Valeria Herrera's SPACEbound'Art Exhibition Opens At Kitchen Theatre Company

Kitchen Theatre Company has announced the opening of SPACEbound, a series of large paintings on mylar by Mexican-born artist, architect, educator, and activist Valeria Herrera. The exhibition will be on view in the Judith Holliday Lobby Gallery, with an opening reception on Friday, September 6th, from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM. 

This exhibition coincides with the theater's first mainstage production of the season, Laughs in Spanish by Alexis Scheer, a play set in an art gallery at Art Basel in Miami. The play celebrates Latine culture and delves into the complexities of the art world, making Herrera's SPACEbound the perfect visual companion to the themes explored on stage. Her work, which contrasts chaotic, raw paint marks with precise architectural depictions, resonates with the play's exploration of identity and artistic expression. The content of these surprising pieces float on a clear surface, where the fine-tuned depiction of expanded architectural spaces balances with raw marks and dripping paint.

Drawing from her experiences as a former orphan and a nomadic life, Herrera creates art that navigates the tension between order and chaos. “Disparate and disengaged spaces that represent domestic environments lived in and visited are illustrated against the unifying background of structure, pattern, and color,” says Herrera.

Herrera is a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) and Syracuse University and a new faculty member at Ithaca College, where she teaches printmaking and media. She has recently renovated a historic 1899 firehouse, now home to VRH STUDIO, her print and multimedia enterprise in Syracuse.

Exhibition Dates:

September 6th - October 6, 2024

Opening Reception:

Friday, September 6th, 5:00 - 8:00 PM

Location:

Judith Holliday Lobby Gallery, Kitchen Theatre Company

417 W State St, Ithaca, NY

Gallery Hours:

Monday - Friday, 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM, or by appointment by emailing Gallery Curator Stiller Zusman at stiller@kitchentheatre.org. The gallery is also open when the lobby is open one hour before and after KTC performances.