New Mia Exhibit - Supernatural America: The Paranormal in American Art
Thursday, February 17, 2022 at 2:06PMArticle and photos by Becky Fillinger
Curator Robert Cozzolino describes the intricate detail of Ivan Albright’s The Vermonter (if life were life there would be no death) .There is truly something for everyone in Mia’s new exhibit, Supernatural America: The Paranormal in American Art. Curator Robert Cozzolino has put together a fantastic exhibit of 150 works from known and unknown artists, alive and from as early as the late 18th Century. The diverse range of works include paintings, drawings, furniture, clothing and textiles, scientific equipment, reliquaries, sculpture, occult paraphernalia and more (UFO engineering diagrams or soul travel diagrams anyone?).
Katie Luber, Mia President and Director, invites our local community to experience this first of its kind in the world exhibition and calls it a “journey into the unfamiliar.” Like Katie, I felt my spine tingle several times during a tour of the exhibit.
Cotton Demon by Alison SaarCozzolino describes the exhibit as having four themes: America as a Haunted Place, Apparitions, Channeling Spirits & Rituals and Parallel Universes, and the exhibit is arranged thematically. He describes how America’s violent past could lead to hauntings and subsequent artistic depictions. The exhibit took five years to curate and Cozzolino hopes that it will lead to empathy, exploration and discussion. I can’t stop talking about it.
The exhibit will appeal to ghost hunters, mediums, art students, art historians, religious practitioners, spiritualists, UFO enthusiasts, US Civil War history buffs, occultists, those who appreciate indigenous, female, black, queer and other underappreciated artists – that’s just about everyone, right? A local spiritual elder, Jim Thunderhawk, blessed the gallery prior to the show opening - so get your tickets without fear or delay.
The exhibit runs through May 15 and includes many related programs – supernatural weekends, supernatural film series, special visits by the artists and even family days. See the complete list of related events here.
Here are a few more works from the exibit:
The Thanaton III by Paul Laffoley
Search for Rest by Gertrude Abercrombie
