Wander Into ‘Wandering Ghosts’

Arts | May 19th, 2016

A lot of people find art galleries intimidating for a number of reasons. Among the most common are either that they don’t ‘get it’ or that they feel a hostile attitude from the ‘snobs’. To be sure, there are a fair share of art patrons who, instead of treating art as a medium to be enjoyed by everyone, are offended by any of the unwashed masses showing up. That is what the ‘Wandering Ghosts’ pop-up art gallery seeks to avoid. According to their site, “Our goal is to make art shows inviting and fun again. Check your snob at the door.”

Just what is a pop-up art gallery? No, it’s not like the children’s books with the folded-in pictures that stand up when you turn the page. Instead it refers to how the exhibition will ‘pop up’ for one night at one location, then on a future evening show up for a single evening at a different location, without the locations necessarily being standardly thought of as an art gallery.

This particular pop-up, ‘Wandering Ghosts’, is the brainchild of local artists Jeff Knight and Matt Mastrud, aka Punchgut. The first-ever exhibition here in Fargo is going to be held at the former site of Goodyear on Broadway. In the words of Punchgut, the exhibition will showcase, “inspiring artists who don’t always want to fit the mold of typical museum or gallery shows. Our goal is to make each show a unique EVENT.”

All the featured artists are local, with their mediums ranging from painting to sculpture to graphic design. Some of the artists have had their work exhibited at local galleries, such as Colby Sunshine and Athena Funk. Jeff and Matt reached out to them through word of mouth, with a lot of them dropping their artwork off at Matt’s house before the exhibition. “I’ve known Matt for a long time. He called me asking if I wanted to be part of this,” said local artist Beau Frasse. “He has basically been reaching out to artists he would like to work with, ones that don’t all necessarily get recognized in the local galleries.” In all, there are shaping up to be almost three dozen artists at the event.

Not only will there be lots of interesting artwork to see at the event, but the plan is also to incorporate live music, demos, and other interactive opportunities. In the case of the upcoming pop-up gallery, there will be a couple of artists working on new pieces right at the show.

Jeff and Matt are hoping to roll out these shows at least twice a year, and ‘for mystique,’ the venue won’t be announced until the week of each show.

So, if you’re looking for a way to enjoy the arts in a more casual, inclusive setting, this is a great way to do it. And if you’re a budding artist yourself, don’t hesitate to reach out to the masterminds behind ‘Wandering Ghosts’ on their website, to find out about the possibility of submitting your own pieces.

IF YOU GO

Wandering Ghost Pop-up Gallery Opening

Thursday, May 26, 12 p.m.-12 a.m.

Former site of Goodyear, 409 Broadway North, Fargo

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