Ketchum & Hailey — Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster, the Yeti—what is it that fascinates us about creatures whose existence hasn’t been proved?
On the other end of the spectrum, what are we to make of newly discovered species that are weirder and wilder than we ever could have imagined?
The Sun Valley Center for the Arts’ newest multidisciplinary project, Creatures: From Bigfoot to the Yeti Crab, is a fun—but also thought-provoking—look at fantastical creatures through the eyes of contemporary artists, filmmakers and scientists. The project includes visual arts exhibitions in Ketchum and Hailey, lectures, films and classes for all ages.
“This project explores the role of creatures both legendary and real that defy our common understanding of the natural world,” says Courtney Gilbert, The Center’s Curator of Visual Arts. “We hope to get at both the universal questions about legendary creatures and how we project our fears, anxieties and fantasies onto them, as well as more local issues: habitat, biodiversity, the interdependence of species.”
The public is invited to an opening reception for Creatures: From Bigfoot to the Yeti Crab
on Friday, January 14 from 5:30 to 7 pm. Two of the artists featured in the exhibition,
Karen Jacobsen and Richard A. Young, will speak about their work at 6 pm.
Karen Jacobsen is a scientific illustrator who works alongside marine biologists to document the sea life they encounter on deep sea expeditions. For Creatures Jacobsen has created an installation of her illustrations in The Center’s project room, giving visitors a glimpse into a world rarely seen by human eyes. From sea cucumbers to the Yeti crab, she depicts creatures that seem the stuff of science fiction—yet are very real.
Richard A. Young has created an entire body of work devoted to Godzilla, on display as part of the group exhibition in Ketchum and also in a solo show at The Center, Hailey, from January 21 through March 25.
The other artists in the Ketchum show are Scott Fife, who has created sculptures and drawings of both real and legendary creatures (for example, Tyrannosaurus Rex and the head of a werewolf); Matthew Groves, who crafts fine ceramics of figures like Sasquatch and the Wooly Man (a creature of his own invention); Stephanie Metz, who makes needle-felted wool sculptures of odd animals without mouths or internal organs or birds without wings or heads; and Megan Whitmarsh, who uses fabric and embroidery to create images drawn from late-1970s video games and early computer graphics. For this exhibition, Whitmarsh is creating a lair for a make-believe creature.
The Center is offering free exhibition tours at 5:30 pm on Thursday, January 20 and Thursday, February 17 and at 2 pm on Tuesday, February 22, or by appointment. The Center Gallery will be open late (until 8 pm) for Gallery Walk on Friday, February 18 and Friday, March 11.
LIST OF PROGRAMS RELATED TO CREATURES
LECTURES
Roland Smith
Thu, Jan 13, 6:30pm
The Center, Ketchum
FREE
Smith is the award winning author of the “Cryptid Hunter” series of young adult books.
Dr. Jeffrey Meldrum
Thu, Feb 10, 6:30pm
The Center, Ketchum
FREE
An associate professor at Idaho State University, Meldrum is the author of Sasquatch: Legend Meets Science and is considered by many to be the nation’s leading expert on Sasquatch.
FILMS
Not Your Typical Bigfoot Movie
Thu, Jan 20, 6:30pm
The Center, Ketchum
FREE
Jay Delaney’s 2006 documentary about two Bigfoot researchers provides a look at the trials and triumphs of life in the Appalachian foothills.
Bigfoot, A Beast on the Run
Tue, Feb 8, 6:30pm
Community School Theater, Sun Valley
FREE
Late at night, deep in the woods of Washington State, Tod Limberg recorded an eerie howl on his camcorder. He thinks it might be the legendary Bigfoot. Is it?
As part of the Ketchum Cinema Club:
Creature from the Black Lagoon
Sun, Jan. 23, 2:30pm
King Long
Sun, Feb, 13, 2:30
Magic Lantern Cinema Club, Ketchum
CLASSES
For details and to register for classes, visit www.sunvalleycenter.org
Family Day
Origami Creatures with Mitsuru Brandon
Sat, Jan 22, 3–5pm
The Center, Ketchum
FREE, no pre-registration necessary
Mitsuru Brandon will teach families how to transform delicate pieces of paper into real and mythical creatures inspired by Creatures: From Bigfoot to the Yeti Crab.
Teen Workshop
An Introduction to Scientific Illustration with Karen Jacobsen
Sat, Feb 12, 12-4pm
$10 pre-registration required
Combining Art and Science: An Introduction to Scientific Illustration
with Karen Jacobsen
Tues, Wed, Thurs, Jan, 25–27, 5:30–8:30
$200 members/$250 non-members
$25 supply fee
Karen Jacobsen will present an introduction to scientific illustration.
Storytelling through Collage
with Vicki Fish
Thurs & Fri, Feb 10 & 11, 10am-4pm
$150 members/$200 non-members
Create your own fantastical creature in this mixed media workshop.
For more information about all Sun Valley Center for the Arts programs, visit www.sunvalleycenter.org.
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