2023 ADAMS SQUARE EXHIBITS
![DSC01057[1].JPG](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/abe3ff_4bc96f56d1b84568b89eae4baf776a49~mv2.jpg/v1/crop/x_0,y_1557,w_4000,h_2987/fill/w_376,h_281,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_avif,quality_auto/DSC01057%5B1%5D_JPG.jpg)
Mímipachico
Artist: Vanessa Marie Gomez
On exhibit from October 2 - November 9, 2023
Mímipachico is a mystical experience displaying a paper mâché sculpture of an alebrije, a brightly colored fantastical creature originating from Mexican folk art. Mímipachico is a mix of raccoon, deer, and butterfly, with sycamore tree inspirations. It thrives in forests, and like most alebrijes, Mímipachico is an elusive creature. Its unique mane weaves into a human-like face used to deter predators. Although many might find this alebrije haunting with its human mimicry, locals know it is gentle-natured. It is said that Mímipachico helps those who are lost in the forest at night find their way back to safety with its glowing patterns. Inversely, Mímipachico is said to drive away those with ill intent from the forest. Because of these behaviors, Mímipachico is often called a guardian of the forest.
​
Gomez, also known as VMG, is a multi-disciplinary artist from the desert community of Victorville. Her work features vivid colors creating symbolic work that is usually represented through animals and shapes. VMG works in different mediums including mural painting, animation, digital, acrylic, and wood. She enjoys learning new skills and growing her art practice by exploring different styles and aims to create empathic experiences that invoke inspiration and encourage curiosity.
​
![DSC00946[1].JPG](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/abe3ff_2d90bd26c24445589194f14cfa207836~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_391,h_294,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_avif,quality_auto/DSC00946%5B1%5D_JPG.jpg)
Letters to Parents
Artist: Kevin Ly
On exhibit from August 21 - September 29, 2023
Kevin Ly’s intention for Letters to Parents is to create an accessible and safe environment for others to share their thoughts and experiences growing up. Ly’s installation consists of a physical mock-up of a child’s bedroom to emphasize the idea of a space individuals would have wanted as a child but may have never received. It also acts as a relic of the past that may be nostalgic to some people and bring back memories they had of their childhood. In order to physically emulate the space to look like a child’s bedroom, the gas station is furnished with a child’s bed, desk decorated with childhood memorabilia, a bookshelf with a collection of children’s books, a hat stand, and a rug. Along with recreating a space reminiscent of a child’s bedroom, Ly also includes the letters of peoples’ responses he has collected from Letters to Parents being a 4-year long project, including responses submitted at Glendale Central Library this summer. By having this extra supplement, the public will have the opportunity to view the work over the course of its 4-year journey and receive perspective on what others have written. Ly’s aim is for this to act as a catalyst for public discourse on childhood trauma and its effects on adulthood and mental health.
​
![DSC00484[1] (2).JPG](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/abe3ff_781baab576704eedb11b9066db9e96fd~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_391,h_294,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_avif,quality_auto/DSC00484%5B1%5D%20(2)_JPG.jpg)
House of Cards
Artist: Raphaele Cohen-Bacry
On exhibit from July 10 - August 18, 2023
House of Cards consists of vividly colored collages on playing cards of various sizes hanging from the ceiling at different heights. By using art magazines and wallpaper in her collages, Cohen-Bacry transforms a familiar object and elevates it to a unique piece of art. Yet, the familiarity of playing cards in her installation allows viewers to easily relate to and feel a connection with the artwork.
​
House of Cards stems from the idea that playing cards are deeply embedded in our psyche. They influence the way we think about things, resulting in the endless number of idioms related to cards, such as “playing one’s cards right” and “having an ace up one’s sleeve”. Here, Cohen-Bacry is playing with cards, but in a very different fashion.
​
![DSC09526[1].JPG](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/abe3ff_026c964a76564dd2927c7e28b97a1626~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_391,h_294,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_avif,quality_auto/DSC09526%5B1%5D_JPG.jpg)
Disassemblage
Artist: Maria Björkdahl
On exhibit from April 14 - June 9, 2023
Björkdahl is a Swedish-Moroccan visual artist based in Los Angeles, California. Her art practice centers on ideas of unearthing multiple layers and buried memories. She uses materiality and process to excavate ideas of hidden meanings, allowing for a wide range of interpretations. In this body of work, she makes paintings out of manipulated cotton duck, by cutting and unraveling the threads that hold the canvas together and then re-assembling the material into biomorphic shapes that are painted with oil and/or acrylic.
​
ReCollect
Artist: Cat Chiu Phillips
On exhibit from January 23 - March 31, 2023
The project ReCollect creates a unique experience combining post-consumer product innovation and sustainability while paying homage to traditional craft methods and the handmade. Made of 35mm slides, this project creates awe and wonder on the transformative aspects of electronic waste while offering a dialogue on sustainability, recycling, and conservation.
Growing up in Manila, one of Philips' fondest childhood memories is when the city is lit with traditional parols to mark the holiday season. A parol is an ornamental lantern traditionally made out of bamboo and Japanese paper. ReCollect is inspired by this childhood wonderment and fascination of light and color especially both revealing and concealing its immediate environment. Glendale is an ideal location for this project because the materials used to create the parols are from obsolete audio-visual materials. Since the entertainment industry is prominent in the city of Glendale, the project holds relevancy, nostalgia, and connection to the thriving economy of the city. Additionally, the project recognizes the support of environmental and ecological efforts while honoring a distinctive cultural icon from the Philippines. Representative of the small community of Filipinos for the City of Glendale and surrounding areas.
​