Visiting Artist Mark Strandquist in Harrisonburg

Mark Strandquist, artist, activist and educator, will be in Harrisonburg February 22 – 23, 2016 for a series of exhibitions and events at James Madison University and Eastern Mennonite University. Additionally, First Fridays Downtown exhibitions and displays will open at The Gallery at Laughing Dog and other venues on March 4, 2016.

http://www.performingstatistics.com/, www.nomovement.com

1. Mark Strandquist, “Windows from Prison” Exhibition
    Opening Reception: Monday, February 22nd, 5 - 7PM
    New Image Gallery, 131 W Grace St. 

Mark Strandquist is an artist, activist and educator who uses art as a vehicle for connecting diverse communities to build empathy and support for social justice movements. The artist will be present at the opening for this exhibition that highlights his "Windows from Prison” project which involves images produced for prisoners by students, former prisoners, artists and activists as well as "Performing Statistics,” which connects incarcerated teens, artists and Virginia's top legal experts to transform the juvenile justice system. 

The exhibition runs February 22nd - April 8th, 2016; gallery hours are M-Th 12-5pm and F-S 12-4pm.  

Following the New Image Gallery opening reception, Mark Strandquist will be part of an Interdisciplinary Panel Discussion in Duke Gallery Court.

2. Interdisciplinary Panel Discussion
    “Youth, Art and Justice: ethics, engagement and action”
    Monday, February 22nd, 7-8:30PM in Duke Hall Gallery Court.

Moderator:

Dr. Rhonda Zingraff, Associate Dean, College of Health and Behavioral Studies, JMU.

Panelists: 

Mark Strandquist, artist, activist and educator with "Performing Statistics" which connects incarcerated teens, artists and Virginia's top legal experts to transform the juvenile justice system;

Jeree Thomas, JustChildren Attorney, Legal Aid Justice Center, Richmond, VA;

Howard Zehr, Director of Zehr Institute for Restorative Justice, EMU and artist/photographer;

Youth Members, Harrisonburg-Rockingham Youth Council, Office on Children and Youth, Institute for Innovation in Health and Human Services, JMU.

This project has support of the Madison Collaborative: Ethical Reasoning in Action, The School of Art, Design and Art History, New Image Gallery, The Institute for Innovation in Health and Human Services, and the Department of Sociology and Anthropology.  It is in partnership with the History and Visual & Communication Arts Departments at Eastern Mennonite University and Tom Brenneman/ Cooperative By Design LLC, and is co-hosted by OFAR, an artist residency in Harrisonburg, VA focusing on social justice. Refreshments will be provided.

For off-campus visitors: Parking is available on Grace St in Lots C5 and R14 adjacent to 131 West Grace Street (where New Image Gallery is housed) and Lot C6 across the street. No parking permits will be necessary.

3. "Step Into Our Cell" an interactive exhibit by the Performing Statistics project
    Duke Hall Critique Space, 820 S Main St, Harrisonburg
    Exhibition opens February 22nd, 5 - 8:30 PM
    (Open during the New Image Gallery reception and Panel Discussion)
    Exhibition runs February 22 - March 4, 2016 

Performing Statistics connects incarcerated teens, artists and Virginia's top legal experts to transform the juvenile justice system. Step Into Our Cell features a to-scale model of a juvenile jail cell. The cell includes messages wood-burned into the floorboards, bars filled with community reflections, and audio recordings made by the incarcerated youth.

4. Lecture by Mark Strandquist: “Performing Statistics: Connecting incarcerated youth, artists, and leading policy experts to challenge Virginia's Juvenile Justice System.”
    Tuesday, February 23rd, 7PM
    Martin Chapel in the Seminary Building (1181 Smith Ave)
    Eastern Mennonite University

Mark Strandquist will be giving the Albert N. Keim Lecture at in Eastern Mennonite University's Martin Chapel and will also have an exhibition, "Performing Statistics", at EMU's Hartzler Gallery located on the main floor of EMU's Library that will run from February 22 - March 24. Gallery Hours coordinate with Library hours which are: Monday-Thursday 7:45 am – 11:30 pm; Friday 7:45 am – 8:00 pm; Saturday 10 am – 6 pm; Sunday 2 pm – 11:30 pm. Parking is readily available on campus.

The artist's visit is co-sponsored by the History and Visual and Communication Arts departments at Eastern Mennonite University. Mark Strandquist’s visit to Harrisonburg is a partnership between James Madison University and Eastern Mennonite University and is co-hosted by OFAR, an artist residency in Harrisonburg, VA focusing on social justice.

5. “Performing Statistics, Incarcerated Youth Speak Up!” Exhibition
     The Gallery at Laughing Dog, 82 S Main St, Downtown Harrisonburg
     Opening Reception March 4th, 5:00 - 8:00PM
     Exhibition runs March 4 - 25, 2016
     Gallery Hours: M - F 11AM - 5:30PM

Performing Statistics connects incarcerated teens, artists and Virginia's top legal experts to transform the juvenile justice system. The exhibit features posters silk screened by incarcerated youth, a project newspaper for viewers to take with them, and a multitude of art and advocacy materials created throughout the project.

Check http://newimagegallery.tumblr.com for updates.
For more information: Corinne Diop, 540-568-6485, diopcj@jmu.edu.