The Make-Believe Militia:
A Contemporary Art Exhibition

Ontario Public Interest Research Group (OPIRG) Infoshop
10 Summer St,
St. Catharines, ON

January 14th to February 14th, 2011
Opening Reception: Friday, January 14th, from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m.

The Make-Believe Militia is a group art exhibition which challenges modern societal preconceptions of “harmless entertainment,” through works ranging from illustration and video to sculpture and craft. Diverse as the media are, they share one common thread, which is the unrealistically playful nature of children’s war-related toys. These seemingly harmless toys that are purchased and distributed, especially in developed nations such as ours, act as a horrifying misrepresentations of the realties faced by many child soldiers in nations around the world.

The exhibition features the work of five local artists, including Brock University Visual Arts students Miranda Austin, Tiffany Howes, Julia Prudhomme, and Bethany Scholl, and recent graduate Michael DiRisio. Though emerging artists, the group has been exhibiting extensively, and have shown at Rodman Hall, A Mano Libera, Market Square, Pan Cafe, and the Sean O’Sullivan Gallery, to name a few. They share an interest in creating thought provoking work, which is both conceptually relevant and technically well executed.

Bethany Scholl’s work in The Make-Believe Militia, which is featured on the promotional material, consists of over 100 plastic army men which have been melted and deformed, then painted a stark black. The horrors of warfare are communicated through what were once innocent children’s toys.

Focusing on an even younger generation, Michael DiRisio’s plush bullets satirically place the violence of modern warfare in the hands of our babies. With a fascination towards toy guns that began at a very young age, he has become critical of his own experience with objects of such a violent caliber, given his current distaste for contemporary militant thought.

After hosting previous group art shows such as Playing House and Partners for Change, the Brock University OPIRG Infoshop has begun establishing a reputation for strong, community based artwork, that addresses important social justice issues.

The opening reception for The Make-Believe Militia will be held on Friday, January 14th from 7:00 p.m. until 10:00 p.m. As a truly community based event, it is free of charge and is open to all ages. There will be free food, as well, with vegan and vegetarian options.

Please contact the OPIRG Infoshop by phone at 905-359-4196, or by email at opirginfoshop@gmail.com.