Phosphorescence
Anthony Discenza
August 27-October 10
Video

Broken up into "chapters," Phosphorescence” features an array of abstractions created by manipulating television images. At times almost painterly, the resulting images are set to an ambient electronic soundtrack.

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St. Louis Through the Lens
The Irv Schankman Memorial Photography Contest
September 10-December 5
Gallery B

The Irv Schankman Memorial Photography Contest
This is the second installment of the competitive biannual ”St. Louis Through the Lens: The Irv Schankman Memorial Photography Contest” exhibition. The exhibition is intended to promote work by regional photographers and features the city of St. Louis as its subject. The jurors for the competition are Ellen Curlee, Olivia Lahs-Gonzales, and Bob Little.

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Sons of Border Crisis
Guillermo Gomez-Pena
October 22-December 5
Video

In these seven short video performances Gómez-Peña confronts Mexican-American culture clashes, stereotypes, and immigration issues. Speaking through a bullhorn or on the airwaves of mock-station Radio Latino FM, he broadcasts a message critical of American political policies and social hypocrisies. His comic comparisons include "tacos without salsa" and "art without ideas" and such pointed statements, as "thanks to marketing and not to civil rights, we are the new generation." The taped monologues include Son of Border Crisis, El Post-Mojado, The Mexican Fly, Dear Californian, Employer Sanctions, The Year of the Yellow Spider, and The Year of the Hispanic.

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Jesus Macarena-Avila: All American
October 22-December 5
Gallery A

“ALL-AMERICAN” is an art project concentrating on the idea of “communitybuilding” through collaborative processes, teaching, and partnering with artists, cultural organizations, schools and social service initiatives through visual art. It involves installation work, digital video, moreover,demonstrates ‘collaboration’ and ‘community’ using a conceptual language to
represent (within contemporary art practice) what ‘American’ values are. I hope to challenge the viewer to see what has happened to our ‘values’. Are they decaying? Are they based on mythical identity? Or is it all aboutcultural assimilation: baseball, hot dogs, apple pie, and Chevrolet?”
– Jesus Macarena-Avila

This exhibition and site specific project by Chicago artist, Jesus Macarena-Avila will be presented at Gallery 210, University of Missouri -St. Louis (UMSL) in the Fall of 2009. Distinguished Chicano art historian and scholar, Victor Alejandro Sorell will write the exhibition essay and Macarena-Avila acknowledges artists, educators, and community collaborators whom have contributed to this project. Caption: Artist working with youth at Art Dimensions during the summer of 2008 in St. Louis. Mo (photo credit:
Jennifer Blankenship).