m.; Thursday, 10.00 a.m. to 9.00 p.m.; and weekends, noon to 5.00 p.m.. The gallery is closed to the public on Tuesdays unless otherwise specified for an event but can accommodate group or class visits by appointment.

For further information or individuals with disabilities requiring accommodations contact Mara Baldwin at mbaldwin@ithaca.edu or 607.274.3548. Please make requests for accommodations as far in advance as possible.