“Free Agents” Exhibition Showcases 12 Years of Works by Furniture and Woodworking Residents
The School of Art and Design exhibits student and alumni works from the Windgate artist-in-residence program
Aspen Golann, Drafting Brush Set, 2020; hard maple, cherry, blonde tampico fibers, erasers; 3 ¾ x 6 x 2 ¾ inches ; courtesy of the artist
by Allison Cone
April 27, 2022
The School of Art and Design presents Free Agents: In Residence with Furniture & Woodworking 2010 – 2022 in the University Gallery off the fourth floor courtyard. The exhibition is open to the public through May 13, 2022, 12:00 - 4:00 p.m., Tuesday through Thursday or by appointment. Admission to the exhibit is free.
Free Agents: In Residence with Furniture & Woodworking 2010 – 2022 brings together the work of 24 artists who have visited as a participant in the Windgate Artist-In-Residence Program over the last 12 years. Free Agents showcases a wide variety of woodworking, from functional furniture design to subversive wood sculpture.
Each semester, the Windgate Artist-In-Residence (AIR) Program selects one student to participate in an intensive study of furniture design and woodworking in the SDSU Furniture Program Studio. Generating work through multiple approaches, this group of artists is inspired by contemporary and traditional techniques representing a dynamic cross-section of contemporary craft.
The artworks in Free Agents showcase the many ways materials like wood, metal, and textile can be constructed, and in some cases, deconstructed, as a means of exploring function, the natural environment, and our imaginations.
“The artists we have had grace our studio throughout the years have pushed materials, forms, and concepts in wildly different directions, while all having a strong footing in a craft tradition,” said Free Agents curator Matthew Hebert.
“The universality of many forms and functions in furniture allow us to create objects that trigger shared identities and cultural touch points,” said associate professor of furniture and woodworking Adam Manley. “As a medium for art-making, furniture comes packed with material challenges, functional potential, aesthetic magnetism, conceptual content, and so much more.”
For more information or to book an appointment to view the exhibition outside of gallery hours, call the School of Art and Design University Gallery at 619-594-5171 or email artgalleries@sdsu.edu.
The content within this article has been edited by Lizbeth Persons.
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