Helicon, Muses on the Mountain Exhibit
June 2 - September 17, 2006.

The exhibition Helicon takes its name from a mountain in Southern Greece where the mythological nine muses of the arts were said to have resided, bestowing inspiration upon artists. As the offspring of Zeus, ruler of the gods, and Mnemosyne, the goddess of memory, the muses were part of a hereditary equation where power and memory combined in the creation of art. This process of creativity is an ongoing dynamic passed from one generation of artists to the next, identifying art as an influential force shaping perceptions and ideologies.

The six artists in the Helicon exhibition draw inspiration from past artists and reexamine art history through a contemporary lens. In the process, they become present-day integers in an ancient equation.  The Helicon artists each approach the history of art differently in their work. Jackie Shatz and Joel Carreiro quote paintings from the past while Nicholas Kripal extracts his sculpture directly from religious architecture.  Jeff Mongrain’s interest is in the ephemeral effects of spiritual space on the psyche. Time-honored techniques influence John Rosis, and Claudia Fitch investigates the break down of cultural hierarchies in popular culture.