Saturday, February 14th marked the first edition of Coffee Dates, with special guest Benjamin Sota. MF Members made their way through the snow to the museum to enjoy a warm cup of coffee with Ben.
Benjamin Sota is an artist presenting work in the Mattress Factory's current exhibition Artists in Residence, on view through Spring 2015. He is the Founder and Artistic Director of Zany Umbrella Circus; an Assistant Professor of physical theater, movement and circus at Coastal Carolina University; and has taught and performed in places such as Jordan, Ethiopia, Afghanistan and the White House.
After introductions, Benjamin began the Coffee Date with a story about the history of circus. He talked about his many experiences traveling the globe and the idea of "social circus." Members got to hear his side of his experience working at the Mattress Factory. Explaining that his work on the fourth floor, Damn Everything But the Circus (2014), is his first installation, he says, "I've never felt so uncomfortable as an artist. As a performer all my life, I have always been the artwork. But here, I am not the artwork. My installation is."
Join us for our next Coffee Date with Kathleen Montgomery, Saturday, March 21, 2015 at 10:30am in the MF Café. RSVP to caitlin@mattress.org.
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