The Warehouse Gallery mounts ‘CMAC: The Roots of Collaboration’ exhibition, reception Sept. 21

The Warehouse Gallery mounts ‘CMAC: The Roots of Collaboration’ exhibition, reception Sept. 21September 08, 2006Elaine Quick

The Warehouse Gallery is exhibiting “CMAC: The Roots of Collaboration,” a visual guide to the Coalition of Museum and Art Centers (CMAC) member organizations — SUArt Galleries, Light Work, the Special Collections Research Center, the Community Folk Art Center and The Warehouse Gallery — on view through Oct. 19. A reception will be held Thursday, Sept. 21, beginning at 5 p.m., with a brief talk by CMAC directors at 5:30 p.m. The reception and exhibition are free and open to the public.

The Warehouse Gallery is a new contemporary art space located at The Warehouse, 350 W. Fayette St., on the edge of Armory Square. The gallery exhibits and commissions work by international and local artists.

Vibrant hand-painted vines lace the gallery walls, cleverly tying together the diverse works and accentuating the family tree theme of the “Roots of Collaboration” exhibition. The “family” consists of members of Syracuse University’s recently formed Coalition of Museum and Art Centers (CMAC). Coalition members are each matched to an indigenous tree in the exhibition. This organizational strategy is in line with The Warehouse Gallery’s lively, organic growth and novel way of incorporating regional idiosyncrasies into its international exhibitions.

CMAC, an initiative by SU Chancellor and President Nancy Cantor, celebrates and explores the visual and electronic arts through exhibitions, publications, education and scholarship. The coalition brings together the programs, services and projects of several different campus art centers and affiliated nonprofit organizations in a collaborative effort to expand the public’s awareness, understanding and involvement in the arts.

“This exhibition reveals the unique personality of each coalition member, elucidating the different objectives and sampling treasures from each collection. It was conceived to appeal to a wide range of audiences,” says Warehouse Gallery Director Astria Suparak, who curated the show in concert with each organization.

The Warehouse Gallery is open Tuesday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. For more information, visit http://www.thewarehousegallery.org.