Driving South in a Mostly Straight Line

Curated by Andrea Mellard

March 1 – 30, 2019

Driving South in a Mostly Straight Line is the first phase of an art exchange between Rosalux Gallery, an art collective based in Minneapolis, Minnesota and ICOSA collective of Austin, Texas. Selected by Andrea Mellard, the exhibition introduces Austin to the 20 members of Rosalux. In turn, Rosalux will be presenting the work of ICOSA collective’s 20 members in Minneapolis in May. The first exhibition of this two-city art exchange is comprised of a diverse of artmaking practices including painting, mixed media sculpture, watercolor, photography, printmaking, drawing, and collage. While 1,176 miles separate the two artist collectives, the common goal to support their fellow artists and share their community’s creative output brings them together.

“One of my favorite aspects of Austin’s arts community is how groups of artists come together to just make what they want happen. I have been impressed by the way artist collective ICOSA has supported each other, developed spaces to present work, and now are exchanging art shows with Rosalux Gallery. I appreciated the opportunity to review and select for exhibition the diverse art made by the twenty members of Minneapolis’ longest running collective art gallery. I hope the Rosalux exchange introduces Austin to new artists and that their work and commitment to sustaining a creative community are inspiring.”
—Andrea Mellard

FEATURED ARTISTS

Betsy Alwin, Ute Bertog, Amelia Biewald, Melissa Borman, Priscilla Briggs, Betsy Byers, John Diebel, Duane Ditty, Shannon Estlund, Jim Hittinger, Rebecca Krinke, Eleanor McGough, Shawn McNulty, Edie Overturf, Terrence Payne, Ashley Peifer, Areca Roe, David Malcolm Scott, Laura Stack, & Timothy Tozer.

ABOUT THE CURATOR

Andrea Mellard is Director of Public Programs and Community Engagement for The Contemporary Austin and founder of Crit Group. She curates programming that takes advantage of the museum’s two distinct sites—one urban and the other natural—and provides platforms for audiences to come together, investigate art, and create new experiences. In addition to film series and artist talks, Mellard has curated recent projects with Janine Antoni, Sanford Biggers, Nick Cave, Lucky Dragons, Ragnar Kjartansoon, and Mark Mothersbaugh. She has worked with a multitude of emerging Texas artists for the New Art in Austin, Texas Prize and New Works exhibition programs (both at the formerly named Austin Museum of Art and AMOA-Arthouse). As a curator, programmer, and educator, she aims to present cultural opportunities for people of all ages that reflect the eclectic and collaborative spirit of Austin. She has over eighteen years of museum experience, and an MA in American Studies from The University of Texas at Austin inflects her interdisciplinary approach to contemporary culture.