CAN Triennial: You Are Here: Understanding the Space We Fill

• Program: Who Curates Contemporary Art? Featuring the Currently Under Curation student curators: Wednesday, July 20, 7:00pm, Gartner Auditorium, Cleveland Museum of Art
• Reception: University Circle Neighborhood Reception Friday, July 29th, 6:00 – 8:00pm, featuring the Artists Archives of the Western Reserve, the Cleveland Institute of Art, and The Sculpture Center. Early viewing available at the Artists Archives beginning at 5:30pm
• Program: Curator and Artist Walk & Talk: Wednesday, August 3, 5:30 – 6:30pm. REGISTER HERE

The CAN Triennial: You Are Here is a regionally focused exhibition featuring northeast Ohio artists, selected by an intergenerational and diverse curatorial team, and representing this moment in time, place, and history in Cleveland. Conceived in 2016, the inaugural CAN Triennial took place in 2018. The second CAN Triennial, initially scheduled in 2021, was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

From July 8 – August 31, the Artists Archives will be one of more than a dozen venues around Cleveland, Ohio hosting this inclusive community event. Our gallery will feature the artists selected by the Currently Under Curation (CUC) student curators’ program facilitated by the Cleveland Museum of Art.

As the CUC curators explain, “Taking place in three spaces—the Artist Archives, The Sculpture Center, and the Cleveland Institute of Art – the University Circle portion of the CAN Triennial explores the themes of YOU ARE HERE as seen through the lens of identity, environment, and journey. In other words, if is about who we are, how place impacts our sense of self, and how where we are is a function of how we got here.”

Artists featured in the AAWR gallery include Lawrence Baker, Arron Bound, Davon Brantley, David Buttram, Kacey Gill, Suzanne Head, Crystal Miller, Bobbie Reagins, Derek Walker, and Gary R. Williams. 

To see all three CUC curated University Circle venues visit You Are Here: The Way We Transcend at the Cleveland Institute of Art’s Ann and Norman Roulet Student + Alumni Gallery, and You Are Here: Look How Far We’ve Come at The Sculpture Center’s Main Gallery. A University Circle Neighborhood Reception will be held from 6:00 – 8:00pm on Friday, July 23rd. No registration required.

CUC Curators Statement: Artists Archives of the Western Reserve: You Are Here: Understanding the Space We Fill

Written by Shree Ghosh, Abby Hope, Jamal Ledonté, Arica McKinney, Sarah Voss, and Jacklyn Walker. Compiled by program facilitator Sabine Kretzschmar

Currently Under Curation (CUC) is a competitive arts mastery program facilitated by The Cleveland Museum of Art and offered in partnership with the Cleveland Foundation. The CUC team consists of six high school students who meet weekly to talk with artists and arts professionals, visit galleries, and museums, and actively explore the local arts scene. They were selected for their experience with the visual arts, communication skills, and professional responsibility. Curating the CAN Triennial, CUC used two primary lenses. One was visceral, selecting artists that communicated a larger story, sparked conversations, explored new modes of expression, and were relatable. The other was based on what they observed and interpreted from the submissions, which shaped the CUC’s take on YOU ARE HERE. For the CUC curators, the exhibition revolves around identity, its intersection with environment, and associated journeys. Identity is about, “examining our origins,” and “understanding our placement in the world.” It can arise in, “the way you dress, wear your hair, and the place you grew up.” Identity can help, “discern how our culture and environment influence aspects of our individuality.” Environment can impact one’s, “sense of self, culture, and ideology,” and “makes you who you are.” Associated journeys – past, present, and future – help us celebrate the changes, hardships, and hopes along the way. Ultimately, YOU ARE HERE means self-awareness, self-expression, hope, and understanding our place in the world. We can display gratitude and acknowledge our place of origin. We are celebrating who we are and the journeys that got us here.