Highlights From the Everson By Allison Pinski

I recently visited the Everson Museum of Art during a brief visit to Syracuse, NY, and was impressed with the different exhibitions on display. I included a few below, but encourage you to check out the museum here for more information on the exhibitions.

The museum is currently showing an exhibition from Saya Woolfalk entitled “ChimaCloud.” The Everson writes about the exhibition below, which is available until May 1, 2016;  

“Brooklyn-based multimedia artist Saya Woolfalk has spent a decade creating a fictional utopian universe that blends science fiction, fantasy and cultural anthropology. In partnership with UVP and Light Work, the Everson presents the latest chapter in Woolfalk’s ongoing narrative including new video and photographic works made while in residency in Syracuse in 2015, as well as previous works that provide an overview of the story to date” (from here).

I enjoyed “ChimaCloud” because of its uniqueness. Woolfalk’s use of different mediums creates a colorful fantasy through paint, video, and photography. You can see some of the exhibition below (images from the Urban Video Project) and check out Woolfalk’s website here.

Another exhibition I enjoyed was the photography of Helen Levitt. Levitt’s series “In The Street” shows photographs of everyday life in New York City, New Hampshire, and New Mexico. The Everson provides the following description for the exhibition, which is available until May 8, 2016; ​

“For more than seventy years, Helen Levitt used her camera to capture fresh and unstudied views of everyday life in the streets of New York City. Levitt’s photographs, in both black and white and color, document neighborhood matriarchs on their front stoops, pedestrians negotiating New York’s busy sidewalks, and boisterous children at play. In her work, Levitt successfully captures people of every age, race and class, without attempting to impose social commentary. The exhibition features a range of photographs spanning Levitt’s long career, and includes scenes shot in New York City, New Hampshire and Mexico. Helen Levitt: In the Street is organized by Telfair Museums, Savannah, Georgia. This exhibition is made possible through the generous support of Mrs. Robert O. Levitt.
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Presented by M&T Bank with additional assistance from the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature, the County of Onondaga, administered by CNY Arts, David and Nancy Ridings, and Bonnie and Gary Grossman. Education sponsors: Green Family Foundation and Richard S. Shineman Foundation” (from here). ​

Levitt provides a unique perspective on everyday life through her photographs, and this series is praised by photographers everywhere. Photographer Eric Kim has written an interesting piece on his blog about Levitt’s legacy, entitled “7 Lessons Helen Levitt Has Taught Me About Street Photography.". The below images were taken from Kim’s blog, and were taken by Levitt as part of her “In The Street” series.

The last exhibition I saw was “From Paris to Syracuse,” a collection of photography from the Everson and LightWork. The Everson describes the exhibition below, which is available until May 15, 2016;

“From 19th century Parisian boulevards to late 20th century scenes of downtown Syracuse, the images included in this exhibition explore the many diverse aspects of life in the city: busy shopfronts and beach boardwalks, crowded fairs and quiet parks and streets teeming with or devoid of human presence. Featuring over 60 works by 22 photographers, the exhibition includes examples by such internationally known figures as Eugène Atget, Manuel Álvarez Bravo, Robert Doisneau and Garry Winogrand, as well as photographers who have worked locally, such as Toren Beasley, Michael Davis and Bruce Gilden” (from here). ​

This collection of photography is especially interesting because it incorporates a variety of street photographers from around the world. It is fascinating to see the many differences and similarities between the photographs.

The below photograph, by Michael Davis, was provided to the Everson for the exhibition from the LightWork Collection (as credited here). ​

NOTE: All images are not our own and are the property of their corresponding links.