On September 24 I had the pleasure of attending an exhibition featuring artist Maribel “Mag” Acosta. The exhibit was held at The 827 in West Ashley, which is a killer gallery/studio/events hall space. If not to see the art, I highly recommend going to the space and getting a tour of the gallery, because it’s quite unique. Apart from the space, the exhibition itself is very cool. The paintings track the artists’s journey, as she moved around a lot in her life. I liked it because I enjoy art that clearly represents some kind of life event or connection. A key element of the show was a performance piece about the artist’s travels, and the way that new places have nurtured her. This piece was very cool and a video of the show can be found here!

This event reminded me of our class discussion about planning. After speaking with one of the managers, I learned that the large, six foot canoe used for the performance was bought one day earlier. Through my research, I found that a material like this can be very pricey if bought new. Had the gallery planned for this need ahead of time, they could have minimized costs and maximized authenticity of the prop. There also lacked a plan as the show began. Managers were still hanging up painting descriptions and setting out food even 30 minutes after the event was scheduled to begin. Although this is a new business, this gallery needs to act more official in their presentation. Regardless, the work here is awesome and I would highly recommend checking it out, especially if you enjoy art with some heritage!