Huntsville, Ala – What’s reddish pink, full of air, has a twin, and stands almost 16 feet tall? The Huntsville Museum of Art’s new inflatable rabbits, of course! The Huntsville Museum of Art (HMA) is pleased to present BlowUP: Inflatable Contemporary Art, opening Sunday, November 29, and on view through January 24, 2016.

The exhibit explores the imaginative ways that artists use air as a tool for creating large-scale sculpture. It includes imagery that is figurative and abstract and features a diverse roster of internationally-renowned artists’ works. Accessible, yet rich with meaning, the sculptures use perception of space to open a dialogue about pop culture and social norms.

Organized by Bedford Gallery at the Lesher Center for the Arts’ Curator Carrie Lederer, BlowUP is on a two-year national tour. Bedford Gallery is located in Walnut Creek, California. An added bonus to the exhibition from The Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, is the work Silver Clouds. A collaborative project between Warhol and engineer Billy Kluver, the clouds, filled with helium and oxygen, will float through the gallery, and visitors will even be able to touch them.

“Inflatable structures connote fun and whimsy and challenge our everyday, feet-on-the-ground perspective,” Lederer said. “This show creates a spectacular, immersive environment and taps into our fascination with inflatables with artworks that are surreal, humorous and poetic.”

To kick off the exhibition, the public is invited to a Gallery Walk with Artist and Educator Claire Ashley on Sunday, December 6, at 1 p.m. The gallery walk is FREE to members and included in general admission for non-members. Following the gallery walk from 2 to 3:30 p.m., guests are invited to stay and “Create and Inflate” in the Great Hall. Kids of all ages will have a blast making their own
inflatable animal sculptures. The program will culminate in a Wild BlowUP Parade. A $5 material fee per participant will be collected at the door.

BlowUP was made possible by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. Local support was provided by Sarah and Carl Gessler, the Alabama State Council on the Arts, Altherr Howard Design, The Huntsville Museum of Art Guild, and Kudzu Productions.

The Museum is open Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.; and Sunday, 12 to 5 p.m. The museum is closed to the public on Mondays and some major holidays. Special admission in conjunction with The Tsars’ Cabinet running simultaneously with BlowUP is $12 for adult, non-members; $10 for active military, teachers, and seniors (60+) with a valid ID; $5 for children age 6 and up and students; and $8 per person for groups of 10 or more. Museum members and
children 5 and under are admitted FREE. For more information, visit www.hsvmuseum.org or call 256-535-4350.

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