Join us on Wednesday, May 10th from 6:00 - 7:30 pm for an Open House featuring artist and curator Melissa Joseph, 2021 Dieu Donné Workspace Resident. Every Open House includes a tour of the Dieu Donné studio and an artist talk. In addition to discussing her own artworks and experience in handmade paper, Melissa will present a selection of rarely-exhibited works from the Dieu Donné archive, including by artists such as Melvin Edwards, Arlene Shechet, Mary Temple, and more.

Curatorial statement:

I grew up 10 miles south of a paper mill in Pennsylvania, and anytime the wind blew in our direction we were reminded of it. The invisible scent made the paper present to us on a regular basis. The works I selected to share from the archive continue this investigation of trace in all its interpretations. Presence through absence, residue left behind, outlines, copies and searching. Paper has many purposes, but I am interested in its ability to record time in a hyper specific way, as an event horizon with cones of influence extending in both directions.

About the Curator/Artist:
Melissa Joseph, 2021 Dieu Donné Workspace Resident, is interested in connecting people through collective memory and shared experiences. Her work addresses themes of diaspora, family histories and the politics of how we occupy spaces. Her work has been shown at the Delaware Contemporary, Woodmere Art Museum, the Brattleboro Museum and Art Center, Jeffrey Deitch Projects, Utah MoCA, MoCA Arlington and List Gallery at Swarthmore College. She’s been featured in New American Paintings, CNN, Architectural Digest (US and India) and Le Monde. She participated in residencies at the Center // Substructured Loss (Berlin), the Growlery (SF), the Textile Arts Center (NY) BRIC (NY), Fountainhead Arts (FL), Museum of Arts and Design (NY), and the Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts Studio Program (NY).

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