Heal the Man in order to Heal the Land
In My Element
Paul Campbell, Selected Works 1999-2019
February 25, 2019 | Staten Island, NY— Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden is excited to announce three new visual art exhibitions at the Newhouse Center for Contemporary Art in Buildings C & G. The new exhibitions (Heal the Man in order to Heal the Land; In My Element; Paul Campbell, Selected Works 1999-2019) will all launch at a free opening reception on March 2, 2019 from 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM at the Newhouse Center.
“The Newhouse Center’s spring 2019 season is one of our best yet,” said Melissa West, Snug Harbor’s Vice President of Curation, Performing & Visual Arts. “Visitors of all ages can participate in Heal the Man in order to Heal the Land through hands-on prompts, games and activities. Tattfoo Tan’s exhibit asks you to slow down while being present and curious. The photographs in In My Element are visually stunning. Middleton and Shane pay astute attention to the beauty and movement of their environs. And painter Paul Campbell’s process is both delightful and intriguing. His large-scale work is sophisticated yet draws from the quotidian; it’s funny, smart, and textured. You won’t want to miss the Newhouse Center for Contemporary Art this spring.”
Heal the Man in order to Heal the Land: Artwork by Tattfoo Tan
Heal the Man in order to Heal the Land explores how spirituality manifests itself out of the connections between internal experience and the material world. How can we connect with nature in a society that continues to give primacy to disposability and mass-consumption? How do we move away from a mindset of scarcity to one of collaboration? How can we be transformed from the egocentric “i” to the love supreme “I AM”?
In this exhibition, artist Tattfoo Tan uses participatory prompts, games and affirmations to engage you in the play of the universe. The exhibition will be on display in the Newhouse Center from March 2 – December 29, 2019.
Snug Harbor and Tan will host monthly events in the Newhouse Center to dive deeper into the exhibition’s themes and provide a more meaningful experience to visitors year-round. The schedule of events is as follows:
- Chakra Healing with Mantra lead by Eros Romero: Sat, March 16 | 11:00 AM | $10
- Silent Meditation Sleepover with Thupten Phuntsok (in collaboration with The Jacques Marchais Museum of Tibetan Art): April 19 – 20 | 8:00 PM – 12:00 PM | $30
- Divine Feminine with Erin Sickler: Sat, May 18 | 11:00 AM | $10
- Connecting to Dreams with Healing Plants with Liz Neves of Gathering Ground: Sat, June 8 | 11:00 AM | $10
- Group Breath-work Session with Ambrose Gage: July 20| 11:00 AM | $10
- Adults Soul Painting Ceremony with Bianca Dominguez: August 17| 11:00 AM | $10
- NERTM Syllabus Book Launch: September 21 | 11:00 AM | $10
- Cosmic Walk with Eros Romero: October 19 | 11:00 AM | $10
Staten Island based artist Tattfoo Tan’s practice focuses on issues relating to ecology, sustainability and healthy living. His work is project-based, ephemeral and educational in nature. Tan has exhibited at venues including the Queens Museum of Art, Eugene Lang College at the New School for Liberal Arts, Parsons the New School for Design, the Fashion Institute of Technology, Wave Hill, Macalester College, Ballroom Marfa, Creative Time, Project Row Houses, and the Contemporary Arts Center, Cincinnati. Tan’s projects have been presented by the Laundromat Project, the City of New York Department of Cultural Affairs Percent for the Arts program, and the City of Philadelphia Mural Arts program. His work has been published by Gestalten and Thames and Hudson.
Tan has been widely recognized for his artistic contributions and service to the community, and is the proud recipient of a proclamation from The City of New York. He is the recipient of grants from Robert Rauschenberg Foundation, Art Matters, Joan Mitchell Foundation, the Pulitzer Arts Foundation, and Staten Island Arts. In 2010, Tan received the annual Award for Excellence in Design by the Public Design Commission of the City of New York for his design and branding of the Super-Graphic on Bronx River Art Center. He currently serves on the Mayor’s Citizens’ Advisory Committee to support the development of a Comprehensive Cultural Plan.
In My Element: Photography by Gail Middleton & Mike Shane
In My Element is a combined show of two photographers who are separated in age by several decades but who both gravitate to capturing photos of four basic elements of earth, air, fire, and water. Gail Middleton can always be found in solitary locations, appreciating the happenstance of nature and trying to capture a moment in time to reflect the passing beauty. Mike Shane is a kinetic searcher whose interaction with people and elements are breathtaking. Their combined images will make you think, transport you to a place of beauty and wonderment, or just capture you with an almost impossible combination of perceived movement. The exhibition will be on display in the Newhouse Center from March 2 – May 5, 2019.
Snug Harbor, Middleton, and Shane will host a Gallery Talk and Tour on Saturday, April 6 from 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM, which will be free with $5 gallery admission.
Gail Middleton is a long-time West Brighton, Staten Island resident who is a frequent visitor to all Staten Island parks. She is always seen with her camera capturing images of scenery and wildlife. Middleton specializes in nature photography and portraits. Middleton has also organized and curated several shows. She was a recipient of a 2013 DCA Premier Grant from Staten Island Arts for her project Breaking Bread, as well as a 2018 DCA Art Fund Grant from Staten Island Arts to organize and coordinate “Staten Island 48:00 ~ Another Day in the Life of Staten Island” photo shoot of Staten Island in June 2018.
Mike Shane is a photographer born and bred in Staten Island, New York. He was raised in a family of artists, training his eyes, and honing his creative vision in the inspiring crossroads of suburban and metropolitan. He grew up drawing, later discovered graffiti, and earned a degree in Graphic Design and Illustration just over the Verrazano Bridge, at Kingsborough Community College. That is where Mike haphazardly discovered photography. Since then, he’s spent the past 16 years self-educating to make photography his “weapon of choice” across all aspects of his life. At 36 years young, Mike Shane uses photography for both personal and professional expression and to share a fresh perspective of the places he so fondly calls HOME.
Paul Campbell, Selected Works 1999-2019
This exhibition surveys the work of NYC-based painter Paul Campbell from 1999-2019, with an emphasis on new work. Since 1998, Campbell has used remote control toys, spiky plastic balls, string, GPS tracks, and other non-conventional tools to create works that simultaneously pay homage and parody the great abstract painters of the past. He combines non-traditional and traditional painting methods to create hybrid images.
Although the works are abstract in appearance they often suggest elements of nature, fireworks, portals into some unknown world, and influences of other cultures and traditions. They represent movement and are a metaphor for connections that exist in our everyday lives. The exhibition will be on display in the Newhouse Center from March 2 – May 5, 2019.
Snug Harbor and Campbell will host a Gallery Talk and Tour on Sunday, May 5 from 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM, which will be free with $5 gallery admission.
Paul Campbell’s work has been exhibited extensively in the US and abroad. He has exhibited at the Brooklyn Museum, the Danforth Museum, the Rose Art Museum, Site Santa Fe, and Lesley Heller Gallery in New York. His first major solo show in New York in 1999 was called “Remote Control” at Roebling Hall Gallery where he showed paintings made with remote control cars. Campbell has received several grants including the Pollock Krasner Foundation Grant and has participated several international art projects and residencies in Europe, South America, India, Singapore, and China. He has also participated in public art projects including a 65 foot mural on Flushing Avenue at Clinton Avenue in Brooklyn based on GPS tracks and most recently a bus stop was opened featuring his work. Campbell’s studio is located in the Brooklyn Navy Yard in Brooklyn, NY.
Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden is located at 1000 Richmond Terrace, Staten Island, NY and is open from dawn until dusk, seven days a week. General admission to the Newhouse Center for Contemporary Art is $5 ($4 for students/seniors, free for Snug Harbor members and students grades 6-12 with student ID). Spring-autumn hours are Thurs-Fri from 12:00 PM – 7:00 PM and Sat-Sun from 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM. Heal the Man in order to Heal the Land; In My Element; and Paul Campbell, Selected Works 1999-2019 are all made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature. Additional support is provided by the Samuel I. Newhouse Foundation and the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs. Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden is a proud Smithsonian Affiliate.
Download: Press Release (PDF) | Heal the Man in order to Heal the Land image | In My Element image | Paul Campbell, Selected Works 1999-2019 image
All press releases can be found at snug-harbor.org/pressreleases
