At the Table: Kitchen as Home December 21, 2018–March 1, 2019 A BIG IDEA project of the Sun Valley Center for the Arts
For many of us, the kitchen plays a part in our earliest memories— memories that are multi-sensual, bringing taste and smell together with our visual recollections of the spaces in which our families gathered. We often recreate our childhood memories of the kitchen as adults, cooking from recipes our parents used, buying the same foods that lined our childhood shelves, or serving meals on dishes inherited from grandparents. The BIG IDEA project At the Table: Kitchen as Home considers the central role of the kitchen in shaping our memories, our families and our social lives. Kitchens are spaces of ritual—places for the preparation of food as well as its sharing. We come together in kitchens to cook and to eat, to share in conversation, to do homework, to plant small gardens or make art, to entertain friends and family. Kitchens can be places for culinary creativity and experimentation, but they also offer the security of repetition—the pot of coffee prepared the same way every morning or the meal thrown together by rote. A kitchen’s contents reflect its occupants’ tastes and habits: a peek into someone’s refrigerator, pantry or utensil drawer offers insights into how they live and how they nourish themselves. At their best, kitchens are places of comfort. They offer the opportunity to connect to our past through the making and sharing of food with those we care for in the present.
Abby Carter, Guest in Red Shirt, 2018, oil, acrylic and gouache on board, courtesy the artist Joan Linder, Blue Sink, 2012, marker and ink on paper, courtesy the artist
110 N. Main Street, Hailey, Idaho 208.578.9122 Sun Valley Center for the Arts P.O. Box 656, Sun Valley, ID 83353 208.726.9491 • sunvalleycenter.org Center hours & location: Mon–Fri, 9am–5pm Sats in Feb, 11am–5pm 191 Fifth Street East, Ketchum, Idaho
Inside, top to bottom, left to right: Ferris Cook, Egg Beater, 2010, graphite on paper, courtesy the artist Julie Green, An Embarrassment of Dishes (detail), cobalt blue pigment, 7-Up and simple syrup, painted and kiln fired on a 1961 set of Noritake inherited from the artist’s grandmother, functional service for 12, courtesy the artist and Upfor Gallery, Portland; images by Mario Gallucci Introduction Panel: Benny Fountain, Idaho/Oregon Fiction #7, 2017, oil on canvas, courtesy the artist and Froelick Gallery, Portland Back Panel: MK Guth, Dinner for Remembering, 2016, mixed media (wooden shelf, artist book, three selected books), courtesy the artist and Elizabeth Leach Gallery, Portland, photo by Etienne Broussard Cover: Julie Green, Gossip Bridle: Bert, 2018, acrylic on Tyvek, courtesy the artist and Upfor Gallery, Portland
December 21, 2018–March 1, 2019 A BIG IDEA project of the Sun Valley Center for the Arts
At the Table: Kitchen as Home
At the Table: Kitchen as Home
December 21, 2018–March 1, 2019 A BIG IDEA project of the Sun Valley Center for the Arts
M US EU M E X HIBITIO N Abby Carter spent several years volunteering in a soup kitchen in Connecticut. She got to know its patrons and began making portraits of the many different people for whom the soup kitchen was a vital resource. The exhibition includes a selection of her portraits, some offering views of the interior of the soup kitchen as well as its guests. Illustrator Ferris Cook has made a series of drawings of individual kitchen objects: an espresso maker, a toaster, a spoon. Her elegant pencil drawings depict the cherished tools we turn to when preparing our food. They are paired with an installation of kitchen objects on loan from residents of the Wood River Valley. Benny Fountain has produced a number of paintings that marry the interior of the kitchen in a house he once owned in Portland, Oregon, with views through a window to the northern Idaho landscapes of his childhood. His paintings underline the connection between kitchens and our memories of place. Julie Green’s painting practice has long addressed themes of food and the domestic. The Center commissioned Green to spend time in residence at the Sun Valley Center for the Arts, Hailey, making work in response to the history of the house. In Hailey, Green produced several large paintings on Tyvek inspired by plates and platters she encountered in the house as well as the life of one of its most prominent occupants, Roberta McKercher. The exhibition pairs these new works with Green’s An Embarrassment of Dishes, a Noritake dinner service for 12 inherited from her grandmother that she painted and inscribed with stories from her youth. MK Guth has produced a number of sculptures that combine books, objects and written instructions for different kinds of events that involve the preparation and sharing of food and drink. The exhibition includes two sculptures, Dinner for Remembering and Dinner to Plan a Revolution. Her works invite viewers to consider the ways that shared meals can be transformative experiences. Following the birth of her first child, Joan Linder began making daily drawings of her kitchen sink “brimming with dishes, recently washed, or practically untouched.” The drawings capture the accumulation of plates and cups, cleaning supplies and cooking ingredients that result from meals prepared and enjoyed. They convey the passage of time in the kitchen, where labor repeats itself in a daily cycle. Julie Green’s residency is generously sponsored by Jennifer Wilson.
Gallery Walks
Fri, Dec 28 and Fri, Feb 15, 5–7pm FREE at The Center, Ketchum
Evening Exhibition Tours
Thu, Jan 3 and Thu, Feb 7, 5:30pm FREE at The Center, Ketchum Enjoy a glass of wine as you tour the exhibition with The Center’s curators.
Artist Talk: MK Guth
Wed, Jan 9, 5:30pm FREE at The Center, Ketchum Join artist MK Guth for an evening talk about the role of social ritual, performance, food and drink within her artistic practice.
Evening Exhibition Tour and Artist Talk with Abby Carter, with special guests from the Hunger Coalition
Thu, Jan 24, 5:30pm FREE at The Center, Ketchum Artist Abby Carter will discuss her portraits of the guests of a Connecticut soup kitchen. Staff and participants from the Hunger Coalition will join the conversation, sharing images and stories from their Authentic Voices project. Join us for a dialogue about food insecurity in the Wood River Valley and beyond.
L ECT U R ES Joanne Weir: “Plates, Places and Stories from My Family Kitchen”
Sat, Feb 23, 4pm The Center, Ketchum $10 / $12 nonmembers A fourth-generation professional cook, Joanne Weir spent five years cooking at Chez Panisse after receiving a Master Chef Diploma with Madeleine Kamman. She is a James Beard award-winning cookbook author and teaches cooking classes around the world. She is the host and Executive Producer for several awardwinning television series, including Joanne Weir Gets Fresh and Joanne Weir’s Plates & Places. Joanne has written 18 cookbooks, including her most recent memoir, Kitchen Gypsy: Stories and Recipes from a Lifetime Romance with Food. She is co-owner of Copita, a Mexican restaurant and tequileria in Sausalito, California. In 2012, she was appointed by the State Department to the American Chef Corps, chefs chosen to promote world relations through food. Weir writes for numerous publications, including Sunset Magazine, Cooking Light, Better Homes and Gardens, Fine Cooking and Food & Wine.
Cooking Shouldn’t Kill with Nancy Hughes and Taylor Rixon
Thu, Jan 3, 6:30pm (following the exhibition tour) FREE at The Center, Ketchum Smoke from indoor cooking fires is one of the leading causes of death of children under age five in the world. Nancy Hughes, President of StoveTeam International, transformed a Rotary Club project into an effective international charity, developing sustainable factories that produce safe, affordable, fuel-efficient stoves. In the 10 years since StoveTeam International’s inception, over 70,000 stoves have improved the lives of more than half a million individuals in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Mexico. Nancy was honored as a Rotary White House Champion of Change and featured on PBS NewsHour and in a 2017 story in National Geographic. She is a CNN Hero and the recipient of the prestigious International Purpose Prize. Nancy and her grandson, Taylor Rixon, will share photos and stories from their StoveTeam trips to the developing world.
FIL M S
T H E AT R E
The Irish Pub
Thu, Jan 10, 4:30 and 7pm Magic Lantern Cinemas, Ketchum $10 / $12 nonmembers There’s a sweet simplicity to the life of an Irish publican. It’s the slowness of life in Ireland coupled with the small town feel you get across the whole island. There’s also the Guinness, whiskey and pub grub that make Irish pubs some of the best places on the planet to tip back the ol’ tipple. In The Irish Pub, pub owners share stories about their lives, work and devotion to providing the neighborhood with an escape from the doldrums of day-to-day life.
Chef Flynn
Thu, Jan 24, 4:30 and 7pm Magic Lantern Cinemas, Ketchum $10 / $12 nonmembers While Flynn McGarry’s peers were playing video games, he was creating remarkable gastronomic delights in his home kitchen in Studio City, California. The “Teen Chef” established his own supper club at age 12 and was featured in a New York Times Magazine cover story at 15. By 16, he had staged in top restaurants in LA, New York and Europe. Trying to stay focused on his dream, Flynn weathered critics who challenged his rapid ascent in the culinary world. Director Cameron Yates creates a collage of Flynn’s distinctive path. In February 2018, after the film’s release, 19-year-old Chef Flynn opened Gem restaurant in New York City.
PER FO R MIN G A RTS Winter Warm-up Veillée with Bon Débarras
Thu, Jan 17, 7pm $10 / free entry if you bring a homemade dessert—email kbretall@sunvalleycenter.org to sign up in advance The Center, Hailey In anticipation of Bon Débarras’ evening concert on Jan 18, join us at The Center, Hailey, for a veillée (an evening gathering) in the dark of winter with mulled wine and cider, Québec-inspired desserts and a short set from these fantastic musicians. The traditional folk music of Québec has been handed down from French, Scottish and Irish immigrants, traditionally played in the kitchen at a veillée!
Dinners with Friends: Recipes for Storytelling A series of short reflections
Fri, Feb 1, 7pm Liberty Theatre, Hailey FREE with $10 suggested donation Pre-register through The Center Company of Fools began in Richmond, Virginia, with a year of meals. Time around the kitchen table allowed a group of actors to discuss theatre and their collective desire to explore the world of storytelling. Join COF’s 23rd Season Producer R.L. Rowsey and founding COF member Joel Vilinsky as they return to their roots and lead current Foolish family members on a new exploration. The COF family will gather to reflect upon the art of storytelling and the people, food and memories that have nurtured their creative lives. These kitchen musings will culminate in an intimate evening of laughter, tears and inspiration. A one-of-a-kind shared buffet!
CR E ATIV E JU M P- IN Sketching Kitchen Memories with Bob Dix
Wed, Jan 16, 5:30–8pm The Center, Ketchum $30 / $35 nonmember Inspired by the artwork of Joan Linder, participants will learn the basics of observational drawing by studying beloved kitchen objects. Local artist and instructor, Bob Dix, will introduce students to different drawing materials and techniques. The class will begin with a short tour of the museum exhibition. Students can enjoy a glass of wine while developing their drawing skills in a fun and relaxed environment.
FA MILY DAY Art, drink and be merry!
Sat, Jan 12, 3–5pm FREE at The Center, Ketchum Join us at The Center as we reflect on the kitchen’s role in shaping memories in our families. We will be creating a memory box, drinking cocoa and interacting with hands-on activities connecting kitchen to memory. Family Day provides special opportunities for multiple generations to explore art and ideas together.
T EEN WO R KS H O P Cookie Art! with Virginia McConnell of Canuck Cookies Gather Around: Public Storytelling with Idaho Basecamp
Thu, Jan 31, 6pm $10 / $12 nonmembers Sun Valley Brewing Co., Hailey The Center and Idaho Basecamp invite people of all ages to share a story involving food— growing, sharing, preparing or eating it—with the theme “Gather Around.” How does food create connection and bring us together? What are our stories from the dining table? Gathering for a meal is a foundation for conversation and cementing relationships (even if sometimes fraught with conflict). Let’s laugh, commiserate and consider together how what we eat and how we eat it can nourish (or diminish) our shared experience of food, family and community. Invited guest storytellers include local farmers and food growers. Stories will be limited to 5 minutes. Mat Gershater of Idaho Basecamp and the Humming Bull will be the night’s host. All ages are welcome. Those who would like to tell stories should arrive before 5:50 to sign in.
Sat, Jan 26, 10am–4pm The Center, Hailey $10, pre-registration required Enjoy the art of cookies with baker Virginia McConnell! Students will learn piping, flooding and decorating techniques with royal icing as well as a basic sugar cookie recipe, including alterations to the recipe for gluten-free, chocolate and ginger cookies. Each student will design and create a dozen cookies to take home.
The BIG IDEA project At the Table: Kitchen as Home is generously supported by Ali Long.
Sun Valley Center for the Arts sunvalleycenter.org