New Works by Anne Labovitz
Submitted
Rochester, Minnesota – In a new exhibit created especially for the Rochester Art Center, Minnesota-based, international artist, Anne Labovitz, examines the innumerable ways art and creativity benefit both community and the individual.
The Nexus of Well-Being and Art explores the connection of well-being and art expressed through painting, sculpture, installation, and public participatory work. The exhibit opens Feb. 18 and runs through July 30. An opening reception will be held Sat., Feb 18, 6-9pm. For tickets and additional information visit the Rochester Art Center website.
“There is an abundance of research supporting the importance of art and creativity as an essential element of our well-being,” explains Labovitz. “The act of observing and engaging in creative pursuits provides a wealth of benefits to the individual as well as the community as a whole.”
In preparation for creating the exhibit, Labovitz researched numerous studies and conducted extensive interviews with health professionals on the connection of art and well-being. The resulting concepts, such as connection, community, hope, love, peace, purpose, rest and resiliency are expressed throughout the exhibition.
The show encompasses nearly 30 new artworks, including six 6-feet x 6-feet paintings that incorporate words from Labovitz’s interviews and her studies on art, health and well-being. Three large 6-feet x 6-feet illuminated light sculptures entitled LightWindows, consist of Tyvek® over an acrylic vitrine that is, in turn, lit from behind with 576 LED lights causing the sculpture to glow. In addition, an immersive 15-feet x 15-feet x 36-inches Tyvek® sculpture hangs from the gallery ceiling, and 16 small Tyvek® paintings sandwiched between heavy panels of acrylic.
In what has become a signature element of many of Labovitz’s exhibitions, the public also will be offered an opportunity to participate and contribute to the content of the exhibit through an interactive installation. This participatory section is an invitation for visitors to create their own artwork and exhibit it on a large 30-feet grid wall.
Atrium Commission
In addition to the exhibition, Rochester Art Center commissioned Labovitz to create an artwork specifically for its soaring, three-story atrium. Labovitz designed the dramatic, large-scale installation to incorporate the themes of The Nexus of Well-Being & Art as well respond to the light, air and unique architecture of the atrium space. Entitled, Will to Meaning, the enormous artwork is 40-feet by 35-feet by 5-feet is made of vibrantly painted Tyvek® scrolls that subtly move and create an ever-changing interplay with the abundant natural light that filters in from the overhead skylights and surrounding windows. Will to Meaning is on display through 2023.
About the Artist
Anne Labovitz is an U.S. artist who is known for artwork that challenges isolation, loneliness and disconnection by activating color and light in her large-scale works. Local context and creating connections with others is embodied in her creative process and public interventions.
Labovitz received her bachelor’s of arts in art and psychology, and a minor in art education and art history from Hamline University, St. Paul, MN. (1989) and a master’s of fine arts from Transart Institute, Plymouth University, Berlin (2017). She is currently Adjunct Professor and Mentor at Minneapolis College of Art and Design, Minneapolis, Master of Fine Arts program.
Labovitz’s art is exhibited widely both nationally and internationally. In addition to her Rochester Art Center show, upcoming projects include solo exhibitions at Athenaeum in La Jolla, CA (2023) and the Minnesota State Capitol (2024), and speaking at the Mayo Clinic Conference on Brain Health and Dementia-Paths to Emotional Wellness (2023). Her works are included in numerous public and private collections, including Walker Art Center, Minneapolis; Minneapolis-St Paul International Airport commissioned by Airport Foundation MSP for its permanent art collection; Frederick R Weisman Art Museum; Minnesota Museum of American Art, St Paul; Minnesota Marine Art Museum, Winona; The Tweed Museum of Art, Duluth; The Athenaeum Music & Arts Library, La Jolla; Minnesota Historical Society, St Paul; International Gallery of Portrait, Bosnia-Herzegovina; Växjö Kommun, Sweden; Isumi City Offices, Japan; University of Raparin, Rania Iraqi Kurdistan; and City of Petrozavodsk, Russia.
More information is available at labovitz.com.
About the Rochester Art Center
The Rochester Art Center is a museum of contemporary art located along the Zumbro River in the heart of historic downtown Rochester, MN. Founded in 1946, the Art Center hosts an ongoing schedule of exhibitions of work by local, regional, national, and international artists; dynamic educational programs for all ages; and an array of community partnerships and visitor engagement initiatives. Through world-class exhibitions and programs, the Art Center presents a welcoming, integrated, and diverse experience that encourages questioning, creativity, and critical thinking.
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