Chronicles of the Chronic | Curated by Zoe Cinel

Opening Reception | September 10, 2023

1:00 - 4:00 PM Art activities in the gallery and light refreshments

2:00 PM Tour of the exhibition led by Curator Zoe Cinel, with the participation of featured artists Drew Maude-Griffin and May Ling Kopecky, and Juror Victor Montori M.D.

Event Registration: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/opening-reception-for-chronicles-of-the-chronic-tickets-681785818737

About the Exhibition

Chronicles of the Chronic features artworks by thirteen regional, national and international artists whose artistic practice reflects holistically upon living with a chronic condition. What can we learn from artists who navigate this multilayered experience creating spaces for self-reflection, sense of belonging and connection? Chronicles of the Chronic celebrates the resilience of the chronically ill community and promotes an intersectional approach to care and healing.

Eight artists were invited by the curator, five artists were selected through a juried process from a pool of eighty one applicants by a diverse jury of artists, curators and healthcare professionals. This open-ended curatorial approach aimed to increase accessibility.

Featured Artists

Anna Cowley Ford, Anna Hite, Benjamin Merritt, Brothers Sick (Ezra and Noah Benus), Drew Maude Griffin, Geography of Illness (Emma Jones), Emma MacLean, Jennifer Bastian, Kym McDaniel, Lauryn Youden, May Ling Kopecky, Weng San Sit.

Jurors

Alison Bergblom Johnson, Keisha Williams, Victor Montori M.D. , Zoe Cinel

Programs

Through workshops, artists talks and other programs, accessible in person and remotely, the exhibition brings together artists and healthcare professionals to share perspectives and build a stronger community that moves beyond unsustainable binary ideas of illness and wellness.

Artist Spotlight Tours:

During artist spotlight tours, participants have the opportunity to deepen connections to the artwork on view by hearing directly from the artist. The featured artist will share topics such as their background, artistic process and themes explored in their artwork on view. Audience members are welcome to ask questions after the tour. 

Sunday, March 3, 2024 at 1:00 PM 

Spotlight Tour led by artist Benjamin Merritt

Sunday, March 3, 2024 at 1:00 PM 

Spotlight Tour led by artist Drew Maude-Griffin

Sunday, March 17, 2024 at 1:00 PM 

Spotlight Tour led by artist Jennifer Bastian

Presentation:

Sunday, November 19, 2023 at 1:00 PM

Alison Bergblom Johnson presents: Letters Never Sent: Lydia B. Angier Writing from Rochester State Hospital

For three years a woman who did not want to be a patient at what was then the Second Hospital for the Insane at Rochester wrote to family members, doctors, and officials describing incidents she and other patients experienced, what she thought the other patients should be eating and doing, how money had been stolen from her, her past life as an entrepreneur, and the $150 a month she had made from her business (in 1895 dollars). Hospital records list Lydia B. Angier as not having any correspondents, even though her letters made their way into the files of the State Board of Corrections and Charities, and into the papers of one of the board's directors. The vast majority of the letters Angier wrote ended up filed in the hospital Superintendent's office. Angier wrote with a purpose, to be released, which she was not. However, for artist Alison Bergblom Johnson these letters feel deeply familiar, as chronicles of disabled life. Bergblom Johnson will share excerpts from the letters, and explore the ways they resonate with her own experiences receiving treatment. 

Event information and registration: Click Here

Free Public Programs Online:

Saturday, December 2, 2023 at 1:00 PM

Virtual Panel Discussion with artists Anna Cowley Ford, Anna Hite, Kym McDaniel and moderated by Curator Zoe Cinel

Event information and registration: Click Here

Sunday, January 28, 2024, 10:00 AM - Noon

Virtual workshop with Neuroscientist Morgan Fitzgerald from The Chronic Connection Podcast and @lifwithmigrane

Register free online: Click Here

Saturday, February 24, 2024 at 11:00 AM

Delaney Liskey in conversation with May Ling Kopecky about Pediatric-Onset Multiple Sclerosis, patient experience and MS advocacy. 

Event information and registration: Click Here

Image from the top left to the bottom right: Lauryn Youden. Lockdown 2020, 2023. 41.4” x 27.5”. Photo: Timo Ohler. Courtesy of Lauryn Youden. Weng San Sit. Routine as Repertoire - Susan Trachman, 2021- Ongoing. Digital image. Variable Dimension. Anna Cowley Ford. Fatigue, 2020. Cotton bedsheets used by the artist. 72” x 72” x 72” Jennifer Bastian. I have missed you (Community Care is the Intimacy I Need), 2021. Used pillowcases, discarded fabric, thread. 180” x 96”