View of the performance [courtesy of Pam Rentz]

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Lexington Arts & Cultural Council to host visiting

performance and installation artist Allison Rentz

at Downtown Arts Center:

Contacts:          Shannon Carrico, LACC, (859) 255-2951, [email protected]

Travis Robinson, LACC, (859) 255-2951, [email protected]

Lexington, KY � The Lexington Arts & Cultural Council (LACC) is pleased to host a performance and installation piece in the Downtown Arts Center (DAC) windows by Ms. Allison Rentz from Metro-Atlanta, Georgia. Ms. Rentz creates installations, drawings, multimedia works, and performances using recycled materials such as drier sheets, wood scraps, and clear plastic containers/bags. Her work has been displayed at various venues in the metro-Atlanta area including conventional and alternative galleries, as well as public spaces.

Rentz� piece entitled �Follow Me� will be installed in the DAC Window as part of the LACC�s 2004-2005 Windows Project - Call for Artists. �Follow Me� - the depiction of a control relationship between a person (the artist) and the abstract representation of a person - will include an ongoing performance piece that will coincide with the first Gallery Hop of the 2004-2005 Season on September 17 from 5:00 � 8:00 p.m. The installation piece will remain on view through Friday, November 12. Rentz will also exhibit some of her other pieces in the opposite window of the DAC.

Rentz says that her recent work: ��addresses how we control each other, the struggles that result, and how this affects society. I began studying control in an attempt to isolate a method for change within myself that would affect society as a whole. After recognizing that our society is troubled, I began to ponder how my own actions influence society. Much of the harm that we inflict on each other is derived from a desire to control everything. I feel that by examining the different ways we harm one another helps bring to light personal paths towards self-improvement and, ultimately, harmony within society.� To learn more about Allison Rentz and her art, please visit:  http://www.allisonrentz.com.

The Windows Project is part of the LACC�s 2004-2005 Call for Artists program. LACC requested proposals for a series of ongoing, site-specific installations in the east-facing, store-front window of the DAC. This prominent site in a high foot-traffic area and facing oncoming vehicular traffic, allows for eye-catching and thought-provoking pieces. Rentz installation will coincide with Lexington�s annual ideaFestival (http://www.ideafestival.com/) held September 21-25, 2004 and addresses the theme of this years event: �The Minds Eye: Exploring Consciousness�. For information or to download an application for the LACC�s Window�s Project or ArtsPlace Gallery Call for Artist Programs please visit www.LexArts.org or call the LACC at 859-255-2951.

About the Lexington Arts & Cultural Council

The LACC is a non-profit community organization that works for the development of a strong and vibrant arts community as a means of enhancing the quality of life in Central Kentucky.  The LACC provides a wide range of programs designed to integrate the arts into our daily lives including Dynamic Doors, Gallery Hop and Distinguished Speakers Series.  Through its annual Campaign for the Arts, the LACC has raised millions of dollars in support of local arts.  In turn, the LACC underwrites the operating expenses for a variety of beneficiary organizations, offers affordable exhibition and performance space for arts organizations, as well as competitive grants for community outreach projects.  Visit the LACC�s newly redesigned website at www.lexarts.org. 

The LACC�s programs and services are supported in part by the Kentucky Arts Council, a state agency in the Commerce Cabinet, with support from the National Endowment for the Arts.  Major support is provided by the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government � the LFUCG and the LACC, a strategic alliance fostering innovation and creativity throughout Lexington-Fayette County. 

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