The 7Th International Shoebox Sculpture Exhibition American Cultural Center January 13 - February 24, 2001

PR0103E | Date: 2001-01-11

The American Cultural Center auditorium and lobby display cases will present an exhibition titled "The 7th International Shoebox Sculpture Exhibition," organized by the University of Hawaii Art Gallery in Honolulu, Hawaii, January 13 through February 24, 2001.

Included in this exhibition are 80 pieces of small-scale mixed-media sculpture from around the world which show how artists have handled the challenges of space and scale dictated by the size of a shoebox. This triennial exhibit has attracted a large number of well-known artists from Hawaii and the rest of the United States, Argentina, Cuba, Australia, Korea, Japan, China, Thailand, France, Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, Canada and Mexico.

Each sculpture speaks for itself. Some works are conceptual, some reflect the artist's cultural heritage, and others are universal in expression. Collectively, the sculptures are a powerful commentary on the state of humankind at the end of an industrially- and technologically-driven century. Artists have used almost every imaginable medium to create their sculptures - including cast metal, carved wood, blown glass, woven fiber, painted feathers, handmade paper, molded clay, desiccated vegetables, found objects, shaped lead, paper currency, and human hair.

Limiting the dimensions of the artworks to the size of a shoebox is designed to facilitate easy transportation and give the exhibit more exposure to sculpture lovers all over the world. In 1995, The 5th International Shoebox Sculpture Exhibition was brought to Taiwan by the Cultural and Information Section of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT/CIS). That year the exhibit was displayed at the Taiwan Museum of Art, Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts, the American Cultural Center, and the Pacific Cultural Foundation.

AIT/CIS is pleased to once again coordinate the touring of The 7th International Shoebox Sculpture Exhibit to be displayed at universities around Taiwan, where it is directly available not only to students, but also to residents of neighborhood communities. On this visit, the 7th Shoebox Sculpture Exhibit was presented at the National Tsing Hua University Art Center September 18 through October 30, 2000 and the National Central University Art Center November 14 through December 20, 2000. After the display at the American Cultural Center, it will move to the National Cheng Kung University Art Center March 10 through April 29, 2001 and the Providence University Art Center May 21 through June 29, 2001.

This exhibit will be in Taiwan for almost a year. AIT/CIS appreciates very much the cooperation among all the participating universities on Taiwan, and their efforts in developing the promotional and educational aspects of this exhibit.

This exhibition is sponsored by the University of Hawaii Department of Arts, and supported by a grant from the Hawaii State Foundation on Culture and the Arts and the Watumull Grant for Museum Studies in the Arts.

The American Cultural Center is open to the public from 11:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday. It is closed Sundays and holidays. The American Cultural Center is located at 54 Nan Hai Road, Taipei.