A group of artists from across the region are collaborating on a six-week-long exhibit at Greenfield Gallery, demonstrating a partnership that seeks to model a collaborative approach to sustainable practice.

The exhibit, “We’ll Show U,” is a self-curated collaborative exhibition showcasing the works of artists Rachel Cyrene Blackman, Bil Gardner, Youme Nguyen Ly, M Rudder, Emikan Sudan and John Vo. This exhibit will be hosted by the Greenfield Gallery at 231 Main St. from Aug. 25 through Oct.6.

“I think what they can expect to see is a diverse group of work,” said M Rudder, an artist and exhibit facilitator. “We have BIPOC artists; we have trans artists, we have queer artists; and we all have a different approach to how we engage with our work.”

The group came together from the Massachusetts Arts Community Build program 2022-2023, a joint program between Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art’s Assets for Artist and Artist U.

During their 10 months together, they explored what it meant to re-envision the life of a working artist, examining how to creatively balance the pulls of time, finances, collaboration, family, community, rest and their commitment to creative practices.

“We all hold different identities and orientations,” Rudder said. “This is a lovely intersection of identities and origins for us, both in how we show up in the world and our ancestry. That, to me, is a really lovely and great thing that maybe doesn’t happen so intentionally across a lot of exhibits.” 

The group then decided to embark on a collaboration for how to cultivate a partnership with a physical gallery and create a sustainable process for the group to exhibit their work, managing all of the details, tasks and costs themselves, from start to finish. 

Rudder said while there isn’t a theme, per se, to the exhibit, one thing that unites the work is the artists’ aim to share how the outcome of their art is the result of a process and how they’ve learned to collaborate and support one another as artists along the way.

“We’re in a place of really accepting how people can show up for each other,” they said.

To that end, the exhibition helps to demonstrate all the “hidden” elements of putting together an art show – namely the cost, both in terms of money and labor. All artists in the show, Rudder said, have professional careers that help to support them to pursue art. What each contributes to the show – whether that’s in time or finances – is dependent on their respective lives and capabilities. 

Rudder said the exhibit is also a collaborative effort between the artists and Rachael Katz of Greenfield Gallery. The artists have provided a curated exhibit for the gallery, and the labor associated with it, while Katz can contribute her expertise in the financials involved with sales. 

Rudder said they will be sharing illustrations from a children’s book they illustrated with pen and ink. 

“The pen and ink stems back to when I was in high school,” they said. “Part of what I like about it is the range of texture you can get with it. I think that’s what led me to study fiber and textiles in college. The illustration work is a response to the necessity to be conservative in materials as well as time.”

The opening reception will take place from 4 to 9 p.m. on Aug. 25, and the gallery will be open on Fridays from 4 to 9 p.m., and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The exhibit itself will be free, but prints and original work will be available for sale. 

“It can be really hard sometimes in the (Pioneer Valley) – for as many cultural creatives we have – to find a community we can stick with for the long run,” Rudder said. “I think that’s been the real gift of being part of Artists U. I now have five people I know I can consistently connect with; I’ve had these shared, intentional, deep conversations with. And they’re all really lovely people, incredibly supportive people and committed to their work in their own way, and really want to support each other.” 

Reporter Mary Byrne can be reached at mbyrne@recorder.com or 413-930-4429. Twitter: @MaryEByrne.

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