Anne Cummings-Anderson and Heidi Greiss (Photograph by Zuzanna Audette)

Galleries come and go. Others reinvent themselves. (A)perture has done something in between.

In 2008 Heidi Gress and Anne Cummings-Anderson opened Aperture Gallery in Sugarhouse. The not-for profit space, an extension of their public relations and marketing firm of the same name, was designed to provide a showcase for local emerging artists and create socially conscious exhibitions that would impact the community.

In February of this year, Gress and Cummings-Anderson decided to leave their brick-and-mortar space on 9th East, but they continue to operate with a similar mission. Focusing on their strength, which was always more the one time-events – openings for exhibitions that partnered with non-profits to raise funds and awareness – than month-long shows where you wait behind a desk for someone to come in, they now take advantage of pop-up spaces to impact the community and highlight local artists.

On October 15th (A)perture hosts Art Meets Fashion, an annual event begun in 2009 that combines local designers with local artists. “We’ve always believed that art in all it’s forms has the potential to act as a catalyst for essential dialogue about issues that affect us all.” This year’s event supports the YWCA.

For the fashion component (A)perture has invited six local fashion designers — Andrea Black, DesNeiges Gregory, Danny Nappi, Andrea Hansen, Mary Rino, Roberto Leone and a selection of student designs from Salt Lake Fashion Institute — to premier a new line of clothing. (A)perture began as (and continues to be) a marketing firm, so it’s no surprise that they have made promoting and documenting the event a priority. “Each designer has their own unique perspective and aesthetic that is presented on the runway and we capture this essence in a mini-documentary that airs prior to each runway show commencing.”

MF 2010 at the Salt Lake Art Center

For the fine art component, Gress and Cummings-Anderson took on a stronger curatorial role, selecting twenty-five local artists and asking them to create works on a specific theme: Deconstructing Venus. “Narrative is the point of emphasis within the theme in which artists offer their critical reflections on love, beauty and the feminine,” Cummings-Anderson says. “Artists were encouraged to journal about their process, where they began and where they ended up. Personal experience with love, beauty and feminity emerges within the work and reveals very unique, conceptually driven pieces.” The artists selected come from a variety of stylistic approaches and use various mediums, including photography, installation and painting. The exhibit’s theme lends itself naturally to figurative work, which you’ll see, but Gress and Cummings-Anderson also intentionally selected “certain artists who focus on abstract designs.” As a result there will be several non-figurative pieces that “delve into the material in terms of motion, flux, strength and power. “

Don’t expect a simple cheese-crackers-and-grapes reception for Art Meets Fashion. (A)perture is throwing all their weight into one night and they don’t plan on wasting the opportunity. In addition to the exhibition, fashion runs and documentaries, the evening will include an Acoustic Music Lounge, sponsored by SlowTrain Records and SLUG Mag, and a variety of performance art, dance and music. The Art of Food & Wine, sponsored by Salt Lake magazine will showcase Tasting Stations from local award winning restaurants and wine pairings courtesy of Odom Spirits West.

Art Meets Fashion is October 15th, 6-10pm. After party, 10-midnight. For more information and to get tickets go here. Local photographer Zuzanna Audette shot the fashion lines for Art Meets Fashion and her photographs will be displayed in an expansion exhibition Reflections on Venus at the SLC Photo Collective October 14-November 10. Private Opening at AMF VIP night October 13th.

Shawn Rossiter

The founder of Artists of Utah and editor of its online magazine, 15 Bytes, Shawn Rossiter has undergraduate degrees in English, French and Italian Literature and studied Comparative Literature in graduate school before pursuing a career in art.