May I…?

In the May I…? art show Starta Arta praised the power of the individual and the collective human spirit, and the human capacity to endure. The exhibition introduced how the artists' community reacted to challenges and remained resilient under pressure. What better time to capture the moral, intellectual, and cultural climate of the times than during our slow emergence from the Covid pandemic crisis?

Each artist was engaged in the creative challenge by adding a verb, or phrase which best completes the question “MAY I __?” based on their emotions, feelings, and insight developed during the year engulfed by the pandemic. Artists completed the phrase that reflected their understanding of the new reality, where they stand or the future they were faced with.

The artwork in this exhibition represented a variety of aesthetic and conceptual points of view expressed through different media including painting, printing, sculpture, and video. The 20 artists included, both established and emerging, were, Eliza Boyer, Yam Chew Oh, Michael Connors, Helen Denisevich, Jeong Hur, LiLi Jackson, Xianglong Li, Coco Ma, John Manno, Carlos Enrique Martinez Ramos, Kellyann Monaghan, Raisa Nosova, Anthony Reamer, Bethany Robinson & Hannah Fitzgerald, Lynnette Therese Sauer, Caren Jo Shapiro, Linda Streicher, and Zac Thompson & Michelle Girardello. Each artist brought their own unique ideas to the show and represents different stories.

The exhibition curated by Oxana Kovalchuk, Markus Holtby, Juan Bravo, and Sabrina Puppin was on view from May 6 through May 14, 2021, with a public opening reception on May 6.