Written by: Alexandra Kunz 

“Everything that Sounds in the Forest,” opened on Jan. 17, 2020 in the Carlow Art Gallery on the 2^nd floor of the University Commons. The exhibit features contemporary art of the Peruvian Amazon. It will run through May 15. 

The artists who featured their original artwork that explores the traditional and rural dynamics of the Amazon include: Graciela Arias, Christian Bendayán, Lastenia Canayo, Harry Chávez, Frank Gaudlitz, Thomas Locke Hobbs, Roldán Pinedo, Adrián Portugal, Elena Valera, Rember Yahuarcani, and Santiago Yahuarcani. The exhibit is guest curated by Christian Bendayan, an artist and researcher of Amazonian art, and Gabriela Germana, visiting instructor of art. 

The artists who came together to produce the exhibit each have different perspectives on the Amazon’s diversity. The selection of pieces provides a different look on how each of the artists interprets their surroundings. 

Amy Bowman-McElhone, gallery director and art-history professor, explains why “Everything that Sounds in the Forest” came to Carlow. “Our project is to embody the unique mission of Carlow through professionally curated exhibitions, to bridge campus and community, to extend the teaching space through innovative public programming and experiential learning, and to serve as a center for dialogue and creativity for both the Carlow community and the greater Pittsburgh community,” she said.  

 “‘Everything That Sounds In The Forest’ embodies this mission by promoting a globally connected, social justice-inflicted exhibition that addresses issues of ecological concerns,” said Bowman-McElhone. She believes the exhibition amplifies the voice of marginalized communities in a way that expresses alternative worldviews and cosmologies that provide enriching experiences for the Carlow community.   

Bowman-McElhone wants the show to instill curiosity, prompt questions, and promote empathy and understanding in viewers who experience it. Before Carlow, the exhibit was shown at the University of West Florida Pensacola’s Museum of Art in 2018.  

The gallery is open from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays, and by appointment on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays.