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Opening reception: Friday, January 16, 5-7 PM

Clifford B. West Gallery and Rebecca Lawrence Gallery: NOVEL FORMATS | A project by Rachel Bernsen & Collaborators

Performance works | Installation art | Workshops

Rachel Bernsen is a multidisciplinary dance artist who instigates collaborative environments to create works that exist at the intersection of movement, sound, and visual form. She brings part of her latest project to AVA, entitled NOVEL FORMATS, a seven-part performance cycle investigating the social and political dimensions of improvisation as a shared experience, a communal practice, and which brings together multi-hyphenate artists across disciplines and in different permutations to engage with a proposed theme and minimal choreographic structures. At AVA, she will present two works in the cycle: For A Time – a duet made in dialogue with vocalist and electronics artist Jean Carla Rodea and visual artist and theater designer Noah Mease, and You Are Here, Change, Change, Change – a solo made in collaboration with visual artist Megan Craig. There will be a gallery exhibition of installation artworks by NOVEL FORMATS collaborators and weekend workshops taught by composer and multi-instrumentalist Taylor Ho Bynum and Bernsen.Collaborating artists: Jean Carla Rodea, Megan Craig, Chico Eastridge, Noah Mease, Taylor Ho Bynum, JAM – Junction Arts & Media

Scheduled performances (below) | Reception 6:30 PM, performances begin at 7 PM

• Fri. Jan 23: For A Time – Novel Formats #5 
  • In collaboration with sound artist and vocalist Jean Carla Rodea and theater designer and visual artist Noah Mease
• Sat. Jan 24: For A Time – Novel Formats #5
  • In collaboration with sound artist and vocalist Jean Carla Rodea and theater designer and visual artist Noah Mease
• Fri. Feb 6 You Are Here, Change Change Change – Novel Formats #6
  • In collaboration with visual artist and professor of Philosophy Megan Craig
• Sat. Feb 7: You Are Here, Change Change Change – Novel Formats #6
  • In collaboration with visual artist and professor of Philosophy Megan Craig

Workshops | Saturday, Jan 18 & 31:

• 11:30-1 pm Spontaneous Sound Orchestra, taught by Taylor Ho Bynum | Ages 7 and up. click here to sign up
• 2-4 pm Spontaneous Dance Group, taught by Rachel Bernsen | Adults ages 18 and up.  click here to sign up

Image credit: NOVEL FORMATS #!: A Dialogue / Kyoko Kitamura, Ellen Smith Ahern, light projections by visual artist Lindsay Packer / Photo by Kate Barber