JANE O’HARA - STATE OF THE UNION
NEW BEDFORD ART MUSEUM
Opening Reception Thursday, June 8th (5-7pm)
Hover your camera over QR code (located at the entrance of the exhibit) to scan and access State of the Union Audio Tour. Use your earbuds to listen to the artist read the descriptive text of each painting in State of the Union as a tour of the exhibition, or individually.
Jane O’Hara - State of The Union will be on exhibit at the New Bedford Art Museum (NBAM), June 1 - August 20, 2023. The reception will be held on Thursday, June 8, 5-7pm in conjunction with Art, History & Architecture (AHA) New Bedford’s free Downtown Cultural Night and collaborative cultural organization.
*On the second Thursday of the month, NBAM offers free admission, and extended hours until 8 pm.
Jane O’Hara, State of the Union, 2023
In State of the Union artist Jane O'Hara, an advocate for animals, examines the topic of animal rights across the United States.
Gathering inspiration from disparate sources - from nostalgic postcard iconography and pop reference to rendering of landscape, iconic figures, sites and depictions of animal situations in that state, O’Hara has us look at our 50 states from both entertaining and serious perspectives.
A picture perfect landscape is filled with its state's animals, icons, and symbols - idealistic images often touted by the state. In contrast, floating surrealistic bubbles illustrate the suffering of animals and environmental damage occurring both behind the scenes and in plain sight.
Additionally Nellie the cat is spotted within each painting. Untethered and unafraid, unlike the animals floating about, she reacts with a purely feline attitude- with indifference, curiosity, caution, or taking a nap.