Brian Carpenter, a senior lecturer in UToledo’s Department of Art, worked with artists Halima Afi Cassells and Shanna Merola in an exhibit of their work.
Titled “Swan Song,” the exhibit runs through Sept. 28 in two locations: UToledo’s Center for Visual Arts Courtyard and River House Arts, 425 Jefferson Ave. Suite 905 in Toledo.
Brian Carpenter, a senior lecturer in UToledo’s Department of Art, worked with artists Halima Afi Cassells and Shanna Merola on an exhibit of their work.
“It has always been important to me, as an educator and curator, to bring artists and exhibitions to this region whose work and ideas speak about this place,” Carpenter said. “Swan Song is an urgent story of our impact on the land and water of the Great Lakes states and a reminder of the importance of preserving and remediating this area for a sustainable future.”
The project merges photo-based collages with sculpture and installation to discuss the impacts of colonization, resource extraction, climate crisis and corporate power, prompting viewers to reflect on the future of humanity.
Cassells and Merola will lecture on the exhibition in the Little Theater at the Toledo Museum of Art on Sunday, Sept. 22, from 2 to 3 p.m. A reception will follow from 3 to 5 p.m. at River House Arts.
Swan Song is a travelling, multimedia project that first debuted at the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit. This year, it will travel along Lake Eerie from Detroit and Toledo to Cleveland and Buffalo. As it changes location, the artwork will reflect the new landscape through imagery of local waterways and wildlife.
