Speakeasy Happy Hour

Curation and exhibition-making provide a unique opportunity to engage an audience in the perception of art. While the act of curating - which can be boiled down to selection and presentation - typically controls the installation of work and visual impact, a show should also strive to influence the body's other senses as it engages a space. How can art be tasted, smelt, or touched when it demands the privacy of its personal space? Curation exists to take disparate artworks and initiate an emotional or physical response through the viewer's personal experience. 

There are two levels of curation in the construction of Speakeasy Happy Hour. First is the selection of the two-dimensional works. These artworks investigate different depictions exploring the broad interpretations of drinking culture. Varying from the vividly illustrated figures to the elegantly captured still lifes, these visual components of the exhibition surround the central bar. The second process is the coupling of the artwork to the associated cocktail. In doing so, this exhibition aims to emphasize the elaborate experience and culture of social drinking and the art of bartending beyond the traditional installation. Each painting is paired with a curated cocktail that embodies the visual exploration of the work. 

The exhibition endeavors to bridge the gap between art and the audience by pairing specific drinks with the already curated selection of artwork. Gallery-goers are encouraged to investigate the artwork, soaking in colors, scenes, and figures while exploring its essence captured in the paired cocktail’s taste, smell, and touch. This project focuses on more than one opening night, it invites social engagement and a way to interact with artwork beyond the purely visual, and the ability to discuss intimate engagement beyond the typical bounds of artistic language.