The Hippodrome State Theatre Art Gallery and the Oak Hammock Art Gallery are hosting a Dada art exhibit to celebrate the 100-year-old art movement.
The free exhibit opened to the public on Tuesday at the Hippodrome, located at 25 SE Second Place. Retirement community Oak Hammock started hosting its exhibit Tuesday.
“One of the things you say about Dada art is it’s playful,” said Midge Smith, a retired UF professor and current Oak Hammock board member. “It’s imaginary, and it’s making a statement.”
The Hippodrome will house the exhibit until May 29, and the Oak Hammock exhibit will run until July 9 at Oak Hammock at UF, located at 5100 SW 25th Blvd.
Samuel P. Harn Museum of Art curators Dulce Roman and Kerry Oliver-Smith will judge the exhibit, according to the Hippodrome website.
The judges will decide how to evaluate the art pieces, and money will be awarded to the top winners.
Smith said the exhibit celebrates the 100-year-old anniversary of Dada’s first appearance in New York City. The art form started in Zurich, Switzerland, as a political protest in 1916 during World War I.
“The artists said this isn’t art, but we’re going to say it’s art,” she said. “And because they were putting something off on to the public, it’s the same way political leaders were putting something off on the public.”
Dada became its own art form and created other forms of art, such as surrealism.
Jane Polkowski Levy, a retired physician and current art gallery chair at Oak Hammock, said the exhibit is separated by types of work. The Hippodrome showcases mostly 3-D works, which includes sculptures, she said.
When the Dada movement began, it was made up of many forms of art. Oak Hammock will exhibit only wall art, such as paintings.
“It was more than just visual arts,” she said. “It also included theatre as well as written.”
Marion Siegel, the founder of the Oak Hammock Art League and an artist, said the retirement community is home to an active art community. The community offers art classes and an art gallery.
“Our members are very active,” Siegel said. “Not only at Oak Hammock, but I think it should be pointed out that they’re very active in the community.”
Oak Hammock resident and exhibit artist Karl Schwartz has pieces also shown in the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, Levy said.
The exhibit includes pieces by Gainesville Fine Arts Association artists along with Oak Hammock artists, she said.
“It’s a combined effort,” Siegel said.
Smith hopes the exhibit helps Oak Hammock get more involved in the local art community.
Her simple request:
“Come learn something about us and about what we do.”
