By Wendy Humphrey
The Gallery at Mercer County Community College (MCCC) hosts “The Ice Next Time: Textiles and Artifacts of Dark Age North America (2026-2280),” a science fiction-inspired textile show by artist Stephen Hendee. The exhibit is on display Tuesday, Nov. 11 through Thursday, Dec. 4. The Gallery is located on the second floor of the Communications Building on the college’s West Windsor campus, 1200 Old Trenton Road.
On Monday, Nov. 17, the artist will be on campus for two events. From noon to 1 p.m., Hendee will present a lecture entitled “Future Imperfect” in the Communications Building, Room 109. He will talk about his artwork in relation to the science fiction genre as a subtext for cultural issues both past and present. Later in the day, the Gallery will host a reception with the artist from 5 to 7 p.m. Both events are free and open to the public. The show is curated by Stephen Hendee, with MCCC faculty members Lucas Kelly and Dylan Wolfe.
According to Wolfe, director of the Gallery, Mercer is excited to bring the show to the college and the local community. “It’s a thought-provoking exhibit that will likely be a starting point for stimulating discussion about art as a reflection of society, as well as art’s power to create change,” he said.
Hendee describes “The Ice Next Time” as a speculative historical examination of textiles and crafts from the future. In his imagined future, “The sun has come undone. Electromagnetic waves destroyed communications, air travel, the world economy. Billions died of starvation. Cities were abandoned. History became myth. Scientific knowledge devolved into lost magic. What remained of mankind reconnected with nature; people returned to the land, taking over farms previously owned by corporations. Performance and memory once again served as the basis of community entertainment.”
The show features textiles, clothing and artifacts, with explanatory panels next to each piece providing a narrative of doom, social upheaval, and civilization’s return.
Hendee notes the show’s relevance for the present day. “It serves as a reminder of the work that remains to bring our society back together in our own time,” he says. The show was previously exhibited in the Public Museum in Grand Rapids, Mich., in 2012 and the Barrick Museum in Las Vegas, Nev., in 2010. It was produced at a Goldwell Open Air Museum Red Barn residency in 2010.
Hendee has exhibited at the national and international levels. He has had major exhibition projects through PS.1 Contemporary Art Center, The New Museum, Sculpture Center, The Whitney Museum of American Art at Altria, Henry Urbach Architecture and Jeff Bailey Gallery, all in New York City. National exhibitions include: The Smart Museum (Chicago); St. Louis Art Museum; Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art (Winston-Salem, NC); Rice University Art Gallery (Houston); and Carl Solway Gallery (Cincinnati, Ohio). Hendee received degrees in sculpture from the San Francisco Art Institute and Stanford University and has been awarded multiple residencies and grants, including a New Jersey Council on the Arts Fellowship.
Hours for “The Ice Next Time” are Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.; and Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. More information is available at www.mccc.edu/gallery or by calling (609) 570-3589. Visit the MCCC Gallery on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MCCCGallery.
