October 27, 2004

Boise State Art Student's Sculpture Promotes Social Change

Melody Eisler is an artist with a vision — to integrate fine arts into the public sphere in ways that prompt open dialogue on meaningful issues. One step of that vision will become a reality at the Boise State Women’s Center with the display of Eisler’s sculpture titled “Portal,” from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 9. Visitors to the Center will pass through the sculpture, an 8-foot tall fiberglass and steel arch placed in front of the doorway, signifying the center is a “portal” to a more progressive future. At noon, Eisler will speak about how art can be used as a tool for social change. The sculpture will then travel to nine other nonprofit agencies throughout Boise and the Boise State campus, including the Snake River Alliance, Your Family, Friends and Neighbors (YFFN), Boise Weekly, TVTV, Northwest Animal Companions, Agency for New Americans, the Boise State Cultural Center, Boise City Arts Commission and United Way of Idaho. The sculpture is part of Eisler’s senior thesis for art and her Honors College project. Eisler is majoring in art history/visual culture with an emphasis in contemporary art and in visual arts with an emphasis in sculpture. She is also working toward a gender studies minor. She chose this as her senior project because “art is a powerful communicator, which can be used to help create social change. I want to inspire artists to think beyond art as a commodity and transgress the boundaries of the gallery and museum systems.” In addition to the sculpture, the project includes a manifesto on postmodernist, feminist and poststructuralist theory; a large-scale sculpture for gallery display, a public access television show and lectures. Eisler will focus all elements of the project on women’s rights, minority and refugee rights, environmental protection and animal rights. -30- Contact: Melody Eisler, (208) 867-7022 Media Contact: Kathleen Craven, communications and marketing, (208) 426-3275, kcraven@boisestate.edu