If you’re curious about Abby Gettys’ personal art collection, be sure to check out The Collection of Abby Gettys at Project 1612 on June 8, 2018, from 6 to 8pm. The exhibition will highlight works by a range of local artists, including Alec DeJesus, Brenda Gentry, Quentin Thomas and Zachary Leachman, as well as an installation derived from Collecture’s product lines.
This one-night-only exhibit will be the first time the space has hosted a show curated by a collector. “Abby and Randon do such an amazing job supporting the artists in our community,” says Project 1612 co-founder and artist Jessica Bingham. “We wanted to share their collection publicly as a way to support their endeavors—but also to encourage others to start their own collection.”
Bingham created Project 1612 with Alexander Martin and her husband Zach Ott to fill the need for an alternative gallery and residency program in Peoria. Since converting their garage into an exhibition space in 2015, they have exhibited more than 45 artists and screened the work of 17 others for the Project 1612 Film Fest. They have also started an internship program for local art and graphic design students, and recently partnered with Sixty Inches from the Center, an online arts publication and archiving initiative, supported by a grant from Illinois Humanities.
Having emerged as an exciting, experimental contributor to the local arts community, Project 1612 has a number of interesting shows lined up for 2018, including the return of mixed-media artist Joey Knox in August (to celebrate its third anniversary) and a participatory performance piece with Eric Anthony Berdis in September.
Project 1612 is located at 1612 W. Margaret Ave. in Peoria. Calls for submissions, upcoming exhibitions, and featured artists can be found at project1612.com—or follow them on Facebook and Instagram. a&s
Read more about Project 1612 in "Garage Days: The Studio Extension" from the Sep/Oct 2015 issue of art & society.
