2015-2016 BIG IDEA Projects

Sleight of Hand
December 11, 2015–February 20, 2016

This BIG IDEA project considers surface and reality, authenticity and authorship. Recently, the art world has exploded with stories of art forgeries. At the same time, some artists make a career producing copies of famous paintings under their own names—sometimes as a way of exploring the history of art. What defines an “authentic” work of art? What’s the difference between a fake, a forgery and a copy? From historical reenactments to historical fiction, we are a society fascinated with retelling and reinterpreting history. Join us in a conversation about the line between illusion and truth in the history of art and beyond.

Associated Events: Sleight of Hand

• Museum Exhibition…..Sep 25–Nov 27
• Evening Exhibition Tour…..Oct 1, 5:30pm
• Lecture: Erik Larson…..Oct 8, 6:30pm
• Art History Lecture: The History of Modernism in Three…..Oct 15, 5:30pm
• WRHS Gallery Exhibition (Hailey)…..Oct 22–Nov 19
• Creative Jump-In: Faking Picasso with Bob Dix…..Oct 22, 5:30–8:30pm
• Company of Fools Play Reading Series: Mauritius…..Oct 23 & 24, 6:30pm
• Evening Exhibition Tour…..Nov 5, 5:30pm
• Film: Art and Craft.….Nov 5, 7pm
• Family Day…..Nov 7, 3–5pm

Click here to view the Sleight of Hand Brochure.

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Role Play: Changing Ideas about Gender
December 11, 2015–February 20, 2016

The way we understand gender is shifting—moving away from strict categories of male and female toward looser definitions that give us all more freedom. At the same time, traditional expectations of male and female gender roles remain entrenched in our culture in sometimes surprising ways. This project asks lots of questions to inspire dialogue. How have we transcended gender stereotypes? Where do they still exist? Has the emergence of prominent transgendered men and women changed the way we think about gender? What will more fluid definitions of gender mean for how we organize our society and raise our children? We offer this BIG IDEA project as an opportunity for conversation about gender in the 21st century.

Associated Events: Role Play: Changing Ideas about Gender

• Film: The Mask You Live In……….Dec 10, 7pm
• Museum Exhibition……….Dec 11–Feb 20
• Opening Celebration……….Dec 11, 5:30pm
• Company of Fools: Commissioned Monologues on Gender……….Dec 11–Feb 20 (at pop-up times and locations)
• Evening Exhibition Tour……….Jan 7, 5:30pm
• *School Outreach: Author visit, Blake Nelson to Wood River Middle School……….Jan 12
• Company of Fools Play Reading Series: Casa Valentina……….Jan 16, 6:30pm
• Panel Discussion……….Jan 26, 6:30pm
• Film: Girl Inside……….Jan 28, 7pm
• Family Day: Mix and Match Portraits……….Jan 30, 3–5pm
• Lecture: Laverne Cox……….Feb 4, 6:30pm
• Evening Exhibition Tour……….Feb 11, 5:30pm

Click here to view the Role Play Brochure.

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I Need to Tell You Something: The Lost Art of Letter Writing and Communication Today
February 26-May 6, 2016

When was the last time you received a hand-written letter? Or sent one? In this era of instantaneous communication, a handwritten letter is a rare and treasured item. As social media begin to replace letter writing—and even email—The Center presents this BIG IDEA project as a chance to consider how we communicate today, and how radically communication has changed over the last thirty years. What happens to our personal histories as we stop writing letters? Will social media make us less…social?

Associated Events: I Need to Tell You Something:

• Museum Exhibition……….Feb 26–May 6
• Family Day……….Mar 5, 3–5pm
• Evening Exhibition Tour……….Mar 10, 5:30pm
• Company of Fools Play Reading Series: Dear Elizabeth……….Mar 16, 6:30pm
• *School Outreach: PostSecret: The Show Wood River High School performance……….Mar 29
• Performing Arts: PostSecret: The Show……….Mar 29, 7pm
• Evening Exhibition Tour……….Apr 7, 5:30pm
  • * School event, not open to the public.

Click here to view the I Need to Tell You Something Brochure.