Hygienic Art XXXI - Salon des Independants

January 30, 2010 at the Hygienic Galleries in New London, Connecticut. Modeled after the Salon des Indépendants held annually in Paris since 1884, New London’s outsider art event is open to all artists. The rules are simple: one piece per artist; no judge, no jury, no fees, no censorship.

The Salon des Indépendants movement was created by French Impressionists who were not accepted into the established Salon of the late 19th Century. To protest the rigid arts establishment, these artists exhibited their works in cafés in the seamy sections of Paris. This revolutionary movement included notable characters such as Van Gogh, Matisse, Munch, Rousseau, Cézanne, Modigliani among others. The intent of the artists (and that of Hygienic Art) was to create an artistic event without jury or reward so that all forms of expression and trends in the art of the moment would have a chance to be presented to the public without restriction.

In that spirit, all artists are welcome to submit one piece of their work for the public’s consideration. Sign-in and hanging begins on Saturday, January 30 at 8am and runs until 6pm. The exhibition opens to the public at 8pm that night. The show runs through Saturday, February 13. Art pick-up is on Sunday, February 14th beginning at Noon.

The exhibition is well known for its diverse original art ranging from the sublime to the outrageous. Over its 30 year history, the annual art extravaganza has grown from an anti-establishment visual art show to an anti-establishment multi-media art event including film making, performance art as well as a young artists’ show and musical events. Call (860) 444-6855 for more info.

Hygienic Art is made possible through the generous support of the Connecticut Commission on Culture & Tourism, Citizens Bank Foundation, The Bodenwein Public Benevolent Foundation, Frank Loomis Palmer Fund, Community Foundation of SE CT, The Chester Kitchings Foundation, Dime Bank, Pfizer Foundation, The Day Publishing Co., Liberty Bank, Mystic Glass, Lawrence & Memorial Hospital, Joe Althouse and many artists, volunteers and members of the community.