On the occasion of the organization’s 30th Anniversary, Smack Mellon presents a group exhibition reflecting on our work over the past three decades. Gathering new and old works by program alumni, former/current employees, artists who are new to the program and exemplary of our mission, alongside archival material, the exhibition explores the idea of “work” as a foundational throughline of Smack Mellon’s operations. Founded in 1995 by artist Andrea Reynosa and musician Kevin Vertrees, Smack Mellon has consistently held artistic development, production, and experimentation as primary. As such, this exhibition grew from an introspective gaze, asking: what does it mean to make and maintain space for artists to create their work?

What we bring together is an examination of various permutations of labor through their material traces: bodily, robotic, artistic, domestic, transactional, and political. These forms of labor extend from the artworks on view through the ethos of the organization to uncover the often invisible labor of making, world-building, and community-building, requiring time spent and dedication delivered. As such, this exhibition focuses on the specificity of Smack Mellon’s particular style of support for artists making their work–hands-on and always evolving. In and of itself, this operative modality has required immense dedication through the combined efforts of artists, staff, board members, volunteers, supporters, and audiences, many of whom are also artists.