CULTURE
UNCHARTED TERRITORY 25 years in, Lump offers thought-provoking contemporary art by COLONY LITTLE
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etween an abandoned building and a Baptist church on Blount Street, a matte-gray building stands out from its downtown neighbors with four fire engine red letters that read LUMP. For the inquisitive, the windowless cinder block structure draws visitors like a magnet—while a more cautious person might find the steely warehouse about as inviting as a single red balloon peeking out from a sewer grate. These dichotomous conceptual metaphors lie at the heart of this independent, contemporary art space. The non-commercial 34 | WALTER
gallery offers bold, cutting edge experiences that challenge, confound and engage its viewers. “There’s something unique about the smell of an art gallery when you first enter,” says Lump director George Jenne, “It’s the alchemical odor of freshly handled material. It’s discomfiting and familiar, at once.” But what happens to an art space that cannot directly engage its audience? Lump addressed the disruption of the pandemic by introducing two unique forms of digital programming that embraced and adapted to the physical limitations of viewing
courtesy Lump
The Lovers by Joy Tirade
