Yesterday was the opening of Vanessa German’s exhibition, The Ordinary Sacred. Through mixed media sculpture and works on paper, German has created a body of work that represents her experiences grieving the loss of her mother from cancer. The show embodies her struggle, sorrow, power, strength, and celebration of the African American female body. Uniquely arranged found objects, glitter, and painted Black Madonnas are all part of telling her story. During the opening, German captivated the audience with soulful and powerful impromptu poem performances directed towards specific viewers. With a strong body of work and German’s free flowing performances, the evening was a powerful experience to behold.

We were honored to host The Ordinary Sacred opening at Concept Art Gallery and the turn out couldn’t have been better. We thank everyone that was able to attend. If you missed the opening you still have a chance to view the exhibition, it will be on display until February 28th. More upcoming events:

February 7th:

2pm: An Ordinary Sacred Happening in Homewood. Meet us behind the New Arthouse, 7701 Hamilton Ave, and bring a bottle with a sacred or healing word, phrase, name, or poem inside, or an old pair of shoes, to make an interactive ordinary sacred space.

February 26:

6-8pm: Closing Reception at Concept Art Gallery with performance, Q&A, and a poetry booklet signing.

 Photography by Kaela Speicher