Students of Professor Avaunt’s Advanced Contemporary Dance Class perform dances inspired by the installations in the Three Acts exhibition at the Picker Art Gallery.

About the Exhibition

Three Acts: Felix Gonzalez-Torres · Senga Nengudi · Joe Overstreet

January 24–March 10, 2019

Three Acts features installations by three American artists who have had a lasting impact on contemporary art through performance, use of nontraditional media, and experimental modes of display. For each of these artists, community advocacy and activism have been central to their practice and embedded in their work. This exhibition puts single installations by the artists—Untitled (LA) (1991) by Felix Gonzalez-Torres; A.C.Q. – Cross Eyed, A.C.Q. – Cross Ban, and  A.C.Q. – Cross Waves (2016–17) by Senga Nengudi; and Boxes (1970) by Joe Overstreet—in conversation to encourage interdisciplinary and intersectional conversations about gender, race, sexuality, and social practice in contemporary art.

Special events to accompany Three Acts include a candy-making workshop series at the Hamilton Public Library led by local confectioner and owner of Maxwell’s Chocolates and Ice Cream, Jennifer Jury. This workshop series will result in a collaboratively-created candy sculpture temporarily  installed on Colgate’s campus and inspired by Felix Gonzalez-Torres’ art practice. An interdisciplinary program led by Colgate Visiting Assistant Professor of Theater, Casey Avaunt, will bring students in the Advanced Contemporary Dance class together through visual art, dance, and music, in response to the work of Senga Nengudi. In collaboration with Sisters of the Round Table (SORT), a student group dedicated to promoting the voices of women of color on campus, Los Angeles-based artist, Uzumaki Cepeda, will install her artwork at the Picker and lead a public workshop, both in conversation with Joe Overstreet’s installation. 

Generous support for this exhibition and related programs provided by Art Bridges.

Image: Senga Nengudi, A.C.Q. – Cross Eyed; A.C.Q. – Cross Ban; A.C.Q. – Cross Waves, 2016-17, Refrigerator parts and nylon pantyhose. Collection of Art Bridges. © Senga Nengudi. Courtesy the artist; Lévy Gorvy, New York, London, Hong Kong; and Thomas Erben Gallery, New York.