Good Weather

Good Weather

Address: 4400 Edgemere, North Little Rock, AR 72116
Contact/Email: desk@goodweathergallery.com
Website: www.goodweathergallery.com
Phone: 501-680-3763
Hours: The gallery is open during exhibition openings and by appointment. Please send an e-mail to desk@goodweathergallery.com to schedule a visit when you are in town.

How is the project operated?
The gallery operates as an exhibition space in a privately-owned garage in a residential neighborhood in North Little Rock, Arkansas.

How long has it been in existence?
The gallery was founded in late 2011 and had its first opening, Shark Week, on Oct 18, 2012 from artist Tony Garbarini. The latest show, Vestige Vagrant Varial from artist Ian Jones, opened Mar 9, 2013.

What was your motivation?
The genesis of the gallery was rooted in a need for space to exhibit contemporary art in Arkansas. The state of the garage—its potential and availability, its specific location and physical qualities, its size and the approach up the drive-way—and the support of my older brother and family, are what convinced me stay in Arkansas and build a gallery, instead of move elsewhere to find space.

Number of organizers/responsible persons of the project.
Haynes Riley is the founder, director, and curator for the gallery. Zachary Riley is the owner and proprietor of the garage. The director’s family has graciously served as gallery assistants throughout the scheduled shows. The physical space was built by Nick Adler and Haynes Riley with help from Haynes’ brothers’ Hunter Riley and Zachary Riley, friend Paul Lincicome, and cousin Nathan Norman and his electrician friend.

How are programs funded?
Artist are responsible for delivering and installing the work. Usually, the director takes the responsibility of returning and de-installing the work. The gallery is self-funded.

Who is responsible for the programming? 
Haynes Riley.

Number and average duration of exhibitions/events per year.
We have 6-8 shows a year with each show lasting an average of one month.

What kind of events are usually organized?
Solo shows exhibiting new work from participating artists. The next opening is Saturday, April 27, 2013 from artist Talon Gustafson. The subsequent opening is Saturday, May 25, 2013 from artist Katie Wynne.

How is your programming determined?
Through organic means surrounding timing, awareness, study, research, relationships, and kismet.

Do you accept proposals/submissions?
Not currently.

What is your artistic/curatorial approach?
“Spaces obtain their meaning from social agreements, confirmed by usage, which can change.”
Brian O’Doherty ‘Studio and Cube’

The gallery stems from an investigation of the American suburban garage and its vast flexibility. Often times, garages transcend their original function (i.e. storage for cars) by morphing into domestic galleries indicative of vastly different tastes and socio-economic conditions. This reveals an unpretentious curation of an individual’s ideas and interests: a wood shop, a miniature railroad museum, a cereal box collection, an indoor patio, a makeshift living room, an aviary, and so on. Good Weather follows this phenomenon through the understanding and use of these resources: the economy of space, a curatorial vernacular, and an open structure that allows participants to direct the content and shape of their exhibitions. The gallery has reciprocal objectives. The first revolves around the gift of space, which serves as a catalyst for artists to develop new work. The second is rooted in exposure, which allows the artist to exhibit this work to a wider audience and in return, the audience is exposed to pertinent and challenging works of art. Both are integral in aiding in the artist’s professional growth. In promoting the reciprocal relationship between maker and audience, Good Weather facilitates a greater awareness of contemporary art, which plays a vital role in defining and challenging our current local and national ethe.

What’s working? What’s not working?
Good Weather is young and still discovering what is working and what isn’t working.

What kind of role do you hope to play in your local art scene or community?
We are hoping to influence the local discourse on art and expand the local area’s awareness and knowledge about contemporary art. The setting is an intimate one centered around interaction with the artist during the opening and gallery visits during the extent of the exhibition that facilitates an inclusive environment.

What idea are you most excited about for the future?
Good Weather considers the creation of possibility as its principal pursuit, embodying an earnest desire to positively impact the environment in which it lives. We are excited to continue to exhibit challenging works of contemporary art and to give artists an opportunity to develop new ideas and challenge their existing practice to further support the exchange of ideas and proliferation of dialogue.