The Brick City Galleries and Carolla Arts Exhibition Center are connected as never before for a special multi-gallery exhibition. Collected Memories and Rooted Objects considers the value and personal meaning applied to everyday items and features the artwork of Leticia Bajuyo, Kerry Phillips, and an additional three artists curated by Leticia and Kerry. The exhibition is on show February 28–April 1 and will be open for two First Friday Art Walks on March 4 and April 1.

Even for those who are not especially sentimental, there are some objects that are more than just objects. The most unexpected things can act as tangible ways to extend the lifespan of what would otherwise be a simple memory. Each gallery space will house a different facet of the exhibition, using different means to express this cohesive theme. Leticia Bajuyo’s work can be found in the Carolla Arts Exhibition Center, where pieces from her “Growing Plastic Grass” series will be displayed alongside iron sculptures and drawings on wooden planks and player piano rolls. In Brick City Gallery, East, Kerry Phillips transforms locally-sourced objects, including hidden gems from the Brick City basement, into a site-specific installation. Kerry also continues her “Junk Drawers” assemblage project with drawers (junk included) on lend from Art + Design faculty and staff.

In addition to assembling their own work for the exhibition, Leticia and Kerry also curated work by three other artists to feature for Collected Memories and Rooted Objects. Chosen from an international call for portfolios, works by Haelim Choi Allen, Ahmed Ozsever, and Jesse Ring are featured in Brick City Gallery, West. Haelim Choi is a Jackson, Tennessee-based installation artist, painter, and associate professor of art at Union University. As a Korean-born artist, Haelim’s work considers questions of identity through paintings done using the colorist tradition. Ahmed Ozsever, an interdisciplinary artist and assistant professor at Indiana University, creates work based around location through unexpected architecture and uncovered histories. Jesse Ring grew up here in Springfield, Missouri and is now based in Gainesville, Florida. Jesse works as an assistant professor at the University of Florida and uses artifacts, landscape, and lore in his own work to portray the philosophic and poetic meaning of human experience.

Each portion of the exhibition reveals a new way to appreciate things that were once unused, unnoticed, or unappreciated in an effort to revive reminders of the past.

To accommodate the larger size of the exhibition, both Slow Viewing dates for this semester will focus on work from Collected Memories and Rooted Objects. The first Slow Viewing event focuses on the work by Kerry Phillips in Brick City Gallery, East on March 9 from 4:30–5:30 PM. The second Slow Viewing for Leticia Bajuyo’s work in the Carolla Arts Exhibition Center takes place March 30 from 4:30–5:30 PM.

Carolla Arts Exhibition Center is located at 326 N. Boonville Ave, Springfield, Missouri, and the Brick City Galleries are located at 215 W. Mill Street, Springfield, MO 65806. Gallery hours are Monday–Friday 11 AM–6 PM and Saturday 12 PM–4 PM. Call 417-837-2330 for additional details.

Taylor Ladd is a graduate assistant for the Department of Art + Design. She is working towards her master’s degree in writing at Missouri State University with professional interests in writing about art, culture, and food.