Ultralight Beam at Pelham Art Center

Featured Project with curator Rebecca Mills

Installation view

Ultralight Beam, curated by Rebecca Mills at the Pelham Art Center, brings together paintings, sculptures, and installations by artists who focus on visionary methods and spirituality of all kinds. Featured artists: Sunny Allis, Angelica Bergamini, Claire Buckley, Susan Carr, Joan Di Lieto & Thunderfox, Ala Ebtekar, Gabriel Mills, Sarah Renzi-Sanders, Christina Saj, and Chris Watts. The show runs from September 15 to October 30, 2022.

What is the premise of this group show?

Ultralight Beam is an exhibit about transcendentalism. Transcendence is a phenomenon that is different for everyone. When I think of the song “Ultralight Beam” from which the exhibit gets its title, I think of the messaging within the song that we are living inside of a God’s dream. When one exits this physical world within the scope of their consciousness, they are capable of the realization of Transcendence and that there is a Universal Consciousness we all exist within which is the Transcendence itself. So the artists selected in the exhibit are showing the rays from this light through the artwork which is speaking on metaphysical, or spiritual topics. Even for the artists who do not consider themselves spiritual, it is the work which is conveying these messages and are very expressive in nature.

Can you give us an overview of the exhibition?

Angelica Bergamini, installation view

Overall, the exhibit Ultralight Beam is meant to inspire those who come to see the work to bring a sense of joy into their minds. The point is to look around and see artwork put into this context which allows for the viewer to understand that spiritual topics and metaphysical philosophies are actually accessible. This accessibility is translated in the artwork and then depending on what is attractive to the viewer and what is not, is how they will know what really speaks to them. In reality, this is the nature of any exhibit. Yet this exhibit reflects one’s natural inclination to spiritual, religious, philosophical topics.

Gabriel Mills, installation view

Susan Carr is an oil painter who uses a lot of sculptural elements in her work, the paint as sculpture itself, is addressing the past, her emotions, shadow work, and considers the act of work devotional. Ala Ebtekar uses scientific methods to capture the light of the stars turning the metaphysical into physical. Chris Watts uses hieroglyphic language created by him to think of universal messages. These are some of the examples of the type of diversity amongst the artists in the exhibit who are using transcendental topics in their work. There’s something which can speak to everyone in this exhibit. As well, there is a zine for people to purchase so that they can read the artist’s responses to their thoughts on transcendence, and a personal statement from myself as a curator written in prose formatting.

Ala Ebtekar, Tunnel in the Sky, 2013 (Detail)
Susan Carr, Bums Up, 2020

All photo courtesy of Pelham Art Center

Ultralight Beeam runs from September 15, 2022 – October 30, 2022 Curated by Rebecca Mills. ARTISTS: Sunny Allis, Angelica Bergamini, Claire Buckley, Susan Carr, Joan Di Lieto & Thunderfox, Ala Ebtekar, Gabriel Mills, Sarah Renzi-Sanders, Christina Saj, Chris Watts.

Rebecca Mills is an artist and arts professional who lives and works in Westchester. She curates, is a teaching artist, and is an employee with the Katonah Museum of Art on top of being an artist who mainly paints as their practice. Her artist studio is in Pelham, NY.