Third Floor of Commons Reopens for Student Show
The third floor of Commons was the crossroads of intellectual and cultural life of the 20th century: where Helen Frankenthaler '49 and Paul Feeley painted, where Martha Graham danced, where Bob Dylan sang, and where Gunnar Schonbeck made his instruments. Now, it fully reopens for the first time since the 80's and the last time before a complete renovation of the building for a visual and performative arts show.
The third floor of Commons will be open two Saturdays in a row--May 13 and May 20--for a show that features a wide range of visual work made by twenty five current Bennington students.
The idea of the show was conceived by Sundara Ziegler '18, whose plan is in visual art and curatorial studies, when she visited the space for the first time with her intermediate painting class taught by Josh Blackwell. After seeing the space she wanted to organize a show that would comment on the present moment of change and expansion at Bennington College which also references the space's significant past. Alongside the visual artwork, for each opening, a group of students will perform improvisational movement, interacting with the space and the objects that have been left behind.
You can see photos of the installation and some of the works in the show on Instagram, @thirdfloorshow.
Artists involved:
Visual Art
India Abbott '19, Michael Ash '18, Chiara Brandi '19, Halle Darling-Menking '19, Lucas Galante '18, Owen Gerber-Hatem '18, Sadie Heisler '17, Eloise Hess '17, Rose Hoffman '20, Jonas Lafortezza '18, Matthew Mahoney '17, Ray Malmoli '20, Elana Mendelsohn '18, Jahsiya Oliver '19, Hans Olsen '17, Max Ostrow '17, Janie Radler '17, Benjamin Ritsch '19
Dance
Chloe Amos '18, Shana Crawford '18, Webb Crawford '18, Fiona McGovern '18, Lucy Neilsen, Colin Powers '18, Danielle Robbins '18
Curated and organized by Sundara Ziegler '18.