Artists Registry
New Canaan CT United States
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Artist's Statement
Statement of Work
A LIVING MEMORIAL-THE HEALING HEART PROJECT
THREE YEARS LATER
The Healing Heart Project was a collaborative work, created by artist June Ahrens. Ms. Ahrens was in her Tribeca loft and was a witness to the World Trade Center tragedy. In response to that tragedy, she invited children and adults from across the globe to participate in the project. The installation consisted of approximately 3,000 “Hearts” one for each victim lost that day. The “Hearts” were installed in two 13’ circles on the floor to reflect each of the two towers, and also allow for healing, unity and remembrance. It was installed in five sites in New York and Connecticut.
The third anniversary of that dark day is upon us. After very careful consideration and thought, Ms. Ahrens decided to “release” the “Hearts” back to the public and by so doing, create a Living Memorial. Ms. Ahrens felt the act of “releasing” the “Hearts” invited recipients to share the hope for love and peace and reminds us how fragile life can be. It also properly honors the victims, with each “Heart” ending up where it belongs over time.
The “Hearts” were packaged individually with an accompanying message to be passed out to others throughout the days of September 10th and 11th. There were four sites that received a “Heart” starting in Stamford, Connecticut where the project began. Additional sites were in New York City, at venues where it was shown in 2001, the New York Supreme Court Building, and Washington Square Park.
An additional site had been added at the Marriott Financial Center Hotel at Ground Zero. Mary Fetchet, who lost a son on 9/11 and directs an organization, Voices of 9/11 to help victim’s families, invited Ms. Ahrens to release many of the “Hearts” to the victims families at a forum and luncheon on September 10th and 11th.
The Healing Heart Project has given participants a voice to express their feelings, and to honor lost lives, and those who gave so much of themselves.
June Ahrens
E-mail: junebug62@yahoo.com
Web site: juneahrens.com
Resume
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JUNE AHRENS
Resides in both Connecticut and New York City
www.junebug62@yahoo.com
EDUCATION:
1988 SUNY Purchase, Purchase, New York, BFA (Summa Cum Laude)
1982-85 Yale University, Advanced Seminars New Haven, CT
ONE PERSONS SHOWS:
2009
Trustman Gallery, Simons College, Boston, MA
2008
Hiding in Plain Site, Silvermine Guild of Artist, New Canaan, CT
2007
Revealed/Concealed, Edinburgh College of Art, Edinburgh, Scotland
2005
The Loudness of Silence, Branchville Gallery, Branchville, CT.
2004
The Healing Heart Project:
Washington Square Park, Supreme Court Building, Ground Zero, Marriott Financial Center, New York, NY,
and S. Labriola’s Frame Shop, Stamford, CT
2002
The Healing Heart Project:
Washington Square Park, Supreme Court Building, Wagner Park at BPC, New York, NY, and Cove Island Park, Stamford Government Center, Stamford, CT
2000
Personal Affects: Wishes and Dreams, Marist College of Art Gallery, Poughkeepsie, NY
1999
* Personal Affects: Wishes, and Dreams, Housatonic Museum of Art, Bridgeport, CT
1997
Sculpture 2x2x, Art Space, New Haven, CT
Who Will Remember…..Eastern State University, Willimantic, CT
Bedtime Stories, Collaboration, SOHO 20, New York, NY
1994
Watch your Step, Green Street Windows, New York, NY
1993
Silent Voices, Sacred Heart University, Fairfield, CT
Unclaimed Memories, Hera Gallery, Wakefield, RI
Bedtime Stories, Collaboration, Silvermine Gallery, New Canaan, CT
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS:
2009
Bridge Art Fair, BROATHINKING. New York, NY
Formative Lines: Working in Drawing and Sculpture, Curated by the Drawing Center,NY Governors, Island, NY
2008
In-Site, Sculpture Guild, Governors Island, New York, NY
In the Windows, Saks 5th Avenue, New York, NY
Ides of March, ABC NO Rio 5th Biannual, New York, NY
Self-Contained, Supermarket Gallery, Stockholm, Sweden
2007
The Elements of Air, Gallery of Contemporary Art, Sacred Heart University, Fairfield, CT
2006
Original Repetition, Silvermine Galleries of Art, New Canaan, CT
Current Abstraction, Black Rock Art Center, Bridgeport, CT
* Some Assembly Required; Cumulative Visions, Mead Museum of Art, Amherst, MA
Directors Choice; June Ahrens, Silvermine Gallery, New Canaan, CT
2005
Branchville Gallery, Branchville, CT. Two person show
Original Repetition, G.E. World Wide Headquarters, Fairfield CT
2004
Object Endowment, New Space, Manchester Community College, Manchester, CT
Uncommon Portrait, Uncommon View, Contemporary Gallery of Art, Sacred Heart University, Fairfield, CT
2003
* Call and Response, Holy Cross College, Worcester, MA, Curator, Barbara O’Brien
Word and Image, Westport Art Center, Westport, CT
2001
Reactions, Exit Art, New York, NY,
Williams Gallery, Pasadena, CA, Library of Congress, Washington, DC
* Site Specific 01, Islip Art Museum, Islip, NY
Connecticut Commission on the Arts Fellowship Gallery, Hartford, CT
Revealed….Artist, Silvermine Galleries, New Canaan, CT
2000
A Retrospective and Beyond: Women in The Visual Arts
1998
Regeneration: Reconstruction in a Torn Society, United Nations, New York, NY
All the Symptoms of an Artist, Curator, Cynthia Roznoy, Whitney Museum of Art
National Museum of Health and Medicine Gallery, Washington, DC
Museum of Science, Philadelphia, PA
Four Winners Show, Stamford Museum, Stamford, CT
1996
25 Years of Visual Arts at Purchase, Neuberger Museum, Purchase, New York
1994
All of a Piece, Katonah Museum of Art, Katonah, NY
1993
Something Lost, Something Gained, Henry Street Settlement, New York, NY
Women in the Visual Arts, Erector Square Gallery, New Haven, CT
1990
Connecticut Sculptors, Real Art Ways, Hartford, CT
1987
State of the Artists, Aldrich Museum, Ridgefield, CT
1987-99
New Haven, CT Cultural (Ex)Change, Curator, Cynthia Roznoy, Whitney Museum of Art,
Silvermine Gallery, New Canaan, CT
COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND COLLABORATIVE PROJECTS:
2007
The Cradle Project, Albuquerque, NM
2000 to present
Horizons Inner City Program, New Canaan, CT
2000
I Have a Dream Foundation, Stamford, CT
Horizons Inner City Program, New Canaan, CT
1997
Celebrating the Arts in Stamford, Urban League Project. Sponsor, Whitney Museum Stamford, CT
1995-6
The Healing Wall, Liberation Program, Sponsor, Whitney Museum, Stamford, CT
1992
Eliminate Hunger, Not Humans, Fairfield University, Fairfield, CT
VISITING ARTIST AND LECTURER:
2007
Revealed/Concealed, Edinburgh College of Art, Edinburgh, Scotland
2003 The Wishbone Project, The College of The Holy Cross, Worcester, MA
2002
Panelist WTC 9/11, Quinnipiac College, Hamden, CT
The Healing Heart Project, CT Art Teachers State Conference, Madison, CT
2001
Retrospective 1990-2001, Manhattanville College, New York, NY
2000
The Wishbone Project: Wishes and Dreams, Marist College, Poughkeepsie, NY
1997
Transitions, SUNY Purchase Visiting Artist Lecture Series, Purchase, NY
Who will Remember, Eastern Connecticut State University, Willimantic, CT
Exploration, Institute for Visual Artists, Silvermine Gallery, New Canaan, CT
1995
Bedtime Stories, SUNY Westbury, Westbury, NY
SELECTED GRANTS AND AWARDS:
2000
Connecticut Commission on the Arts Individual Artists, Hartford, CT
1999
Connecticut Commission on the Arts Distinguished Advocates for the Arts, Hartford, CT
1998
Sculpture Award, Four Winners, Stamford Museum, Stamford, CT
1996/93
Duracell International Grant, Bedtime Stories, CT/NY
1993
Polaroid Foundation Grant, Bedtime Stories, CT/NY
1991
National Endowment of the Arts, Real Art Ways, Media Residency, Hartford, CT
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY:
2007
Sarah Urwin Jones, "Material Gains", Andrew Grant Gallery, Edinburgh College of Art, Edinburgh , Scotland
2006
Arlene Distler, "Some Assembly Required", Mead Art Museum at Amherst College, Amherst, MA
Art New England, August/September
2005
L.P. Streitfield, Spotlight reviews, CT June Ahrens and Chris Joy, Art New England, Dec/Jan,
L.P. Streitfeld, Americans and Security: wanting our cake and eating it. The Advocate, Stamford, Sept. 18, ART
Fran Sikorski, June Ahrens at the Branchville Gallery: The Loudness of Silence, The New Canaan Advertiser, Sept. 22
2004
Talisman Brolin, Giving out hearts in Washington Sq. Park,
The Villager, New York, Vol. 74, No 20 Sept.15-21
Uncommon Portraits, Uncommon Views , Art New England, Brighton, MA , May /June
Local Artists Featured at Sacred Heart , The New Canaan Advertiser, January 15
2003
L.P. Streitfield, Creating New Cosmologies At Westport Art Center, The Advocate, Dec. 14
Benjamin Genocchio, To Understand These Pictures....., The New York Times, December 21
2002
Downtown Express, New York, NY They Beat as One, Sept.10
Laurel Graeber, Family Fare, Creative Central, Non Stop Art, The New York Times, May 31
The Healing Heart Project, The Battery Park City Broadsheet, Sept. 5
Brooke Arthur, Seeking healing through the arts…., The New Canaan Advertiser, Sept. 12
Ray Hogan, 9-11-01 Remembered, The Stamford Advocate, Sept. 8
Harold F, Cobin, Names and hearts help……, The Hour, Norwalk, CT
2002
Judith Wilson, Healing Hearts Made Valentine’s Day Special, The Ark, Tiburon, CA, Feb. 20
Jonathan Wills, From the Heart, The Advocate, Stamford, CT March 4
Grand Rapids, MI Jan Holst, .....Students Join National Healing Hearts Project, Kentwood Advance, Feb. 12
Sharon M. Pennell, Hearts Project Lets Students Reach….., The Community News, Grand Rapids, MI Feb. 28
L.P. Stretfield, Love Stories at Silvermine, The Advocate, Stamford, CT
Thomas, Meliana, New Canaan artist gets to the heart of the WTC matter, The Advocate, Stamford, CT
2001
Helen A. Harrison, Emerging Artist, Emerging Visions,.... Islip Museum, The New York Times, July 15
2000
Fergus Mc Caffery, June Ahrens Housatonic Museum of Art, Sculpture Magazine, April
Michael Rush, June Ahrens-Personal Affects: The Wishbone Project and the Pillow Project, Art New England, Feb.
1999
Ray Hogan, Tapping the healing powers of wishbones, and pillows, The Advocate, Stamford, CT Nov 21
Linda O’Connell, Connecticut Comm. on the Arts Distinguished …..Arts award, The Stamford Advocate, Stamford, CT
Mark Daniel Cohen, Four Winners, Art New England, Brighton, MA, Feb/March
1998
Carolee Ross, Concepts come clear in New Art Annual, The Advocate, Stamford, CT Nov. 8
Jennifer Darr, All the Symptoms of an Artist, Philadelphia City Paper, Philadelphia, PA June 11-18
1997
Steve Starger, Most Memorble Art Exhibits of the Past Year, Journal Inquirer, Hamden, CT, Dec. 26
1996
William Zimmer, 3 Shows Focus on College’s Past, The New York Times, Oct. 13
1995
Vivien Raynor, A Satirical Portrayal….The New York Times, June 18
Jude Schweindenwien, Bedtime Stories, Art New England, Brighton, MA, Vol. 16 Feb/March
1994
Jude Schwendenwien, June Ahrens Silent Voices…..Homelessness, Art New England, Brighton, MA, March/Apr
Jude Schwendenwien, Reviews, Sculpture Magazine, New York, NY, March April
1991
Bill Van Siclen, Hera faces grief head on….., The Providence Journal bulletin, Providence, RI, Nov. 22
PUBLIC COLLECTIONS:
Housatonic Museum of Art, Bridgeport, CT, Akus Gallery, Eastern State Connecticut University, Willimantic, CT Contemporary Gallery of Art, Sacred Heart University, Fairfield, CT Masterson Rothberg Advertising, New York, NY Southern New England Bell, CT First National Bank, CT