Long-Sharp Gallery kicks off fall gallery season with the art of storytelling “I Was Here: Stories [Un]Told” opens August 4 

[Indianapolis, Indiana] To be human is to tell stories. Since time immemorial, it is through spoken and written  word that we learned one another, taught one another, and made manifest our existence. Opening at Long-Sharp  Gallery (“LSG”, 1 N Illinois Street, Suite A, Indianapolis 46204) on August 4, 2023, I Was Here: Stories [Un]Told honors mark-making: the physical, creative desire to take proverbial pen-to-paper and the visceral, human  yearning to record, to memorialize, to matter. Artists whose works will comprise the exhibit include Nicola  Anthony (UK), Lavett Ballard (US), Julia Ibbini (United Arab Emirates), Miriam Londoño (Colombia), Lakwena  Maciver (UK), Ashley Nora (US), and Kimiko Yoshida (Japan/France).  

 Works included in this exhibit are as universal, complex, and as fundamentally beautiful as the artists who create  them. Sculptures by Nicola Anthony focus on “unexpected happiness”, exploring through interviews the depth and  resilience of the human spirit; Kimiko Yoshida’s transformative self-portraits explore perception (and erasure) of  self and identity; Lakwena Maciver projects the power of unity in her 12-foot wide textile, “Nothing Can Separate  Us”. Whether transforming unspoken testimonies from verbal to visual or celebrating radical human connection,  works by these artists are a testament to the call of storytelling and the power of storytellers. 

 The opening reception of I Was Here will take place on Friday, August 4 as a part of the Indy Arts Council’s First  Friday celebrations. This reception, from 6-9pm, is sponsored by Conrad Indianapolis and is free and open to the  public. To preview the exhibition in advance of the May First Friday reception, please contact the gallery for an ecatalog