The Salem Art Gallery

ON VIEW JULY 16TH-SEPTEMBER 1ST

This title "The One Who is Two", not only describes Lucifer, who is both angel and devil, but is also representative of the duo whose works make up this collection; a singular vision presented by two artists: Lana Guerra and seaN (@crpfctry). This collaboration has been produced by two artists living in tandem, across the continent, between New Orleans and Los Angeles; trading pieces back and forth while manifesting a singular vision.

ON VIEW JULY 16TH-SEPTEMBER 1ST

"Pixel Panic" is a Salem Art Gallery juried exhibition. This open call for art asked the general public for artwork of any medium inspired by the moral panic surrounding gaming of all forms in the 80s, 90s, 2000s, and today.

Trading card games, roleplaying games,first person shooter games, and video games in general have caused moral panic throughout history. To clarify, a moral panic is a societal response to something viewed as a threat to existing societal values/standards. These panics are often targeting young people and are focused around themes of sex, language, drugs, and violence. People fear change in society, so much so that they'll call said changes evil or even demonic.

Despite there being ZERO evidence that video games in the long term make people more violent or more likely to do violent things, people still side with that argument even today. "Pixel Panic" features a diverse selection of media inspired by these themes.

ON VIEW SEPTEMBER 11TH-NOVEMBER 11TH

AS ABOVE, SO BELOW is an immersive art installation which will envelope visitors in a surreal experience as it showcases the mesmerizing paintings and intricate set designs of KTRON.

KTRON is a local artist who specializes in illustration, scenic painting, set design, and costume creation. She attended Rhode Island School of Art and Design (RISD) then moved to Boston and started working as a set designer and builder for Club Nights at Avalon. She was also a costume maker for Kaiju Big Battel (a performance inspired by both professional wrestling and the tokusatsu kaiju era films of Japan). Kaiju.com After leaving Avalon, KTROn spent time working at various theaters like the American Repertory theater and the Huntington Theater. Ultimately, KTRON joined the Motion Picture Union and works full time as a scenic artist on various movies such as “The Town” “Grown Ups 2” “Castle Rock (season 2)” “Ghostbusters” “Beetlejuice 2 (Beetlejuice Beetlejuice)” as well as many others over the span of 17 years. Some recent highlights of her career include working on the immersive speakeasy inspired by Prince, “When Doves Cry” located in Beverly MA, and in Salem MA, creating sculptural set designs for Professor Spindle Winks World of Wizardry. KTRONs artwork can be found online at Ktronart.com and on Instagram @ktronix7.

CROOK concerns those who hold great power over us as individuals, and who can freely lead us towards or away from salvation because of our position within their lives. Our history is full of ‘shepherds,’ leaders among us, for better or for worse, that herd us like cattle and steer us closer to their personalized agendas. Those who are influential can sway us with their guiding hand, and alter our overall decision-making, especially in our highly politicized modern world. CROOK showcases all manner of shepherds, both righteous and serpentine.

Scott Hayden is a New England based illustrator and writer that utilizes narrative to make sense of a world that can otherwise be enormous and terrifying. He believes that stories are not only how humans have communicated with one another for centuries, but are how we share our individual experiences, and empathize with those around us both past and present. Hayden recently graduated from Montserrat College of Art.