PLAYGROUND Portland, Maine (May 13, 2002) - Is there an art to play or can play be artful? In a time when art exhibitions are heavy with social and political commentary, there is a group of artists creating artwork centered around experimentation and play. The Institute of Contemporary Art at Maine College of Art (ICA at MECA) will feature Playground, a group exhibition, that concentrates on the act of designing playful, space specific work centered in the process of art-making with everyday materials. Work by artists Lucky DeBellevue, Harrell Fletcher, Kimberley Hart, Miranda July, Yuri Ono, Jason Rogenes, Thad Simerly, and William Wegman will be on view from May 30 - July 12. An opening reception will be held Thursday, May 30, 5 - 7 pm. Playground examines the pervasive phenomenon of play in recent contemporary art. Since the 1970's a variety of art has emerged that surrenders to play processes and playful attitudes as a primary force of artistic production. With the proliferation of museum and gallery spaces that lend themselves to large installations, artists have pushed the boundaries of conceptualism, installation art, and participatory artworks. Thus, the contemporary art exhibition space increasingly functions as an officially sanctioned space for artists to play, challenging our ideas of exhibition space and art. The variety of media included in Playground is as exciting as it is surprising. William Wegman's work will include his early sketches and video work. Kimberley Hart will install Daffy Patch, a piece that she created from 1970's craft kits and kitsch projects. Thad Simerly combines superbounce balls with plastic spoons to create intricate patterns. Simerly will share his space with Lucky DeBellevue, who creates magically, intricate spaces with chenille stems (also known as pipe cleaners). Jason Rogenes will float his critically acclaimed styrofoam space stations through the halls of the ICA at MECA. Finally, Harrell Fletcher, Miranda July, and Yuri Ono will offer creative assignments on their website Learning to Love you More ( http://www.MECA.edu/learning _love ), which will ask visitors to create one of the five projects listed and then submit the results to the ICA at MECA. The spirit of this exhibition alludes to a variety of precedents including Fluxus, Surrealism, and Conceptualism; as well as Children's Art, Outsider Art, and many forms of vernacular folk art, and popular amusements. This exhibition is not about toys and games. It is about the play instinct in its most direct, raw, and unencumbered form. In some ways, for these artists, the making of the "art" is the welcome by-product of play itself. Programs in conjunction with Playground,: Young Arts: Programs for Children Artground Saturday June 22 & 29, 11 am to 3 pm, $35, Ages 6 - 8. (A two part workshop.) The program will inspire children to think about how they play. They will then design and create their own artgrounds with MECA student and ICA intern Brighid Diers '03. For more information or to register, call 207.775.5158. The Young Arts programs in conjunction with this exhibition are made possible by a generous grant from the Kane-Barrengos Foundation. Walk-In Tours Every Wednesday, 12:15 pm to 12:45 pm. Meet at the front doors of the ICA. Tour of the current exhibition given by ICA staff. Questions and interactive discussions are encouraged. No reservations needed. MFA Summer Lecture Series: Harrell Fletcher Wednesday, August 14, 6:30 pm. The ICA at MECA, located in the Porteous Building, 522 Congress Street, Portland, ME, is open Wednesday - Sunday, 11am - 5 pm, Thursdays until 7 pm, First Fridays until 8 pm. Weekly half-hour tours of exhibitions are held on Wednesdays at 12:15pm. Admission is free. For more information on any of these items, please call 207-879-5742 x 229.