As the SPACELab turns

If you were able to stop by the gallery in the past couple months you have probably experienced the first four projects created through our newly revamped SPACELab program. As we say good-bye to the fall season, it is time to welcome the next four Northeast Ohio artists set to experiment and create new projects in 2010.

Wes Johansen

Living and working in Cleveland, Johansen has presented projects at Asterisk Gallery, Ingenuity Festival, Heights Arts and Loft 305. A barista by day and installation artist by night, Johansen has been working with themes of technology and nostalgia throughout his career as an artist.

Chris Kulcsar

In 2008 Kulcsar received his MFA from the University of Cincinnati before returning to his hometown of Cleveland where he teaches at Lakeland Community College. Working in both audio and visual art forms, Kulscar relies on spontaneity, instinct and gut reactions as indispensable parts of his process.

Joshua Parker

Parker is currently working on his masters at Kent State University where he also received his BFA in sculpture. As an artist, he produces things that he would want to see which often results in fantastical multi-media installations.

Corrie Slawsonnn
Printer and painter, Corrie Slawson graduated with a BFA from Parsons School of Design and with an MFA from Kent State University. Her interest in abandoned space and society's arbitrary value systems led her to co-found the online journal Hotel Bruce and continues to inform her artistic practice.

Only time will tell what these individuals will create, but there will be many opportunities for public interaction with both the artists and their projects. If you miss any of the artists' projects you can find links on the SPACELab archives and for the kick-off of this season check out the 2009 fall issue of Cleveland Magazine.

Many thanks to the SPACELab committee members for all of your help during the revamping of this program.

*SPACELab applicants were asked to "depict a horse in the box" as part of the application. Not meant to make or break someone's acceptance into the program, the horse box acted as a fun exercise to mix up the stiff structure of application forms.

--Susan Vincent, SPACELab Manager