Charlie Milgrim‘s new work looks at the stolid utility access covers on the streets of New York City. As with anything one might find underfoot on city sidewalks these badges of utility bear the scars, insults, dirt and damage accrued as a busy populace teems through the streets day after decade after century. Some access covers seem to be hundreds of years old bearing the names of iron factories long gone while others seem modern and colorful with mysterious numbers and symbols. Each image Milgrim shows us seems to reveal a micro-story of our own history.
Charlie Milgrim grew up in New York City and currently lives and works in the Bay Area. She received her MFA from UC Berkeley in 1993. Major exhibitions include: Haines Gallery in San Francisco, 1993; OK Harris, New York City, 1996; The Oakland Museum, 1999; Richmond Art Center, 1999; Gallery 16, San Francisco, 1997 and 1999; Pro Arts, Oakland, 2008 and has been showing at Mercury 20 in Oakland since 2008. Her studio is located in West Berkeley.
SPECIAL EVENTS:
Artist Talk and Reception: Sat, November 15, 4-6 pm
Oakland Art Murmur/First Fridays: November 7 & December 5, 6-9 pm
Third Thursdays on 25th Street: November 20, 6-8 pm