First Friday Rewind: "Collection" at Vox

When you walk into Vox Populi you feel like you're walking into someone's home. But this is exactly the response their latest exhibition is hoping to evoke. Collection is the accumulation of more than 60 of Vox's members' own private, personal, household items. Each component hung or displayed has personal meaning and emotional value Vox's members, who come from all over the world from all walks of life. New VP member and performance artist, Bethany Heinly, was one of the organizers of the showcase, and this felt like a great way to welcome her in to intimately familiarize herself with her peers.

Paintings, drawings, coffee tables with magazines, DVDs, CDs, TVs, stereo systems, mirrors, lighting and plants all displayed on the walls and floor of the gallery space. Each room gave off that familiar feeling of being in someone else's living quarters. Visitors are invited to peek into the personal lives of this community of creatives, have a seat, and make themselves comfortable. Their personal tastes, outside of their work, are up for the same kind of vulnerable critique as if it was their own art; each piece holds a personal story or sense of meaning.

The show became even more of an intimate experience with a provided cell phone tour. Visitors have the capability to hear each artist speak candidly about their chosen articles, as well as the ability to send personal messages to the artist with the chance of having them respond directly. That opportunity to dive deeper into the artist's personal connection with the pieces gives viewers a richer understanding as to what they're focusing on.

If you're an art fan looking for a refreshingly personal exhibition focused on a largely creative community, make sure to visit Collection, on display until the end of March 2013.

Vox Populi is located at 319 N. 11th St. on the 3rd Floor
Gallery Hours: Wednesday - Sunday, 12-6 PM
For more information, visit voxpopuligallery.org.