(Jon Gann, slip/caul, 2021 | Photo courtesy of Scalehouse Gallery)
Scalehouse Gallery presents two in-person events on December 10 and 11 in conjunction with the current exhibition, Jon Gann: infinity splinters / resttagebücher.
In response to Gann’s work, which speaks deeply to issues of trauma, identity and mental illness, we are partnering with local organizations to provide mental health resources and promote dialogue around these important issues. By opening up a conversation, the artist and Scalehouse seek to combat shame and isolation, normalize help-seeking, and celebrate creative expression as a tool for healing.
Jon Gann Artist Talk: Kites for War
Friday, December 10, from 6-7pm
Scalehouse Gallery
In his talk, Kites for War, Jon Gann will share his personal history as it relates to the bare truths of the works in his show, infinity splinters / resttagebücher. Touching on the struggles of mental illness, shame and the masking of truth, Gann will also speak about his process of putting feeling into form and how he is using the current show as a new jumping-off point. Like any artistic practice, mental health takes work, and for Gann this is a hopeful realization. It is an ongoing process of shadow boxing with your daemons and of accumulating new tool sets and new networks of love and trust.
Tickets are free, but reservations are required as seats are limited. Visit scalehouse.org/events to register.
Out in the Open: A Panel Discussion on Gender, Sexuality + Mental Health
Saturday, December 11, from 11am-12pm
Scalehouse Gallery
In conversation with the exhibition: Jon Gann, infinity splinters / resttagebücher, Scalehouse Gallery is facilitating a panel discussion with mental health professionals in the community on the intersection of mental health, sexuality, and gender identity.
The aim of this panel is to open up a conversation around mental health, giving particular focus to experiences of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Questioning, Intersex, Asexual and Two-Spirit (LGBTQIA2S+) individuals in Bend and Central Oregon. A panel of mental health professionals with experience working with issues related to sexuality, gender identity and gender expression, will speak about some of the unique challenges faced by those in the LGBTQIA2S+ community. They will also provide guidance on finding help, combating shame and discuss ways to support a friend or family member who might be questioning or struggling. Audience members will be welcome to ask questions or share their own experiences.
Too often, mental illness is presented as an individual problem, not a social one. By hosting this conversation in a community arts setting, we hope to emphasize the connections between supportive community, creative expression and wellbeing. Panelist information to come.
Tickets are free, but reservations are required as seats are limited. Visit scalehouse.org/events to register.
About Jon Gann:
Jon Gann is an artist from Alabama, currently living in Palm Springs, California. His practice has evolved from compulsion and a means of survival, to something therapeutic, to communication and connection. Automatic and provisional, his process-based drawings and paintings shift between states of bodily representation, gestural abstraction and material accumulation. Through this shifting, Gann engages in open-ended questioning of memory, identity and repair. “Memory is tricky. I want to point my practice to my future self. I am making to ask questions, to figure out who I am and how I fit, what to mend and what to let go.”
About Scalehouse:
Scalehouse is a multidisciplinary contemporary arts center convening diverse thinkers for in-depth discussions, artistic collaborations, exhibitions and events, including Bend Design Week and Scalehouse Gallery. Scalehouse believes our shared future presents complex challenges and opportunities, not just benefiting from creativity but requiring it. We are committed to programming that’s accessible, provocative, extraordinary and inclusive — always with an eye toward a better future. Learn more at scalehouse.org
Location:
Scalehouse Gallery is located in Franklin Crossing on the Tin Pan Alley Side.
550 NW Franklin Avenue, Suite 138, Bend
Questions? Contact Stephanie Parnes: stephanie@scalehouse.org or 541-640-2186.