Mission
(Not) Sheep is a gallery that showcases national and international artists making a statement about politics, race, ethnicity, environment, women’s issues, aging and other cultural and societal issues.
It is time that art takes chances again, that it strives to document, discuss, lay bare and possibly offend.
Art is political.
Rogue art. No apologies.
Why
Art has, throughout history, been political; however, at this point in time, art has never been more commercial, mainstream and publicly accessible. In that environment, art has become many things to many people.
(Not) Sheep does not want to be all things to all people. (Not) Sheep gives a venue to the voice of dissent. The work needs to be presented whole, unfiltered and uninhibited.
Support
These artists are taking risks, working outside the established maintstream of commercial viability. Their art is important and deserves support. It also does what art SHOULD do; which is, essentially, to have an opinion. If you’re at all concerned/ interested/ impassioned, support these artists by viewing and purchasing their work.
Let’s affect change together. If you support us, we support good. 5% of all purchases will go to a charity of your choice.
About the Name
Quote from Lawrence Ferlinghetti:
“Pity the nation whose people are sheep, and whose shepherds mislead them.
Pity the nation whose leaders are liars, whose sages are silenced,
and whose bigots haunt the airwaves.
Pity the nation that raises not its voice,
except to praise conquerors and acclaim the bully as hero
and aims to rule the world with force and by torture.
Pity the nation that knows no other language but its own
and no other culture but is own.
Pity the nation whose breath is money
and sleeps the sleep of the too well fed.
Pity the nation -oh, pity the people who allow their rights to erode
and their freedoms to be washed away.
My country, tears of thee, sweet land of liberty.”
ferlinghetti wrote this in 2007 when he would have been 88; this was toward the end of bush’s reign before trump was even on the radar; an annotation under the title in the original says, “after kahlil gibran” whose original is below.
My friends and my road-fellows, pity the nation that is full of beliefs and empty of religion. “Pity the nation that wears a cloth it does not weave, eats a bread it does not harvest, and drinks a wine that flows not from its own winepress. “Pity the nation that acclaims the bully as hero, and that deems the glittering conqueror bountiful. “Pity the nation that raises not its voice save when it walks in a funeral, boasts not except among its ruins, and will rebel not save when its neck is laid between the sword and the block. “Pity the nation whose statesman is a fox, whose philosopher is a juggler, and whose art is the art of patching and mimicking. “Pity the nation that welcomes its new ruler with trumpetings, and farewells him with hootings, only to welcome another with trumpetings again. “Pity the nation divided into fragments, each fragment deeming itself a nation.”
— Kahlil Gibran (1883-1931)
(NOT) SHEEP – ART IN COLUMBUS GALLERY BLOG
What we do
We are an art gallery displaying the work of talented mid-career contemporary living artists. In addition, we have guest artists and do invitationals (showing the work of artists not currently showing at (Not) Sheep).
Involvement
We will do art shows, invitationals and host poetry slams, guest speakers, workshops and more. If you have an event or something you would like to contribute, please contact me at caren@notsheepgallery.com
Facts
During the current protests for racial justice, (Not) Sheep Gallery will remain closed.
I hope to reopen soon – when the walls of unjustice come crumbling down, actions are taken, laws enacted, safety ensured for all people of color and all those disenfranchised and mistreated by the powers that be.
17 W. Russell Street in the Short North.
Our mail address is 641 N. High Street, #106, Columbus, OH 43215
Current Shows
The calendar can change frequently. If you’re not checking our website regularly, please sign up for the e-mail list or like us on Facebook.
Our Invitationals
Themes and dates for invitationals:
March/April 2020 – “One Step Forward, Two Steps Back”
June/July/August 2020 – “Dissent”
October 2020 – “The Masks We Wear”
March/April 2021 – “Concentration”
June/July/August 2021 – “The Problem We All Live With”
October 2021 – “The Masks We Wear”
apply by sending images to caren@notsheepgallery.com
Cool Extra Things
Writing Wrongs Poetry will perform once per quarter at (Not) Sheep in Columbus. A small admission charge goes to Writing Wrongs Poetry, or the poets will perform gallery hop night for tips. Customers can also choose to donate 5% of their purchase to Writing Wrongs Poetry.
An art gallery with something to say, said by Writing Wrongs Poetry.
Experience art in Columbus!