Salon selective - Salon 75, a showcase for curators - Ones to Watch

Interview, Dec, 1997 by Richard Pandiscio

In the art mecca of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, where modest artist-owned and -operated exhibition spaces seem to pop up anywhere that has four walls, few seek to accomplish what Salon 75 has set out to do, which is to establish a showcase for curators. "The role of the curator is constantly changing," says Jessica Murray, thirty, who along with partner Joel Beck, forty, directs Salon 75. "As the art world comes to terms with the idea that art in a museum or gallery setting is mediated, the idea that the curator should not be seen is dissolving as well." By pushing the curator into the spotlight, Murray feels she is helping to make the process of exhibiting "a new medium in and of itself," which she hopes will highlight how personal all interpretation is. The artworks shown by Murray and Beck - chosen by the two during their frequent visits to local studios - dictate the structure of each show, and not the other way around. By assembling pieces from a variety of artists, who work in a variety of media, into one cohesive group show, Beck and Murray keep the focus on the thematic thread that binds the art together. Exhibition names like "Swampthing" and "Poison, Plugs, and Plexi" keep the overall nature of the shows friendly and unpretentiously accessible.

By day Murray attends Bard College's curatorial program, which she is using to explore new methods of curating, while Beck works in Manhattan as a contractor. Though their work schedules limit the gallery's visiting hours to Thursday and Friday from 6:00 to 8:00 P.M., and Saturday and Sunday from noon to 6:00 P.M., it doesn't seem to have hurt them any - openings still boast elbow room only.

Salon 75 is located at 75 Roebling Street in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. The phone number is (718) 390-3516.