Part II: New Gallery Public Functionary Gets Ready for Opening Night

Today, in part two of our three part series on new
Minneapolis art gallery, Public
Functionary
, we focus on their preparation for their first show, “DZINE: Victory”.
If you haven’t already read part one of the story, make to check it out here.

As Dzine’s art arrives, Tricia Khutoretsky, director and
curator of Public Functionary, and her crew find themselves busily getting
everything organized for the gallery’s opening night on April 20.

Khutoretsky gives us a first-hand look of what goes into the
day-to-day operations of opening up a new art gallery.

We also had a chance to ask Khutoretsky a few
questions about Public Functionary and what goes into setting up an art
exhibit.  

 

The Skinny:

  • Fun Fact: The train trestle outside Public
    Functionary’s building inspired the gallery’s logo.
  • Public Functionary
    1400 12th Ave. N.E.
    Minneapolis, MN, 55413
  • “DZINE: Victory” opening reception April 20, 8
    to 11 p.m. The show runs through May 31.
  • publicfunctionary.org

As the curator, how
do you decide to display the artwork so each piece works in context with each
other? 

Multiple factors contribute to planning an exhibit layout. I
try to trust my first instinct and going with whatever feels right. But there
are rules to follow… things like color, concept and size matter when placing
works next to each other and I am always conscious about how small choices
change the story. Though breaking the rules is also what I think gives Public
Functionary exhibits an edge. I’m lucky to have truly talented partners at
Permanent Art and Design. Kate, Mike and Joe have years of experience and great
taste in art, so I always have feedback on what works best. And of course, the
artist’s input and the message they are trying to convey heavily guides the
exhibit design. 

What is your
favorite piece from the DZINE exhibit?

This probably changes every week, but today– the tiny gold
roosters. The piece is titled “Club Gallisco.” At the Dallas Contemporary the
roosters were presented low to the ground on a large box covered in pink shag
carpeting. The roosters looked so dainty and beautiful, despite depicting a
glorified cock fight. Dzine modeled the roosters after a salt & pepper
shaker set that his mother had when he was a kid, but dually the fighting
roosters are a nod to competition, a theme in Victory. We’ve used a close up image of one of the roosters as our
promotional image for the show. Seeing it blown up huge on a glowing bus
shelter ad at night continues to demonstrate the stunning, shiny, many layered
quality of Dzine’s work. We also have a new presentation planned for the
roosters that will be much different from the Dallas showing.

What are you most
looking forward to with the opening? 

Opening! It’s been a really long road and these last couple
of weeks have been insanely demanding. For a curator the anticipation and hard
work is all for the big reveal. With opening a new space… the first exhibit
only happens once so it’s exciting to say the least.

Looking forward,
what sort of exhibits are you planning?

I’m hoping to present diverse artists in terms
of where they are in their careers and what their work represents. Tying it all
together, the theme for the year is “heritage” which will be communicated more
as the year unfolds and we’ll build upon it with every presentation. Following
Dzine from Chicago, we have an artist from LA and an artist from New York on
the upcoming schedule, so we’re exploring as far as the coasts to bring a range
of perspectives to the Twin Cities. In between we’ll showcase local talent and end the year with a local
artist sharing her work in a whole new light.

Make sure to stop by and celebrate Public Functionary’s free
opening reception for DZINE: Victory”
in Minneapolis from 8 to 11p.m on Saturday, April 20. Public Functionary is located at 1400 12th Ave.
N.E., Minneapolis, MN, 55413. The show runs through May 31.