‘Political Animal’ Exhibition Opens this Weekend

Fargo-Moorhead Visual Arts (FMVA) will be opening a very political new exhibition this weekend in downtown Fargo.

The exhibit, which is being called “Political Animal,” will feature work from artists around the Fargo-Moorhead area interpreting the phrase “political animal.”

According to the show’s press release, “On display will be a number of interpretations of the phrase “political animal:” what it means to be one, how we became that way, and other vantage points on the role of politics in our lives.”

With less than 50 days before elections, and tension building in our increasingly diverse state, the time is ripe for new and interesting ways of thinking about politics. This exhibition may help to symbolize these new and interesting times through art.

“Artists love to work in this place between politics and art,” said Ashley Dedin, an FMVA board member who will be coordinating the exhibition. “It’s a natural urge for us to try to make sense of the world around us, and making sense of our political selves is a key part of that.”

The show will open on at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday at The Spirit Room.

This exhibition is the latest in a series of annual displays called The Constraint Shows, which coincide with FMVA Studio Crawl. Every year, artists force themselves to work within specific theme or concept. Using these “constraints” gives them an opportunity to stretch their creative muscles in categories and subject matter they may never have worked with otherwise, and provides the public with a common theme to identify with.

If you’d like to support this endeavor, or just get a fresh look at politics in time for the election, you should definitely check out the show and the studio crawl this weekend.