SAN DIEGO, CA.- “Cerca”— a Spanish word that refers to things nearby and the process of bringing them closer— is the title of the continuing exhibition series at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego’s downtown location. In collaboration with MCASD’s TNT (Thursday Night Thing) program, the goal of the Cerca Series is to open the doors of the museum to new art, new people, and new experiences. ¡Rompe las cercas y acercate! (Break down the barriers and come on in!). Cerca Series: Kori Newkirk—on display at MCASD Downtown through March 13, 2005—artfully blends medium and message through works that critically examine identity and place. Newkirk is most well known for his for his use of idiosyncratic media that investigate ideas of masculinity, race, and class via cultural stereotype and autobiography.

For the Cerca Series, the artist will present an experimental form of his signature "pony bead" curtains, which he creates using the kind of small colored beads often seen in elaborate braided hairdos. He creates what he refers to as "paintings" by stringing the beads onto artificial braids hung from metal brackets. His Cerca Series installation will feature a curtain in the round suspended from the center of the ceiling of the Fayman Gallery, a glass-walled space that looks out onto one of the busiest trolley stations in downtown San Diego. This large-scale work will be the first of its kind for Newkirk, who until now has insisted on hanging his curtains on the wall to emphasize their connection to painting. He is currently interested in exploring his works' sculptural potential. His curtain for the Cerca Series will push the boundaries of his pony bead media as the translucence of the material and changing light conditions will transform the work throughout the day.