When planning Davis Gallery’s holiday group show this year, gallery director Fallon Bartos started, as usual, with a title. “Davis Gallery has a tradition of coming up with a title and then asking artists to bring in or make something that fits the theme,� she says. “And I could not get out of my mind the two words together apart because of what we’re going through right now.�
Bartos says the sentiment seemed even more appropriate for a holiday show. “Especially with Christmas coming, we’re all going to have to be apart even more so we don’t spread this virus,� she says, adding that the title ‘Together Apart� seemed to resonate with her artists. More than thirty artists are represented in the show, including painters, photographers, sculptors, and multimedia artists.
“It’s just a mix of feelings about what we’re going through, the loneliness,� Bartos says. “[And] the togetherness � some of us are together with people that we’ve created a pod with so that we have someone to be with over the holidays. And this is kind of a way for all of us to be together during the holidays, here in this beautiful little space.�
Bartos says the inspiration for the title and the theme ‘Together Apart� came from one of the pieces on display, Charles Heppner’s connectedness in toto. “I was thrilled that she connected with my work so completely,� Heppner says. “And the feeling is mutual � I love her work too.�
The work connectedness in toto is part of a larger series that Heppner has created over the years. “[I’ve made] over a hundred of these small box constructions that I call ‘sanctum boxes,’� he says. “I’ve been making them for over a decade. They’re small personal meditation spaces. In this case, connectedness in toto is� asking ourselves how we’re connecting with each other through a commonality, in this case the moon.�
“It moved me,� Bartos says of connectedness in toto. “I saw this on his Instagram,� she says, holding the small piece up to her zoom camera to give me a better look at it. “And I was like, ‘this inspires me. May I have this for our holiday group show?’�
There are dozens of other works on display as a part of ‘Together Apart,� and all are viewable on the Davis Gallery website or, by appointment for small groups only, at the gallery space itself. Patrons can book a thirty minute viewing window to visit the gallery and see the art in person. “We don’t want more than a couple or four people at a time viewing the show,� Bartos says. “Bring your pod.�
Still pretty new to running a gallery, Bartos and is looking forward to being able to open the doors for a proper gallery party with conversation and wine, welcoming in art fans, and hosting chats with the artists, though she knows that’s probably still a ways away. “I’m hoping that [in] the future, we’ll have our masks off and we’ll get back together and have a good talk,� she says.
