More Than Friends opens Friday, August 8 at Fresh Produce’s Ipso Gallery in downtown Sioux Falls.
The show, which is full of bright, splashy colors, playful textures – and most of all – the joyous creativity that has become synonymous with ad agency Fresh Produce, will hang in the gallery through October. Ipso Gallery Director Liz Heeren explains why More Than Friends is worth checking out.
Tell us about More Than Friends.
LH: Fresh Produce is celebrating its 10-year anniversary, and as part of that celebration, we’ve crafted a show that features artists who have made a very strong artistic impact on our collective creative culture over the last decade. In fact, our appreciation extends beyond the walls of Ipso Gallery, as many of these artists have made their way into our homes and creative work spaces.
What’s behind the name of the show?
LH: More Than Friends – it’s a great way of expressing the fact that these artists have helped us to define our creative perspective and our culture. They are appreciated in ways that go beyond typical friendship. Each of them continues to challenge and influence our perspective on art, aesthetics, design and the creative process. On a personal level, they are the kind of people that I like to surround myself with, because they inspire new ways of processing information and problem solving. I admire each of them.
What feeling or experience do you hope this show evokes?
LH: We hope that visitors to the gallery become as engrossed in the work as we do. It isn’t uncommon for us to walk around in wonder, discussing the work. Questions about the art can fuel great conversation – and we appreciate that these works provoke questions that are not always easily answered. These works are so fresh and crisp; such genuine representation of artistic curiosity. We just love that – we hope the viewers do, too.
Do you think this show is indicative of the current Sioux Falls art scene?
LH: These artists come from all over the region. Some did not grow up in South Dakota, but find themselves working here now. Some spent time here and have relocated. Whatever the case, they represent a collective view of the here and now, and that inevitably includes a sense of their identity as it was influenced by this place. In that way, I feel that these works of art are genuinely situated somewhere within this broad scene.
How does it push the envelope?
LH: Ipso Gallery gravitates towards projects and exhibits that somehow spark our curiosities or showcase our interests. There isn’t any deliberate envelope pushing, but we enjoy seeing an unusual idea come to fruition. This exhibit doesn’t address a topic as much as it celebrates five authentic innovators. Their work has challenged us to think differently – revealing mystic truths to us (thank you Altman Studeny). The public will likely find themselves intrigued by the craft, the beauty, the humor, the topics and the aesthetics exhibited by each of these artists, as well.
Fresh Produce is located at 400 N Main Avenue (corner of 6th & Main). More Than Friends is open during Fresh Produce business hours: 8 a.m.-5 p.m. The reception for More Than Friends is open to the public and runs 6-8 p.m. Friday, August 8.
