Celina Curry
Karaoke Night!
November 21, 2024- January 4, 2025
Troost Gardens, 7323 Troost Ave KCMO
Opening Reception, Thursday, November 21, 6-8pm,
Karaoke Party 8-10pm
Craig Auge, Katie Batten, Amy Bennett, Noelle Choy, Celina Curry, John Fifield-Perez, Nathan Ford, Emiri Fujimoto, Kalup Linzy, Jesse Malmed, Sean Nash, SunYoung Park, Nathaniel Troppito, Bella Maria Varela
Curated by Sally Paul and Anna Wehrwein
stop-gap projects and Troost Gardens are proud to present Karaoke Night!, a group exhibition and interactive performance featuring 13 Midwest connected artists whose work responds to the phenomenon of karaoke. This gallery collaboration is curated by Sally Paul and Anna Wehrwein, the show features work by Craig Auge, Katie Batten, Amy Bennett, Noelle Choy, Celina Curry, John Fifield-Perez, Nathan Ford, Emiri Fujimoto, Kalup Linzy, Jesse Malmed, Sean Nash, SunYoung Park, Nathaniel Troppito, Bella Varela. The exhibition will take place at Troost Gardens in Kansas City.
Making art and singing karaoke share much in common: a connection to popular culture, self expression, joy, collaboration, riffing on an idea, and getting loose, to name a few. Singing karaoke is often a spontaneous performance, done with and for friends. It can be a rare moment of intimacy in the company of strangers, and a space where sincere amateurism is valued as much (if not more) than virtuosity. The artists in Karaoke Night! sway to similar rhythms, but take different approaches to theme and content.Using video, textiles, collage, painting, ceramics and installation, the works in the exhibition offer a range of mood and tone, but come together to form a rowdy chorus.
Directly following the opening reception, the gallery lights will be turned down and the disco ball will start spinning as the gallery is transformed into a karaoke lounge. Through a stage created for the occasion, an MC and a couple of microphones, Karaoke Night! will become an interactive, participatory performance where onlookers can spontaneously join in, collaborate or witness. Karaoke Night! is a show about music, community, transformation, and the ephemeral joy akin to belting out your favorite song. We hope you can join us and sing along!
