Means of Abundance
Erin was a coordinator, working with curatorial, installation/de-installation, and vernissage teams to organize her graduation exhibition Means of Abundance (MOA) alongside her contemporaries. The foreword of the MOA catalog (available between 23/04/2024-28/04/2024) is as follows:
Means of Abundance was something we could all agree on: it is simultaneously a group of artists using their talents to show their worth and a critique of our individualist world. We approach creation without limits, sometimes hoping to find too much of a good thing. Abundance gathers our pasts and preserves our futures.
Means of Abundance is the acknowledgement that we are a lot. We have lots to research, think about, make, and say. We are sure you do, too.
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Chew on that.
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Planting Roses in January
Erin fell for the contemplative space of The Garden, taking on a leadership role in research for Planting Roses in January (PRIJ). They helped write the curatorial essay and catalogue (available from 24/11/2023 - 07/12/2023) and, ever detail-oriented, the artist tracked goals, devised contracts, and aided in fundraising. The following is text from the exhibition's walls:
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Inspired by Derek Jarman’s Modern Nature (1989), Planting Roses in January invites audiences to think about what the garden means to them. Jarman’s own garden was in a location where it should not have been possible for plants to grow, yet, against all odds, it flourished with flora and fauna of all kinds. When confronted with the fears and uncertainties surrounding a bleak future, which included his own ill health and the wellbeing of the planet, Jarman created the possibility of new futures.
Just as a garden can take many forms, Planting Roses in January brings together a diverse collection of artworks from Yekta Çetinkaya, Saanya Chopra, Sophie El-Assaad, Kai Holub, Sarah Hughes, Lou Koch, Susan June Robertson-Baranick, Marguerite Morin, Kalli Vath, and Annika Walsh.
The artists of this show, curated by the team of ART 4119, create their own garden and examine what it means to them in terms of personal identity and memory, whether that be through the lens of culture, Queer ecology, or eco-feminism. Like Jarman’s own garden, Planting Roses in January hopes to highlight the themes of the artists, bringing into existence a safe, communal space where audiences can reflect upon their own shared experiences, encouraging a profound bond between humans through nature.
With consideration of the ongoing eco-crises, the exhibition incorporates sustainable practices through the use of organic materials in gallery labels and inks. With an emphasis on personal identity and the never-ending possibilities of an environmental future filled with optimism, Planting Roses in January creates a space that asks its viewers: what does the garden mean to you?​