Art Exhibit: L’éléphant dans la Salle (The elephant in the room)
Saturday, 07/19/2014 – 08/09/2014 07:00 pm – 11:00 pm
1310 Gallery – Sailboat Bend Artist Lofts
1310 SW 2nd Court,
Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33312
Webpage Link
Cost: FREE

Featuring Provocative Art of the Unspoken.
Event hashtags: #lelephantartexhibit #whatsyourelephant

JOIN US! Exhibit opens Saturday July 19, 2014 7pm-11pm

L’éléphant dans la Salle- (The Elephant in the Room) is an idiom for an obvious truth that is either being ignored, or otherwise unaddressed. The purpose of this exhibit is to provide a safe place for issues and topics that are normally hidden from public view.

Through visual and performance art, the artists participating in this event will share secrets and taboos, discussing openly to find solutions for our own individual and collective emancipation. Viewers are invited to enter the ‘Confessional’, an interactive safe space installation to share their ‘elephant’.

L’elephant dans La Salle will be hosted by 2 of 1310 Gallery resident artist Niki Lopez (visual artist & designer), and Alana DaCosta, (singer/songwriter).

L’éléphant dans la Salle:

Art + Performance + Community Outreach

Featured artists include: Beatrice McClelland, Louis Davis, Judy Leeson Polstra, Allison Kotzig, Kimberly Heise, Sonia Baez-Hernandez, T.J. Brow, Niki Lopez, Alana DaCosta, Omilani , Klodi Lemoine, Gregory Dirr, Corbett Fogue, and Michael D. Colanero (of Uncommon Gallery with photo series .. Breast Cancer Awareness Body Painting Project.

Opening night performance include: Chaos Theory, DJ Onestar, Alana DaCosta, Maru, DaDa National Poetry Slam Team and Melissa ‘Moonchild’ Stokes.

Lopez and DaCosta will collaborate with a licensed therapist to facilitate a workshop called “What’s Your Elephant”, where youth and adult participants can work in a safe space to own the secrets they keep. “The obvious is oftentimes ignored and swept under the rug. Some may chose to never understand it,” says DaCosta. “Yet, we all have the power of choice to free ourselves of whatever makes us uncomfortable.”

“It’s about acknowledging it, owning it, so that it doesn’t define you.” Says Lopez, an artist with her own elephant that will be revealed at the exhibit.

Lopez & DaCosta asks the public to participate by submitting their unspoken truth AND use the hashtag #whatsyourelephant on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram to submit their unspoken truth.

The curators will also partner with local lawyers Ghenete Wright Muir, PJ Hitchins and Shenika “Nik” Harris, who are hosting “Thou Art Woman,” a poetry centered evening celebrating the diversity of women.

Community partners include: Community Partners: Drag It Out-(501c3), 2014 DaDa National Poetry Slam Team , Boys & Girls Club, and private donors.
1310 Gallery is an artist-run collective that offers over 2400 square feet of exhibition space split into 3 levels, and housed within ArtSpace’s live/work facility, Sailboat Bend Artist Lofts. 1310 Gallery rotates art exhibitions monthly and also hosts performances and workshops. 2013 Broward New Times “Best Art Gallery of the Year”. The gallery is open by appointment in addition to the Opening & Closing receptions. For further information please call 305-975-6262.