Restless Corners, created by Joel Sherry, is a series of sculptural video objects placed throughout the house. Inspired by both the building and Grainger’s life, the works incorporate performance, sound, photography, drawing, found objects and Percy Grainger's own musical compositions. The sculptures integrate reclaimed monitors and projectors using video played in an atmosphere of looping movement, light and sound. The exhibition explores how individuals move through space, impacting the environment and objects of that space, leaving traces of our brief time, creating an imprint on the physical presence of space.
In creating Restless Corners, Joel Sherry and and members of the dance performance group Teatolocal (Joel Sherry, Cynthia Bueschel Svigals, Michelle Kelly Wurf) collaborated to connects diverse audiences fusing visual art, performance, and music in surprising combinations.
The exhibition will begin with an opening at the Percy Grainger Home and Studio's Spring Open House on Sunday April 6, from 2-4 pm. The installation will also be open on three Lunchtime Tours, Wednesday, April 9; Wednesday, April 23; or Wednesday, April 30, at 12 noon. Please sign up for one of the tours (advance reservation required). Before closing on May 4, the exhibition will culminate with a Sunday Tour (reservations requested) where the artists will share insights about the work and its integration into the Percy Grainger legacy.
Paul Jackson, president of the Percy Grainger Society, expresses his enthusiasm: “We are thrilled to welcome Joel Sherry and his groundbreaking exhibit, Restless Corners, to the Percy Grainger Home and Studio. This installation not only honors the artistic spirit of Percy and Ella Grainger but also continues their legacy of using this space as a vibrant platform for creativity and innovation.”
Each spring, the Percy Grainger Society invites the local community to visit the Percy Grainger Home and Studio. From the music room and beyond, the house quietly illustrates how each Grainger family member made this space an echo of their individual interests, talents and unique personalities. The house, built in the late 1800s, is a beloved White Plains landmark and a graceful reminder of White Plains neighborhoods from days gone by.
Restless Corners was made possible by a generous Individual Artist-Arts Alive Grant through ArtsWestchester.
About the Artists
Joel Sherry is an artist, designer, builder and choreographer. He received a BFA in Theatrical Design from California Institute of the Arts. As a multi-disciplinary artist working in the areas of design, visual art, and choreography, he creates paintings, sculptures, installations and live performance. As a designer, he has created environments for theater, dance, corporate entertainment and themed attractions. He currently works for SUNY New Paltz as Technical Director of the Performing Arts Department. Teatolocal is the current iteration of his collaboration with Cynthia Bueschel Svigals & Michelle Kelly Wurf.
The Percy Grainger Home and Studio
Percy Aldridge Grainger (1882-1961), an internationally renowned pianist and composer, stands as a seminal figure in 20th century music history. His compositions and arrangements for wind ensembles helped transform bands into instruments for serious concert music and his arrangements are still widely performed today. Innovative and multi-talented, Grainger was additionally, a pioneer in the collection of folk songs, a watercolorist, essayist, and inventor of experimental music-making machines. The house, purchased in 1921, served as his residence, studio and laboratory until his death in 1961. The 1893 house remains largely furnished today as it was during Grainger’s lifetime and is the resource most significantly associated with Grainger in America.