The True/False Film Fest is partnering with Imago Gallery and Cultural Center to give the people of Columbia an art exhibit composed of 14 pieces that embody the theme of this year’s festival, “The Long Now.”
True/False has been held annually for 12 years, but Imago’s involvement is new this year.
“The gallery is partnering as a promotion for (True/False Film Fest),” gallery manager Bobby Schembre says. “We are also hosting their box office.”
The promotion is benefiting both parties, as the opening night of “The Long Now” exhibit drew a crowd of around 100 people.
The pieces of art on display differ on many scales. The exhibit features everything from photographs to a handcrafted expansion loop.
Some pieces are black and white; some incorporate the entire color spectrum. At first glance, it is hard to tell what groups the pieces together, and how they represent the same theme. But “The Long Now” manifests itself differently through the exhibit
A piece titled “The” “Long” “Now” by artist Gabe Meyer is composed by nine side-by-side images of a woman’s profile edited to look slightly different. The description next to the art calls it a portrayal of “psychedelic stillness.”
On the same wall hangs “Epiphany” by Shannon Soldner. This painting shows a woman facing away and grabbing her head in apparent agony. It is said to depict a moment of tortured enlightenment.
Many of the pieces do not feature humans at all. Kerry Hirth’s “Sketch of Scarlatti Sonata K34 (as Argo Navis)” uses colors to demonstrate changes in harmony throughout Scarlatti’s Sonata in D minor.
The theme is supposed to be open to interpretation, following True/False’s goal to make its audience “think critically.”
This call to a deeper understanding of other viewpoints is a significant part of the festival’s mission. One non-fiction film is chosen each year as the recipient of the True Life Fund. The money raised towards this fund is presented to the subjects of the winning film.
Last year, the money raised was divided between four women who had been domestically abused and shared their stories in the film “Private Violence” by Cynthia Hill.
Imago’s involvement in the festival this year has created an opportunity for even more money to be made for the True Life Fund. The pieces featured in “The Long Now” exhibit are all for sale.
Ten percent of the profit made from these works will go towards the True Life Fund. The other 90 percent is for the artists to keep. The pieces range in price and medium.
Sixty submissions were evaluated by what Schembre describes as a “two-tiered jury.” Narrowing the exhibit down to 14 pieces was a collaborative effort between the staff of Imago and True/False.
_The pieces that were chosen to be included are:_
_”Aquatic Dance” by Lampo Leong_
_”The Light” by Li Lin_
_”Window on the World” by Amy Meyer_
_”Icosahedron on Blue Plane” by Clint McMillen_
_”Avoidable collision nearing from behind” by Ian Shelly_
_”Cernunnos Arabesque” by Madeleine LeMieux_
_”Pastpresentfuture” by Yourself_
_”Sketch of Scarlatti Sonata K34 (as Argo Navis)” by Kerry Hirth_
_”Expansion Loop with Flare” by Matt Moyer_
_”The” “Long” “Now” by Gabe Meyer_
_”Response Time” by Scott McMahon and Ahmed Salvador_
_”Epiphany” by Shannon Soldner_
_”St. Mary’s Flood Album – page 44″ by Scott Patrick Myers_
_”Breath” by Natalie Shelly_
_“The Long Now” art exhibit at Imago Gallery will end on Jan. 30 after 25 days on display._
