Ani Hoover, “Craft Art Field Day,” September 23-November 7, 2016

Exhibition Catalog, Ani Hoover, Craft Art Field Day

Field day: an outdoor meeting or social gathering; a time of extraordinary pleasure or opportunity Ani Hoover’s exhibition Craft Art Field Day embraces the full spirit of its title. For Craft Art Field Day, Hoover draws inspiration from her earliest art-making experiences, most of which involved yarn or fabric. Hoover cuts, sews, crochets, and weaves simple materials to make large-scale two and three-dimensional pieces that are both contemporary and nostalgic. Craft Art Field Day is a celebration of the pleasure of trying something new as well as the comfort of revisiting the familiar. The exhibit builds on the goals of BAS’s Project Space Initiative (PSI), which aims to highlight the dynamic processes of artists and art-making while engaging new audiences in diverse and meaningful ways.

Hoover amplifies the power of both the process and the end product through scale and repetition. A wall of potholders, a garden of felt flowers, and a seven-foot tall crocheted vessel fill the gallery. The giant Square Weave loom invites viewers to engage their whole body while weaving, and the finished weavings become impressive aesthetic objects open to new configurations and reimagined uses. In other works, Hoover applies traditional craft techniques to non-traditional materials. She embraces the unpredictability of working with reclaimed, recycled, and donated materials. Hoover accepts the irregular appearance of text on plastic packaging or the variation from the different brands of cereal bags she uses for quilting. These material realities remind the viewer of the objects’ origins and emphasize the transformative actions of the artist.

Ani Hoover is a professional artist working in the field for over 20 years. Her process embraces recycled materials and decidedly low-tech methods for creating art. Hoover’s work is in the collection of the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, the Burchfield Penney Art Center, the University of Buffalo’s Anderson Gallery, in addition to many public and private collections in Western New York and around the country. Her work has been exhibited widely throughout Western New York, including solo exhibits at the Castellani Art Museum in 2006, The University of Buffalo in 2009 and Hallwalls Contemporary Art Center in 2014. Hoover credits her Grandma, Blanche E. Pennebaker (1921-2006) for instilling in her a love for making things and for reminding her that beautiful things can be made from Red Heart Yarn.

Craft Art Field Day Community Projects

Hoover developed Craft Art Field Day arts-in-education program to accompany her own art practice. Craft Art Field Day activities focus on physical exercise, collaborative learning, and reinforcing math skills through the arts.

Contact Hoover with questions about Craft Art Field Day educational programs at ani@anihoover.com

In conjunction with the exhibit Craft Art Field Day, Hoover invites visitors into the process with a series of hands-on activities derived from her own practice. The artist will be onsite to discuss her process and guide visitors through their own craft art field day using processes similar to those Hoover employs in her work.

Saturday, September 24, 2016, 1-3 pm
Saturday, October 15, 2016, 1-3 pm
Friday, October 28, 2016, 5-8 pm