Sheldon Scott: the Finest Amenities

Sheldon Scott’s immersive performance and art installation uses the history of harvesting ice from the Potomac, and the storage and use of this ice at Gadsby’s Tavern, as his starting point. Scott, a D.C.-based performance artist and storyteller, examines the historic relationship of the Potomac and the people of Alexandria with the contemporary utility of the river as a resource.
Title:Sheldon Scott: the Finest Amenities
Date & Time:Sunday, April 23, 2017 • 1-4 p.m.
Location:Gadsby's Tavern Museum, 134 N. Royal St. (Map This)
Event Details:The City of Alexandria’s Office of the Arts partners with Washington-based artist Sheldon Scott for the Finest Amenities, an immersive performance and art installation inspired by Gadsby’s Tavern Museum.

the Finest Amenities brings together performance, video, installation, photography, and community dialogue. Scott uses the history of harvesting ice from the Potomac, and the storage and use of this ice at Gadsby’s, as his starting point. He layers in enslaved narratives and the history and ecology of the river to examine the crucial relationships between race, class, environment, luxury, and consumption.

In March, the Finest Amenities launched when Scott joined marine biologist Dr. Marvourneen K. Dolor, and historian Lance Mallamo for a roundtable talk on the intersection of art, science, and history, facilitated by public art specialist Todd Bressi. The group provided context to understand and interpret usability and accessibility of our natural resources, specifically the Potomac River.

Scott’s performance of the Finest Amenities takes place on Sunday, April 23. Scott will begin at the Potomac waterfront at King Street at 1 p.m. and will proceed east towards Gadsby’s Tavern Museum, located at 134 North Royal Street. At Gadsby’s visitors will be able to experience Scott’s performance as they journey through the Museum.

Over the summer, Scott continues the community dialogue surrounding the Finest Amenities with a micro-exhibition in the New Project Studio (Studio 8) at the Torpedo Factory Art Center, located at 105 North Union Street. The space will feature photography, video, and ephemera from this body of work. Video will also be projected throughout Alexandria via the Mobile Art Lab.

This project is the inaugural work for the Office of the Arts’ Time & Place series, which explores the intersection of contemporary art with Alexandria’s rich and multifaceted history. Using research-based practices and working in a variety of media, Scott, along with two Baltimore-based artists, Stewart Watson and Lauren Frances Adams, are creating thought-provoking temporary works that are inspired by the storied past of Gadsby’s Tavern.

Time & Place is an initiative of the Alexandria Office of the Arts’ public art program, in partnership with the Office of Historic Alexandria. The goal of this compelling project is to foster exploration and dialogue about our region’s history and its continued reverberations within our community today. Follow #TimeandPlaceALX to join the conversation online. For more information, visit alexandriava.gov/94687.

The City of Alexandria is committed to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. To request a reasonable accommodation or materials in an alternative format, contact Diane Ruggiero at 703.746.5590 (Virginia Relay 711) or diane.ruggiero@alexandriava.gov.
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Fees:Free
Audience:Anyone may attend
Tags:Arts, Gadsby's Tavern, Living History, Museums, Old & Historic Alexandria, Old Town, Performing Arts, Public Art & Memorials, Recreation, Visual Arts, Waterfront


For event details visit https://apps.alexandriava.gov/Calendar/?15889
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