CT Long Term Relationships frame
Faculty and Staff

Chris Thorson's Solo Exhibition opens at Ampersand International Arts in San Francisco

10/08/19

Press Release:

ampersand international arts is thrilled to announce the solo exhibition Long Term Relationships by Bay Area artist Chris Thorson. Remaking common household items out of a variety of unpredictable mediums including bronze and polyurethane, Thorson highlights the weight and fragility these objects hold in one's life, both literally and figuratively.

Nothing is as it seems in Long Term Relationships, where pieces hold significant depth in their disguises. She creates deceivingly realistic, chameleon like clothing, mirrors, and bottles, forcing one to question whether what surrounds you holds a higher level of skill and creativity than meets the eye. Objects, hiding in plain sight seeming banal, may in fact be made of silver or bronze, challenging their importance and reclaiming their purpose in the world.

October 17th through November 15th Chris Thorson will display a variety of original re-productions throughout the two room gallery. Please join us at ampersand international arts for the opening reception on Thursday, October 17th, 6pm-9pm. Open gallery hours are Thursdays and Fridays 12pm-5pm or by appointment.

Chris Thorson is a Bay Area-based artist. She received her MFA from the San Francisco Art Institute in 2004. She has exhibited her work locally and nationally in The Napa Valley Museum, Rena Bransten Gallery, Headlands Center for the Arts, and The Bedford Gallery. Her work has been featured in the SF Chronicle, KQED, SFAQ, and ArtSlant.

Long Term Relationships
Chris Thorson

Opening Reception:
Thursday, October 17th
6pm-9pm

Exhibition Dates:
October 17th - November 15th, 2019

Gallery Hours:
Thursdays and Fridays
12pm-5pm
or by appointment

The art that goes on in most high schools is usually relatively skill-based. At Oxbow, there is more emphasis on looking and seeing and more critical thinking about what you are doing, the human connection, that personal element. Through art you can begin to understand yourself better. That may be the biggest eye-opener for students. It is almost a preview of college. Get out of the mechanical factory high school education and get into something open, new, and invigorating in a small environment.

— Bill Barrett, Former Oxbow Board Member, Former Executive Director of the Association of Independent Colleges of Art & Design (AICAD)

At Oxbow, I got to try inquiry-based learning for the first time. This allowed me to control the amount of rigor and the depth of research in my topic, as well as picking a topic that I found most interesting. From going through this new process of learning, I feel excited to go back to the rigor of my sending school to apply the inquiry-based perspective to my classes.

— Meave Cunningham, Fall, 2015

It's been a whirlwind week, but also a time when I sang the praises of Oxbow to my colleagues. I've been thinking much about how Oxbow is an exemplar of true education. That art centers the curriculum is hardly surprising, and for those of us who work within the traditional educational mold Oxbow offers a gold standard of focused project based learning. Beyond the school's approach to immersive experience are the intangibles which make Oxbow different. The sense of community and of working together, even as each student retained their strong individual presence is palpable. The feeling of warmth and trust between the adults and the nearly adults in the Oxbow community could be felt throughout the campus. The openness of the architecture and interconnectedness of the three studios in themselves speak of the Oxbow philosophy and identity. More than form follows function, the physical attributes of Oxbow have a distinct warmth and invite exploration.

I'm sure that the ongoing challenges of leading and reinventing your school might sometimes keep you from having the time to see Oxbow with the fresh eyes of a visitor, but your steady presence and vision are really visible in every detail. Thank you for inviting me to one of the most profound experiences in my career.

— Ken Rush, Visual Arts Department, Packer Collegiate Institute

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