FRONT PNC Exhibition Hub at Transformer Station
PNC Bank Renews Sponsorship of FRONT International:
Transformer Station Kicks Off 2022 Triennial as PNC Exhibition Hub
CLEVELAND, Oct. 8, 2021 – PNC Bank has again been named a lead sponsor of the 2022 FRONT International: Cleveland Triennial for Contemporary Art, underscoring its national support of the arts.
Under this sponsorship, Transformer Station, an independent contemporary art museum in Cleveland’s Ohio City neighborhood, will be named the FRONT PNC Exhibition Hub. It will serve as the starting point for the summer 2022 exhibition.
“At PNC, we believe engagement in the arts builds more vibrant communities because art has the power to bring people together, shape perspectives, and even change lives,” said Pat Pastore, PNC Regional President of Cleveland. “We also recognize the importance of FRONT to our regional economy, which will certainly experience a significant boost with more than 100,000 visitors expected throughout the exhibition.”
The public will get a sneak peek beginning October 8, when Transformer Station opens the exhibition “Grand Prototypes, Humble Tools,” which will preview themes and works by artists that will be central to the summer 2022 show. Transformer Station also will debut plans on October 8 to enhance the interior and exterior of the building with a new outdoor plaza, visitors lounge and gift shop, which will be completed by next summer.
“We heard our visitors say that they wanted a starting point for their experience to orient themselves to the themes of the show and to plan their visit,” said Fred Bidwell, Executive Director of FRONT. “We are thrilled that PNC Bank has again agreed to be a lead sponsor of FRONT and to make it possible for us to partner with Transformer Station to create the best possible visitor experience.”
Next year’s FRONT triennial will run July to October 2022 and will showcase artists from Cleveland and around the world at over twenty museums, galleries, and non-traditional locations across Northeast Ohio. The title of the show is ‘Oh, Gods of Dust and Rainbows,’ from a 1957 poem by Langston Hughes, who grew up in Cleveland’s Fairfax neighborhood and was a prominent figure in the Harlem Renaissance.
The exhibition embraces art as an agent of transformation, a mode of healing, and a therapeutic process. Those themes will be brought to life at Transformer Station through a collaborative work by acclaimed artists Sarah Oppenheimer and Tony Cokes.
“Believe it or not, these themes were chosen for the triennial prior to Covid-19, but they are so fitting as the world emerges from the pandemic,” Bidwell said. “We hope FRONT will help the Northeast Ohio region and the art community at large take a positive step forward.”
About PNC Bank:
PNC Bank, National Association, is a member of The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE: PNC). PNC is one of the largest diversified financial services institutions in the United States, organized around its customers and communities for strong relationships and local delivery of retail and business banking including a full range of lending products; specialized services for corporations and government entities, including corporate banking, real estate finance and asset-based lending; wealth management and asset management. For information about PNC, visit www.pnc.com.
About FRONT:
Launched in 2018, FRONT International: Cleveland Triennial for Contemporary Art is a free, public, contemporary art exhibition comprising artist commissions, performances, films, and public programs. The inaugural edition brought over 90,000 visitors from more than 25 countries and generated $31 million in economic impact in the region. Oh, Gods of Dust and Rainbows, the second iteration of FRONT International, launches with a Preview Exhibition in Fall 2021, and the main exhibition will run from July 16 through October 2, 2022. Building on the success of the first edition, FRONT 2022 furthers the Triennial’s commitment to the belief that by supporting creative communities and stimulating new cultural encounters in the region, contemporary art can be an important catalyst for positive social change.
About Transformer Station:
Established in 2013, Transformer Station is a privately owned and operated art museum on Cleveland’s west-side. Located in Hingetown (on the corner of W. 29th St & Church Ave), the Transformer Station has quickly become an anchor destination in Cleveland’s rapidly evolving Ohio City neighborhood. The museum hosts four exhibitions annually supported by creative programming. Transformer Station takes a particular interest in bringing the work of leading contemporary artists to Northeast Ohio. Combining a landmark historical building with a contemporary minimalist addition, the Transformer Station has become an anchor destination in Cleveland’s rapidly evolving Ohio City neighborhood. The museum brings a new cultural facility to a mixed residential and industrial neighborhood within walking distance of the restaurants and shops of the Market District and blocks away from the Gordon Square Arts District.
Press inquiries should be directed to Janet Renner, FRONT’s Director of Marketing, at janet@frontart.org.
