Exhibit at Tysons Corner Center
ArtsFairfax has partnered with Macerich, the owners and developers of Tysons Corner Center, to showcase local artists, artist teams, and arts organizations of Fairfax County through temporary art installations.
This partnership will enable the more than 20 million yearly visitors who explore Tysons Corner Center’s retail and entertainment offerings to discover the diversity, creativity, and quality of visual artists from the Fairfax region.
“Overboard,” an exhibit of 250+ sculptural “sneakers” by local artist Andy Yoder, explores the connection between art, fashion, and sustainability. Free for the public to experience through mid-January 2024, the exhibit features 280 Nike Air Jordan sneakers crafted from reclaimed and recycled materials.
Andy Yoder′s ″Overboard″
About the Overboard Exhibit
Overboard features over 250 sculptures by (Falls Church, VA) artist Andy Yoder who has created his own versions of Nike Air Jordan 5s utilizing discarded materials pulled from recycling bins. When the exhibit launched in Washington DC in 2021, it traveled around the country and received recognition in the New York Times, the Washington Post, PBS NewsHour, and numerous other publications.
One of the most iconic and recognizable athletic shoes in the world, the Nike Air Jordan 5 catapulted into popularity in 1990. That same year, more than 80,000 pairs of Nike brand shoes and work boots fell into the Pacific Ocean from five shipping containers when their ship was overwhelmed by a storm while on route to the U.S. from South Korea. The “Great Shoe Spill of 1990” prompted a groundbreaking study of maritime currents by Dr. Curtis Ebbesmeyer. Using unique serial numbers on each sneaker, the oceanographer and his researchers gathered data from beachcombers worldwide who found the shoes as they washed ashore.
Instead of cloth or leather, Yoder uses fast food packaging, cereal boxes, luxury shopping bags, posters, and other discarded items – much like the salvaged and waterlogged shoes – to create art that commemorates the Great Shoe Spill while also calling attention to consumer culture’s effect on the environment, delivering the message in a non-preachy way.
“I’m a big believer in the possibility of second chances, which is why this story has such appeal for me,” said artist Andy Yoder. “Making art is a form of alchemy and being creative gives us the power to steer the ship, rather than bobbing around like a sneaker lost at sea. With this in mind, if you come across a shoe on the beach (or a flip flop, or a bottle), do the right thing, and toss it in the trash. You never know where it might go from there.”
The exhibit has been curated by the Jule Collins Smith Museum of Art at Auburn University and is on display at Tysons Corner Center on the Lower Level near Barnes & Noble through its partnership with ArtsFairfax.
Summary
ArtsFairfax is accepting qualifications from artists, artist teams, and arts organizations for temporary art installations at Tysons Corner Center, a mixed-use destination owned by Macerich. The company is seeking artists and arts organizations to activate Tysons Corner Center spaces with art.
The selected artists/teams/organizations will provide visual art exhibitions for temporary installation inside the shopping center. Both static and interactive installations will be considered.
Background
The goal for this initiative is to use the arts to engage the general public through art and reflect Macerich’s investment in the local community. ArtsFairfax and Macerich are looking for artwork that will:
1. Use the arts to activate the space while creating a unique environment.
2. Brand Tysons Corner Center as an innovative retail & entertainment community with a contemporary, progressive, and creative character.
3. Promote the work of local artists and arts organizations.
Macerich will work with the selected artist/team/organization to install the exhibitions. Both ArtsFairfax and Macerich will promote the exhibitions.
Submissions are easy, and artists may apply more than once with the following:
- Statement of Interest and description of your work or project.
- Resume outlining your professional accomplishments.
- Images of installed past work of similar scope, scale.
Each temporary art installation will be on view for a minimum of 8 weeks. Macerich will be the sole determiner of selection. All fees and project costs will be negotiated between Macerich and the artist(s).
Static Dynamism by JP Muller was on exhibit through the month of May, located in Tysons Corner Center’s Bloomingdale’s wing.
Tysons Corner Center selected ArtLords to be the first art group to debut its exhibition in the center. The temporary art installation was located on level 2 by Macy’s in January and February of 2023.
More details can be found at artsfairfax.submittable.com.
Questions about this project can be directed to info@artsfairfax.org
