'Around the Bend' makes biennial return, bringing together diverse local art

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- “Around the Bend III” has made its biennial return to the South Bend Museum of Art. The exhibition features art created in Michiana that tells the story of its residents.

The criteria to be part of the exhibition was anyone over 18, artwork made in the last 3 years, must live in Michiana, and a work that hasn’t been shown by the South Bend Museum of Art. 240 pieces were picked from that criterion.

Ranging from beginners to masters, the Warner Gallery is filled with pieces ranging from still life to textiles. The plethora of work unites people of different mediums and backgrounds.

“Theres always many art worlds in a place," said exhibitions curator Frances Jackovus-Parker, “There’s people getting their MFA, or teaching art at universities. There’s people who are D-I-Y'ers. Often those worlds exist alongside one another and don't overlap, and this is a chance for people to look at all the things people are making here. And really to see their own community’s stories issues and so on.”

Historically, art has been inaccessible to create or view due to race, gender, class, and more. This begs the questions of who is represented, what are deemed issues, and who is making the decisions. “Around the Bend III” bridges this gap, with Jackovus-Parker explaining why museums can sometimes seem out of reach and overwhelming for visitors.

“Often people think about museums as showing something out of reach. It’s far away, it's someone famous, it's in the past. Which is an important role of museums, but I think it's as powerful to show their communities back to them. And show them that a museum is a space not just where we tell them what they need to know, but a space where they’re actually actively creating these narratives about the art that's being made here and what matters”

The variety of pieces are meant to start conversations about communities you are and aren't a part of. And rather than having the 240 pieces placed haphazardly, Jackovus-Parker places pieces with similar themes close together, so if you understand one experience, you can infer about another.

“I was really committed to figuring out some groupings and thinking of these as conversations across objects. And that's for two reasons. One is to try to honor the work of the artist-so looking at the work and as much as I can just from looking at it trying to understand what they're interested in-and helping a visitor.”

The pieces intentionally lack artist statements, so you can interpret them as you please, and the barrier of writing is dismissed for artists. The exhibition is meant to celebrate the diversity of perspectives art can have.

"Around the Bend III" closes Aug. 23.

You can learn more about it online.