‘First-Aid Kits’ to benefit the visual arts at Rice

Thirty limited-edition “First-Aid Kits” containing artwork by seven Houston-based artists will be on sale at Rice this spring through commencement and benefit the student-run Matchbox Gallery as well as the Department of Visual and Dramatic Arts’ Emergency Room Gallery.

Each kit will cost $1,000 and contain seven 9-by-6-inch artworks by the following artists whose work has been shown at the Emergency Room Gallery over the last two years: Seth Mittag, Nick Barbee, Josh Bernstein, Emily Link, Mike Beradino, Massa Lemu and Galina Kurlat. The customized metal kits have a user-friendly mounting bracket at the top and a lid that hangs down to act as a shelf.

“It will be a terrific-looking display piece that’s ready to hang,” said Assistant Professor of Visual and Dramatic Arts Christopher Sperandio, who is coordinating the effort.

The kits will be unveiled April 18 in a private reception and on display publicly after that at the Emergency Room Gallery, located in Sewall Hall, Room 402. Gallery hours are 5-9 p.m. Thursdays, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturdays, and by appointment.

The “First-Aid Kit” is presented by the Department of Visual and Dramatic Arts and the Friends of the Emergency Room: Allison Ayers, Devin Borden, Arturo Palacios, Jessica Phifer and Rice Public Art.

Art collectors and Rice supporters interested in prepurchasing one of the kits may call or email the department at 713-348-4882 or arts@rice.edu.

For more information about the Matchbox and Emergency Room galleries, visit http://matchbox.rice.edu and http://studioart.rice.edu/Content.aspx?id=2147483734.