8 artists with 8 hours to create 8 new art works. Live and in public. This is the bold premise of 8 to Create. Now, in preparation for their fifth annual event this March, 8 to Create is launching its first annual “alumni” show tomorrow evening at Krannert Art Museum. The show will feature the work of past 8 to Create participants:
Angelo Martinez • Deanne Wortman • Shelby Shadwell • Ghislaine Fremaux • Hong Chun Zhang • Jason Bentley • Allen Creamean • Rachel Newell • Elliott Stokes • Kira Schnitzler • EKAH • Emmanuel Obadiah • Vivian Le • Frank Vega
The addition of an alumni show to the 8 to Create schedule is yet another brilliant move by the University of Illinois student organization behind this groundbreaking concept. The group started in spring of 2014 and launched its first event the following March with the goal of providing an space for students to gain real world art and design experience (e.g., curating and installing shows that would benefit the local community).
8 to Create offers a rare opportunity for the public to experience the creative process live and up close. By inviting us not just to observe but to engage with the creators and their work during n the 8 hours of art making, 8 to Create makes tremendous strides in breaking down town/gown barriers, demystifying the creative process, and proving that art belongs in the public sphere where it is accessible to everyone.
8 to Create 2016 from Bella Pon on Vimeo.
2017 8 to Create alumnus EKAH, pictured below, viewed the many challenges of a fast-paced live art making experience as an opportunity to experiment with new styles and techniques. On her website, she notes that “given the short amount of time to produce an artwork I chose a style that was atypical of my work.” Check out EKAH’s site for additional photos documenting her 8 to Create process and final product.
Krannert Art Museum communications and maketing director, Julia Nucci Kelly, applauds these interactive events for providing the public with the rare opportunity to “see artists make a painting or sculpture or other work of art from start to finish.”
The premiere of the alumni show will take this experience full circle by allowing viewers to revisit the now completed work and to see them in a different context. So stop by the Hood Gallery tomorrow night and see what magic can be made in a mere 8 hours.
8 to Create Alumni Show
January 14th through to March 1st, 2019
Opening reception, January 17th, 7 to 8:30 p.m.
Krannert Art Museum
Lower Level, Hood Classroom
500 East Peabody Dr
Champaign
Museum Hours
M-Sa 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Open till 9 p.m. on Thursdays while classes are in session
And mark your calendars for the 2019 8 to Create event, March 30th, 2019, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., in the Link Gallery (located between the entrance of the School of Art + Design and the Krannert Art Museum), public reception at 6:30 p.m. For more information, follow 8 to Create on Instagram.
Top photo from 8 to Create Facebook page. Second photo by Jenny Liu, taken from EKAH’s Steampunk Grub website.