“Yard Dreams” Enchants Belmont
Curator James Yates and Professor Beryl Solla organized “Yard Dreams” and “Gallery Dreams,” a complementary exercise in gallery and installation art. Based in the South Gallery of the Dickensen Building, the gallery exhibit is companion to a series of installations in the Belmont neighborhood.
Photography by Elise Hansen
Yates described the early days of the collaboration. He began with “It was a snowy Saturday Evening…” then continued to describe the work of environmental artist Christo Vladimirov Javacheff, and his appearance in one of Yates’ own dreams. “…and I said ‘I wanna do something like that!’ and I came up with the idea for Yard Dreams!”
The installation on Belmont and Rialto was not on the map, as were other installations. It may have taken a bit of adventure to find everything. There was a trail of crabapples beckoning guests onward from a tapestry to a series of hanging sculptures, some woven into trees and foliage, and a bizarre alien suspension garden, whose photographic companion appears in the Dickinson building.
Down the street, a small open-gated yard ensconced a sheltered board game, Brownie Roulette. The official rules encouraged players to make a wager:a random item from their pockets against the prize, a vinyl crest imbued with the brownies’ “strongest protection magic”.
There were many other exhibits, including a collection of glass birds drifting in the wind; a large miniature pipeline, complete with protest; a collection of winged bunnies by event coordinator Beryl Solla, and a collection of toothbrushes growing in a yard.
Food and drink for both exhibits were provided by PVCC, and Solla’s work-study students were wonderful hosts: refreshments at the Yard Dreams exhibit included fried chicken, coleslaw (wonderfully displayed in weighted bowl), a selection of fresh fruits, and more.
The Yard Dreams installation exhibit was held in tandem with the Belmont Block Party and the rejuvenation of the street mandala at Church Street and Belmont Ave.
