Exhibitions

One of Alison Saar's earliest public projects, Catfish Dreamin' was originally commissioned in 1993 by The Contemporary in Baltimore. Inspired by the city's traditional African-American fish and produce vendors, Catfish Dreamin' featured a modified vintage pickup truck that housed a 6-foot catfish sculpture. Inside the catfish's mouth were river stones imprinted with the word "dream." Saar traveled the piece across the Mid-Atlantic in the early '90s, offering the river stones to anyone who shared their dreams and memories with her.

In conjunction with the exhibition Alison Saar: Of Aether and Earthe, the Armory presented a new iteration of this work, from October 2021 to February 2022.  The truck, sculpture, and stones were reimagined as a temporary outdoor installation in front of the Armory, alongside a selection of online artworks (chosen by Saar) and a map of recommended LA County waterways to enjoy these virtual works through a mobile device.  Contributing artists include Neelanjana Banerjee, Carolina Caycedo, Carmina Escobar with Wesam Nassar, Kate Lain, as well as Alison Saar.  Access the online component by clicking the link below.

During the month of March 2022, the Armory is collaborating with Candlewood Arts Festival to present Catfish Dreamin' in the extraordinary Anza Borrego desert, where Armory Teaching Artists will work with community members to create unique art experiences around the piece.  The culmination of this program will be a video screening and poetry reading on March 26.  For more details about this program, please see Candlewood Arts Festival.  

Catfish Dreamin' was launched in conjunction with the exhibition Alison Saar: Of Aether and Earthe.

Past Public Programs

Catfish Dreamin' Artist Talk with Neelanjana Banerjee and Kate Lain
Join us on Zoom for a presentation and conversation between author Neelanjana Banerjee and filmmaker Kate Lain. The artists will discuss their individual practices and their respective contributions to the online program connected to Alison Saar's Catfish Dreamin'.

Major support comes from Pasadena Art Alliance, with generous support for the Armory’s public programs from the California Arts Council, a state agency, and additional support from Betsy Greenberg. Lead support for the exhibition catalogue comes from the Fellows of Contemporary Art.

Image: Alison Saar, Catfish Dreamin' (maquette), 1991. Toy truck, wood, roof tin, wire. Collection of George Ciscle.