About the Exhibition
Building on a 10-year history of successful art exhibitions and projects across the Northwest, PUNCH Projects presents BARNSTORM – a series of pop-up exhibitions activating rural spaces in unexpected ways with art, music and creative installations. The first event in the series, “BARNSTORM at Bluestone Garage,” will be a free two-day art event that transforms the rustic Model KE building in Ellensburg’s SODO district into an exhibition showcasing large format prints, video work, site-specific sculpture and installation, performance art, tasty local beer, a live string band, and a DJ battle!
In an ongoing effort to further bridge the urban rural divide coupled with our desire to promote artwork that is smart and new, PUNCH has temporarily transformed the Bluestone Garage into an art event-destination. Our mission is to illuminate and shake up our own familiarity and expectation with what may have previously been a forgotten and underutilized space, and breathe new life into it.
PUNCH Projects selected works for BARNSTORM based upon an international call for art. While several of the participating artists are local or regional, much of the work comes from out of state, and in some cases out of country. BARNSTORM will kick off a series of events exploring and experiencing the curious space that exists between contemporary aesthetics and rural living.
About the Call
All forms of images were considered: photo-based works, photos of 2-d artwork, photos of installation, new media, sculpture, or other 3-d work, and photo stills from video works. Video clips, full-length video works and audio works were also encouraged.
The exhibition will be comprised of large-format printed images, video monitors and projections juried by PUNCH Projects. Instead of original pieces of art, selected artists provide a high-resolution digital image file or video file of the chosen work(s); large format prints of the selected images will be created from the files and hung in the space. Video works will be displayed via monitors and projections directly onto the interior and exterior walls of the building.
About PUNCH Projects
Founded in 2006, PUNCH Projects (formerly PUNCH Gallery) has worked to promote visual art made from artists outside of the urban centers. In our ongoing effort to promote artwork that is thoughtful, fresh and contemporary coupled with our desire to further bridge urban rural connections, PUNCH Projects seeks to support the cultural vibrancy of rural art scenes by spurring creative awareness, cross-cultural engagement and economic vitality.
March 5 – Submission deadline 10pm Pacific Time Zone
March 12 – Notification of accepted artists
March 19 – Deadline to receive high-resolution images and videos from accepted artists
April 7 – Opening reception with drinks, music and good times, 7pm-Close
April 8 – Exhibit open from 12-4pm
April 10-21 – PUNCH will ship digital prints to artists
This exhibition is made possible with
support from the Ellensburg Arts Commission.
A special thanks to Theresa Barlen and
the Bluestone Academy and Iron Horse Brewery.
