About
When we are neither here nor there, we are in the ambiguity of liminal space. Liminality is a window between presence and absence, past and future, visible and unseen, call and response. Changes have come thick and fast over the past year, drastically shifting perspectives, routines and social roles. Physical isolation has closed many doors and connections, while virtual communities have created and opened up others. Our self-awareness and collective conscience hangs in between expansion and contraction. How do we navigate the threshold between what falls away and what we move towards?
Liminal Beings is a virtual exhibition created by participants in the Socially Distant Artist Residency program, which began in response to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and the associated social distancing practices. The exhibition is an extension of work in which we investigate introspection, loneliness, solitude, social (dis)connection experienced by the Artists in Residence during this time.
As we create new meaning, while moving among a variety of artistic modes, we examine how ideas, behaviors, and expressions evolve. Multiple ways of engagement with the artwork can open new layers of insight and even uncertainty. Critical to our exploration is presenting the artwork accessibly. With a focus on components such as image descriptions, captioning/subtitles, and alt text, we aim to make the exhibition as robustly accessible as possible. These elements are integral parts of both the artwork and the exhibit as a whole, as these are not merely add-ons, but a thoughtful part of the exhibition’s curatorial foundation.
| A little to the left: An evening bus ride in Portland simultaneously shows a twilight city skyline and two young white female-presenting bus riders reflected in the bus window. Calm greens, blues, and purples create a serene but complex composition. |
Exhibition Planning Team
Liminal Beings was co-organized by a group of Socially Distant Artists-in-residence
Madeline Walker
Social media manager, exhibition space construction, and overall planning
Jake Johnson
Digital accessibility manager, image description assistance and press contacts research, overall planning
Kate Gorman
PR manager, curatorial statement, exhibition design, and overall planning
Josh Gates
Copy editor, digital accessibility research, image description review and editing, and overall planning
Stephanie Andrews
Exhibition platform research, design, and construction, overall planning, digital problem-solving
Patricia Kalidonis
Curator, Logistics manager, exhibition design and construction, Digital accessibility research, and overall planning
RMR
Digital accessibility manager, event and performance video captioning, and overall planning
Daniel Maxwell-Ross
Digital accessibility consultant and technical advisor
Additional Contributions
Thank you to the following artists for their contributions to the Liminal Beings exhibition and planning process
Avi Prager
Digital Accessibility research
Karl Freitag
Exhibition content contributor
Ali El-Chaer
Social Media advisor
Karla DiPuglia
Event planning and moderation