DRAW: Heat

Drawing has always been fundamental to artists, offering great freedom to work out ideas, experiment with techniques, and create striking works of art in a wide range of media. In DRAW: Heat, more than forty contemporary artists from across the United States, including the local Westchester and Hudson Valley region, explore the theme of “heat” in literal and metaphorical ways: the extreme heat caused by global warming, inequities of who is most affected by heatwaves, trends that make ideas “hot,” the passion behind an idea or argument, and even the perceived heat of our current political climate. Utilizing the ephemerality and urgency of drawing, these works engage these moments and their contingent complexities.

DRAW: Heat showcases works by artists at various stages in their careers, from emerging to established, including Shanequa Benitez, Sanford Biggers, Erika Harrsch, William Kentridge, Shirin Neshat, Kiki Smith, Sarah Sze, Rirkrit Tiravanija, and Kara Walker. The artworks—ranging from small sketches and prints to large-scale drawings, murals, sculptures, and projections—are displayed salon-style, echoing the dynamic, interconnected exchanges found in artists’ studios and informal critiques. This curatorial approach fosters an immersive and entwined experience, guiding viewers through diverse artistic perspectives that flow from abstraction to observation to conceptualism.

The exhibition is curated by artist, educator, and activist Tomas Vu, with Brian Novatny, Predrag Dimitrijevic, and HRM’s Laura Vookles serving as curatorial advisors, and is the latest installment in the DRAW Project series. The DRAW Project, founded and directed by Vu, is an artist-led nonprofit collective based in New York that celebrates the power of diverse artistic methodologies, while embracing artists’ shared commitment to drawing as an intensive process of inquiry and challenge. In partnership with venues around the world, DRAW promotes the visibility and exchange of challenging new work and ideas to new audiences, presenting artists with significant national and international recognition, alongside regionally curated artists. By weaving together their individual contributions, DRAW: Heat reveals the diverse tangents that can be explored when given a thematic point of departure and demonstrates the richness of drawing as an infinitely powerful medium for social and political critique.

Generous support for the Museum is provided by New York State Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins, President Pro Tempore and Majority Leader.

Exhibitions are made possible by assistance provided by the County of Westchester.

This exhibition is made possible by Sarah Lawrence College through a generous grant from the Mellon Foundation.

Additional support provided by Joyce F. Menschel and Yonkers Honda.

Featured Artists

Ricardo Arango • Shanequa Benitez • Sanford Biggers • Natalie Birinyi • Margaret Braun • Ernesto Caivano • Nathan Catlin • Alejandro Contreras • William Córdova • Juan Hernandez Diaz • Predrag Dimitrijevic • Rafael Domenech • Adrián Fernández • Baris Gokturk • Richard Haas • Erika Harrsch • Emily Henretta • Christine Hiebert • Sonia Rosa Kahn • William Kentridge • Calvin Kim • Fred HC Liang • Thomas Lollar • Nicola López • Linn Meyers • LeRoy Neiman • Shirin Neshat • Brian Novatny • Jennifer Nuss • Rocío Olivares • Paul Rho • Jamel Robinson • Cristin Shea • Shahzia Sikander • Luis Silva • Kiki Smith • Sarah Sze • Motohiro Takeda • Rirkrit Tiravanija • Oscar Tuazon • Rafael Villares • Tomas Vu • Kara Walker • Zhiqian Wang • Beau Willimon • Thomas Ray Willis • Type A (Adam Ames, Andrew Bordwin) • Sun Xun • Yuan Zuo