Our Shelf Life
Mary Ensz (she/they) layers nesting doll shapes with human bodies and pairs them with 100 sight words on 35 wooden shelves. The exhibit celebrates identities that are systemically shelved, promotes suicide awareness, and commemorates those whose “shelf lives” have been cut short. Through intimate, boldly colored illustrations, Ensz honors our impermanence and resilience on pieces of furniture that were once collecting dust, but are now the art themselves.
Behind the Scenes and Opening Night
100 Sight Word Selfies a Community Project
A compilation of photos taken by Omaha + community members sharing parts of themselves they have felt most self conscious or "othered" and/or which they now feel the most self love. They chose sight words that kindergartners learn to pair with their selfies and created a small description to go with their image. The concept was that young children learn sight words such rigor; let's have both kids and adults become just as literate in empathy and compassion to each others vulnerabilities and differences.
Click here to view and shop her original works and print.
Click here to see Mary's current and upcoming arts shows.
Click here view and shop the available prints and original work from the Shelf Life art exhibition.