NOW-ish is artwork, interactive projects, and community events by artist Hannah Burr. Some of the materials in the sculptural work come from the homes of Saugatuck residents and the art center itself; some of the installations accumulate and change with the participation of viewers and SCA staff.

This show is a celebration of basic aliveness. It’s a desire to exalt objects we take for granted, consume and discard. It’s a way of sorting what matters and investing mundane gestures with meaning.

Burr’s projects are a way to shake off the shadows and to remember that it’s ok to be little, open and curious even in the midst of change and deep uncertainty. “I’m drawn to claiming what’s unwanted and through a reframing process, transforming such stuff into something valued. Doing so is a basic human superpower I think we all have but perhaps forget how to access in the seriousness of daily life.” This exhibition is a reminder of that process; and the events that accompany it create settings for basic forms of neighborly, human connection.

“I work with whatever materials and objects light me up, and in a palette that makes me happy, or occasionally disturbs me in an interesting way. I’m not afraid of messes, and I believe that my best work comes from allowing for what I at first find to be ugly and unacceptable. Failure is a part of discovery. I value process highly, and I love to arrive at work that is very specific, clear and visually delightful to me.” 

NOW-ish assumes your innocence. It’s an opportunity to relate with what is immediately here through familiar objects, basic things like color and texture, and through engagement and showing up; it welcomes you to slow down, notice and want what you already have. 

This is a show for everybody. It’s a show that wakes up objects and rediscovers them. It’s a show about what matters most to us as individuals, and noticing the sparkly underlayer beneath the most basic situation, in interior states and in objects that you live with, interact with and see everyday. 

This work is made with you in mind. It offers prompts for engaging whatever is happening around you at this time, through you, just as you are. Welcome and enjoy.