Hollister, MO—British contemporary artist Stuart Semple has announced a series of spontaneous art Happenings which will take place in over 30 locations around the globe this July including Hollister. The Southern Missouri Arts Connection (SMAC) is delighted to be a part of the worldwide happenings, together with a group of local participants, will bring the event to life on July 28, 6-7 p.m. at the SMAC Art Center at 7 Downing Street in Hollister.
Visitors will be able to participate in this one-of-a-kind art moment. “It’s a fun way for the community to come together to participate in this performance art,” SMAC board member Lacey Finchum said.
After kicking off the project at this year’s Glastonbury Festival, Semple is collaborating with global communities like ours in over 30 places. The project is taking place across galleries and museums, hackspaces, coffee shops, public spaces, tattoo parlors and university campuses. ‘JOY SANDWICH’ will happen
throughout the world in locations including London, Los Angeles, Texas, Montreal, Brussels, Vancouver, Las Vegas, Sao Paulo, Missouri, Cincinnati, San Juan, Cabanatan City, Glasgow and Mexico City, among others. See the full list at www.stuartsemple.com/happenings.
These new ‘JOY SANDWICH’ Happenings will wrestle with recurring themes in Semple’s work – ideas of technological isolation, physical community, connection and the impact of art on societal mental health. And in the spirit of the golden age of happenings, these spontaneous works will erupt and be led entirely by the participants.
Semple’s theme is one of coming together, union and imagining a possible future built for communities where art and joy coalesce to form new physical bonds.
With several communities around the world still failing to reconnect after Covid, the artist hopes that these Happenings might be a small way to bridge the gap between our connected digital lives and the real world.
The artist used his online community to meet a diverse global group of participants, and so far, has orchestrated the organization of these Happenings entirely via email and video chat. Each group that wished to host a happening was included. From people wanting to host one in their house or back garden, to major museums and cities. At this moment in time, the specific nature of the happenings is top secret to allow for spontaneity. The groups themselves don’t
even know what the action will be, with the artist set to send them a set of instructions shortly before their performance.
Anyone can participate in the happening at the SMAC Art Center, it’s totally free and you can find out more here: www.StuartSemple.com/Happenings.
Southern Missouri Arts Connection (SMAC), a 501C3 non-profit local center of creativity, art education, innovation, and community partnership, strives to improve the quality of life in southern Missouri by connecting individuals with the arts, for the benefit of all.
