The Carnegie’s next exhibition, “Notations on Ritual” curated by Sso-Rha Kang will open March 14 and run through August 16.
The opening reception will take place Friday, March 14, from 5-8 p.m. followed by a curator and artist-led tour on Saturday, March 15 at noon.
The exhibition broadly explores the theme of ritual — from objects that we hold with reverence, to superstitions that dictate behavior, and systems that maintain or subvert expectations. Rituals are a form of world-building with the ability to create atmospheres and conjure moods, which can produce tremendous affect ranging from paranoia, fear, comfort, safety, and joy.
“There’s a diverse range of regional voices in this exhibition,” says Sso-Rha Kang, Curator for The Carnegie “which contributes to the depth and intimacy around the conversation of rituals that I think viewers will both relate to and gain insight from.”
Regional artists include Cierra Evans, a Louisville-based painter depicting Appalachia and the working-class southern narrative. Evan’s work has been reviewed by Hyperallergic, The New Yorker and other publications. Her paintings have been exhibited at 21c Louisville and are held in the Speed Art Museum’s permanent collection. Born and raised in Eastern Kentucky, Evans’ body of work depicts scenes directly from her early life in the foothills of the Appalachian region.
Also featured will be works from Erika NJ Allen (Cincinnati), Rachael Banks (Newport,), Brett Davis (Columbus, Ohio), Calista Lyon (Fayetteville, Arkansas), Hannah Parrett (Cincinnati), Dianna Settles (Lexington), and Aubrey Theobald (Berlin, Germany).
Sso-Rha Kang is an educator and curator based in Cincinnati. She is currently the Curator of The Carnegie. From 2021-2023 she served as the Director of Galleries and Outreach at Northern Kentucky University where she curated exhibitions, performances, and organized events with an emphasis on cross disciplinary collaboration.
Kang’s research interests delve into areas of institutional critique, blankness, and aesthetic experience. She has taught from 2017-2023 at institutions such as, The University of Cincinnati, The Art Academy of Cincinnati, and Northern Kentucky University. Additionally, she has curated exhibitions for Wave Pool, The Carnegie, Pearlman Gallery, Third Space Gallery, The Weston, and The Contemporary Arts Center.
Kang was one of two Consulting Curators for the state of Ohio in the exhibition New Worlds: Women to Watch (2024) for the National Museum for Women in the Arts in Washington, DC. She was recently a curator in residence for KADIST’s Double Take program.
“Notations on Ritual” is supported in part by The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts and is the first project funded by the two-year $75,000 grant for gallery programming.
More information on the exhibition and a full schedule of events can be found at www.thecarnegie.com.
The Carnegie