DEBORAH KASS AT THE STREET
Press Release
August 25, 2014 - (Chestnut Hill, MA) The Street and Art Production Fund are pleased to present a public installation by one of the most compelling artists of our time, Deborah Kass. The installation consists of 39 banners and one billboard that aim to captivate visitors and passersby. As the regionʼs premiere retail destination, The Street is thrilled to exceed expectations and enhance its commitment to art, culture, and entertainment with this exciting endeavor. The works will be the first in a series of outdoor exhibitions, on view at The Street beginning September 18, 2014. www.thestreetchestnuthill.com
Kassʼs iconic works, Cʼmon Get Happy, Forget Your Troubles, Sweet Thing, and Let The Sunshine In., will flank The Streetʼs public areas. The bold works contain lyrics from Broadway musicals Summer Stock and Hair that Kass has rendered in Abstract Expressionist and Pop styles – as a subversive and reverential nod to both artistic movements. Kass also highlights the significant challenges female artists have faced when navigating an often male-dominated art world. Kassʼs playful OY YO will be on display on a billboard, viewable from neighboring Route 9. OY YO is indicative of her ongoing interest in language-based work; Kass pairs the Yiddish expression with its slang counterpart to highlight the anagramʼs two meanings. The word “YO” – Spanish for "I Am," turns the work into a selfdeclaration. Visitors at The Street will be able to access a free cell phone tour of each work given by Kass herself.
“Deborah Kassʼs work brings the important message of contemporary art to a venue that is not typically associated with public art projects of such prestige,” said Art Production Fund Co-Founders Doreen Remen and Yvonne Force Villareal. “We were inspired by the prospect of working in uncharted territory and within an unexpected forum, and hope this work engages the local community.”
"We are excited to provide the public with access to work by an artist as important and evocative as Deborah Kass. Her work provides the perfect opportunity for both levity and reflection. We want to give people at The Street a reason to smile. And think. And then smile again!” said Samantha David, Head of upMarkets, a division of WS Development.
The Street has quickly become known for its convergence of high fashion, food, entertainment, and community events; from acoustic evenings with musicians from the Berklee School of Music to bootcamp classes to family oriented activities, the property embodies its developer and owner, WS Development's, desire to push the boundaries of what a new project can mean to the community.
The Street is thrilled to inaugurate their new art initiative with this exhibition by Deborah Kass and looks forward to future collaborations with Art Production Fund.
About Deborah Kass (B. 1952, lives and works in Brooklyn, NY): Deborah Kass employs the visual motifs of post-war painting to explore the intersection of politics, popular culture, art history and personal identity. Her work is in the collections of The Museum of Modern Art, New York; Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York; The Jewish Museum, New York; Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; The National Portrait Gallery, Washington D.C. as well as numerous public and private collections. A mid-career retrospective Deborah Kass, Before and Happily Ever After was presented at The Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in fall 2012. Kass is represented by Vincent Fremont and the Paul Kasmin Gallery.
About The Street: Located in the heart of Chestnut Hill, The Street has quickly become one of the regionʼs primary destinations for culture, shopping, dining, and entertainment. Its accessible, outdoor locale offers visitors the ability to stroll the charming venue, situated on the banks of Hammond Pond, all while discovering a remarkable collection of unique, high-end retailers. As part of a major transformation, recent additions to The Street include Helmut Lang, Vince, Intermix, Calypso St. Barth, skoah, Polkadog Bakery, Showcase SuperLux, Davioʼs Cucina, Sports Club/LA, Pottery Barn, City Sports, lululemon athletica, Shake Shack, Pinkberry, Bernardʼs, Treat Cupcake Bar, Be Styled and Polarn O. Pyret. New tenants join an already robust lineup including The Container Store, Legal Sea Foods, Aquitaine, The Cottage, Star Market, Urban Grape, EYESPOT, Comellaʼs and more. Many others soon to be announced will open as part of The Streetʼs ongoing redevelopment. The Street is located at 55 Boylston Street, Chestnut Hill Massachusetts, directly along Route 9, between Hammond Pond Parkway and Hammond Street. For more information about exciting events and retailer announcements, please visit www.TheStreetChestnutHill.com to join the e-club or follow The Street on Twitter, @shopthestreet.
About Art Production Fund: Art Production Fund (APF) is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to commissioning and producing ambitious public art projects, reaching new audiences and expanding awareness through contemporary art. Recent projects include: After Hours: Murals on The Bowery, NYC, 2011; David Brooks, Desert Rooftops, NYC, 2011; Josephine Meckseper, Manhattan Oil Project, NYC, 2012; Kiki Smith, Chorus, NYC, 2012; Yoko Ono, Imagine Peace Times Square, NYC, 2012; Yvette Mattern, Global Rainbow After The Storm, NYC, 2012; Ryan McGinley, Taxi TV, NYC, 2013; Tony Smith, One-Two-Three, NYC, 2013; Tracey Emin, Roman Standard, NYC 2013; Marco Brambilla, Anthropocene, NYC 2013; Vanessa Beecroft, VB73, NYC, 2014. Co-Founders: Yvonne Force Villareal & Doreen Remen; Director: Casey Fremont. www.artproductionfund.org
Join the conversation: @ArtProductionNY @shopthestreet #TheStreetArtMedia Contacts:The Street: 44 Communications / Alexandra Hynes & Christopher Langley / 617-872-8991 & 617-501-4293 chris@44-communications.com; alexandra@44-communications.com / @44Comm Art Production Fund: Prentice Art Communications / Shannon Kirk / 212-228-4048 / shannon@prenticeart.com
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