On a recent Wednesday morning at the Frost Art Museum, a gaggle of giddy fifth-graders suddenly stopped in amazement and began roaring in glee. The kids, from Homestead's Peskoe Elementary, were collectively juked out of their shoes by Kori Newkirk's untitled sculpture, which is fashioned from a pair of basketball hoops, braids, and beads.
"I think these are hair weaves!" exclaimed a young girl. "I guess you can make art out of anything."
And that's exactly the point of "Because I Say So," an exhibition featuring selections from the collection of Debra and Dennis Scholl that challenges the notion of what art is. The works on display are remarkable not only for the range of materials which include twigs, strips of fabric, hairpins, and even LPs but also for tip-toeing around the tradition of sculpture while subverting it in arresting ways.
April 30-Aug. 16, 2009