"All Shook Up" Solo Exhibition at Massillon Museum
Official marketing graphic for ‘All Shook Up’
“All Shook Up” at Massillon Museum
June 10–July 23, 2023
Opening reception: June 10, 5-7 p.m.
MassMusings podcast episode release: July 18 here
What does it feel like when our race against the clock overshadows the likelihood of preserving memories?
Moving through grief, time, and the end of a transformative decade, I explore my origins in an effort to grasp this new life.
Calling on the impermanence of thermal paper, I printed and collaged reproductions of images from personal and familial archives, status updates from family members' social media accounts, and scrambled transcriptions of voice recordings from our conversations - both past and present. Each new composition brought these memories into full view, while I worked to process the minds of those who created them and how I fit within their timelines.
When brought together, these documentations served as resources to express the terror that time is slipping away. These journal-esque collages were then translated into large, monochrome velvet quilts - primarily handsewn.
Each element plays a game of telephone in their journey to velvet form. Pieces lost in translation; pixels expanded beyond their means. These new tactile tapestries become the most dependable form of preservation and begs the viewer to consider their weight. They won't ever disappear, even as their subjects do.
This exhibition is dedicated to the lives and memories of Carol Ann McDannel and Theodore and Jo-Ann Cichecki.
The Exhibition
Some soundtracks to take in
Pulling from audio memories to manifest those who have passed away, these sound pieces are comprised of conversations and atmospheric sounds from family spaces. Recordings were made by between 2014 and 2022.
For full experience, please listen with headphones.
Title: Carol
Medium: Sound Piece
Year: 2023
Duration: 13 min. 37 sec.
Statement: This sound piece features audio clips from the life of Carol Ann McDannel, recorded by her granddaughter, the artist, Sarah C. Blanchette*.
*Opening interview recording created by Marie Sievert.
Title: Ted and Jo-Ann
Medium: Sound Piece
Year: 2023
Duration: 8 min. 45 sec.
Statement: This sound piece features audio clips from the life of Ted Cichecki Sr. and his beautiful wife Jo-Ann Cichecki, recorded by their granddaughter-in-law, the artist, Sarah C. Blanchette.
Official Press Release
News Release: MassMu’s Studio M to Exhibit Artwork by Sarah C. Blanchette
The Massillon Museum will exhibit Sarah C. Blanchette: All Shook Up—textiles and mixed media prints—from June 10 through July 23, 2023, in Studio M. A free public reception for the artist will be held on Saturday, June 10, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.
Sarah C. Blanchette is a photo-based fiber artist who works out of the Detroit area. Through repetitive acts of hand and machine sewing and physical manipulations of the self-portrait, she documents her coming of age in a digital world while embarking on a journey toward growth and autonomy in womanhood.
Since establishing her studio practice in 2015, Blanchette has exhibited nationally and online in galleries, museums, zines, blogs, and artist-run spaces. Alongside her practice, Blanchette is the co-founder of the artist collective, Critical Stuff.
Blanchette holds a BA in journalism and studio art photography from Oakland University (2015) and an MFA in photography from Cranbrook Academy of Art (2017). She is a Juried Artist Member of Studio Art Quilt Associates (SAQA) and a member of Embrace Creatives.
About her Studio M exhibition, the artist writes: “Moving through grief, time, and the end of a transformative decade, I explore my origins in an effort to grasp this new life.”
A MassMusings podcast interview with the artist will be posted at MassillonMuseum.org on Tuesday, July 18, 2023, at noon.
Massillon Museum members have the opportunity to apply to exhibit their artwork in the Studio M Gallery on the second floor of the Museum. New members are welcome at any time. Exhibitions are celebrated by an artist’s reception, and the artists are featured guests on the Museum's podcast, MassMusings.
When visiting the Studio M exhibition, visitors can also view Up to the Challenge, Tigers vs. Bulldogs: Origins of a Historic Rivalry, the Paul Brown/Massillon Tigers Football History Timeline, Photography Gallery, Immel Circus, Local History Gallery, Innovators of Massillon; Judith Paquelet American Indian Gallery, Edward and Louise Mahoney Archaeological and Ethnological Gallery, and Albert E. Hise Fine and Decorative Arts Gallery.
The Massillon Museum is grateful for operating support from the Ohio Arts Council and ArtsinStark, marketing support from Visit Canton, and the support of the citizens of Massillon. This exhibition was funded in part by the National Endowment for the Arts.
Exhibitions can be seen during regular MassMu hours, Tuesday through Saturday 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Sunday 2:00 to 5:00 p.m.
MassMu is located at 121 Lincoln Way East in downtown Massillon. A visit is always free and everyone is welcome. Free parking is available on adjacent streets and in nearby city lots. For more information, call 330-833-4061 or visit massillonmuseum.org.
Media Contacts:
Alexandra Nicholis Coon, Massillon Museum Executive Director • 330-833-4061 x111
Emily Vigil, Massillon Museum Studio M Coordinator • evigil@massillonmuseum.org
Margy Vogt, Massillon Museum Public Relations Coordinator • 330-844-1525
