A voice-based sound-bath curated by Sefte Living and Leslie Helpert at the Whitney for Agnes Pelton.

The power of art transcends time; it is an inextinguishable light. We support art because we know it is anything but peripheral. It lives as a vital centerpiece, pulsing like a heartbeat, reminding us of what is essential and unbreakable, of the everlasting threads connecting the essence of humanity inter-generationally. Sometimes artists live during the period, or era, where their work is recognized, but often (especially in the historic case of female artists) one's artistic, cultural impact is recognized by the masses only posthumously. In this case, we understand that the work of an artist has its own continued lifeline, with arms that call for and cull inward keen, procuring curators and stewards to deliver it home, unto the public. Like this, Agnes Pelton's work has touched us, called us together at the perfect time. We exhibit her art in the Whitney, but more than a voyeuristically-inviting exhibition, Pelton's work deliciously encourages our collective, contemplative process. It is placed carefully within the exhibition space serving, in ways, more as a symbol on an altar, standing for the voice of the feminine perspective, the braveness of committing to her insight, and the power gained through contemplative practices. Agnes Pelton dedicated her path of art to express the potentia of humanity, the interconnectedness and purity of space, symbol, light, mindfulness.  

We commemorate Pelton's arrival into this time, a time where the female voice must be recognized for its essential value within all structures, landscapes and interiors (both physically and metaphysically). Because all great rites-of-passage call for collective gathering, multi-spectral artist and composer Leslie Helpert pairs with event sponsor Sefte Living to build a sonic, visual and art-rich evening for select contributors of the Pelton exhibition, to both honor Pelton's ever-living, dimensionally invocational pieces and the ones who have made her moment at the Whitney possible. The Whitney is the naturally perfect place to recognize the artful power of the feminine, as the museum was, itself, created by the artist Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, early 20th century female entrepreneur, who devoted the expression of her career entirely to studying and supporting the arts.

Sefte is a sister-run sustainable fiber company whose name comes from the oldest-English origin of the word "soft". Our special mid-March 2020 event invites exhibition contributors into an exclusive World of Pelton at the Whitney in an after-hours, sensorially pristine voice-based sound-bath. Here, we commemorate the power of a woman's voice and the time that is now ripe for her expression by coming together in the spirit of sefte, the spirit of softness. Upon Sefte's lush meditation cushions, around a fiber-delicate nest of a "stage" setting, we are invited to feel Pelton's work, to connect to the wisdom within the light-lines dimensionally unfurling from her 40+ paintings featured, to revere subtle wisdoms and dreamscapes, to pay honor to the journey we brave into our own vast, interior landscapes. Here we are of great fortune to be supportive and present for the largest commemorative moment yet in Pelton's career, as the Whitney bows to amply recognize her artistic contribution. Symbolically, Leslie Helpert, whose many musical, creative projects speak to the power of space and sound, lends her voice within a sonically immersive trio, connecting the audience through sound to Pelton's work. Together, we create a rite-of-passage, paying homage to the time that has come, the time for women's insight and expression to be nourishingly welcomed globally. Serving carefully-curated adaptogenic beverages, we'll share in a meditative moment, planting seeds of intention, seeds which we are also sowing, stewarding and harvesting through the accessible wisdom which speaks through the feminine spirit.