Charmed: A Bonanza Retrospective

March 1 - June 2, 2019, BICA, Buffalo, NY.

Charmed: A Bonanza Retrospective is the first in a series of exhibitions at BICA dedicated to remaking institutions into utilities that serve the public. This exhibition investigates the role of the museum in a community through a playful staging of a retrospective of work by the Oakland-based artist collective Bonanza. Lindsay Tully, Lana Williams, and Conrad Guevara will exhibit their brief but complex six-year collaborative art practice including sculpture and painting, multiple fashion lines, short films, stand-up comedy, and immersive installations. Alongside the exhibition, Bonanza will stage a runway fashion show in the garage as a celebration of ecstatic resistance and acceptance.

On the exhibition, Bonanza says: “We are excited to take the long view of the last 6 years of Bonanza.  It’s especially exciting to have this comprehensive exhibition opportunity in Buffalo with a new audience far removed from our Bay Area sensibility. The retrospective format offers the keys to unlocking our vibe which remains focused on abstraction and attire as a means for developing a porous understanding of identity and community.  We are also super down to meet some new weirdos in Buffalo.”

Curators Emily Ebba Reynolds & Nando Alvarez-Perez: "We're excited to bring Bonanza to Buffalo because of the city's legacy of abstract art and the way their work provides a future-facing expansion of the movement. They have a beautiful way of building connections between enclaves of interesting people through their own collaborative practice and participatory projects that we hope will leave a lasting impression on Buffalo." In the spirit of meeting new weirdos, Bonanza and BICA are looking for 15 - 20 models to walk in the fashion show on May 18.