the House support itself

Lights Out's first couples show, "the House support itself", was a group exhibition of 11 artist couples living in the state of Maine. The pop-up was held at Fort Hall Gallery in one of Maine's historic mills, Fort Andross in Brunswick, Maine. Opening night in February of 2024 attracted over 300 artists and art lovers. This show shined a light on the invisible forces that hold these pairs together, shaping both their personal and creative lives.

Photography courtesy of Ezrah Churchill.

“And sometimes never the twain shall meet, as they say. It is always a pleasure to see the work of the late Duane Paluska, whose flirty, dancing, perspective-skewing chair and table forms seem to be worlds away from Ellen Golden’s rigorously controlled abstract ink drawings on paper. Both their works are engrossing, but in entirely different ways...”

- Jorge S. Arango, Portland Press Herald

Artists

Rachel Gloria Adams, Ryan Adams, Nancy Andrews, Dru Colbert, Hannah Elizabeth Bevens, Sam Finkelstein, Sondra Bogdonoff, Jamie Johnston, Chelsea Ellis, Sam Giberson, Ellen Golden, Duane Paluska, Allison McKeen, Matt Demers, Tessa Greene O'Brien, Will Sears, Abby Shahn, Fang , Brian Smith, Ian Ellis, Susan Van Campen, Tim Van Campen, Greta Van Campen

"In the poem “the Props assist the House,” poet Emily Dickinson writes about the true staying power of a carefully constructed house, suggesting that the structural integrity of a finished home can be traced back to the scaffolding erected at the outset. Similarly, it is the unseen labor and support systems of these artist relationships that provide shape and strength to their creative households. Inevitably these dynamics leave imprints upon the art they make. In showing their work in close conversation with that of their partners, we hope to catch glimpses of the contours and complexities of the worlds they’re creating together."

– Curator Statement (excerpt) by Ian Trask