‘IN/SITE 92’ a Comeback for Installation : Art: Installation Gallery makes a new showing with an innovative, multi-gallery exhibit concept.

Installation Gallery never really died, but it’s been reborn again and again. Since its founding in 1981, the alternative, nonprofit gallery has dug shallow roots in several downtown spaces, shaped visions for the future under the leadership of several different directors and gone through long, stagnant periods with no visibility at all.

In its latest incarnation, Installation appears fresh, alive and aware of its own limitations. The gallery’s current home--no one associated with the organization dares to use the word permanent anymore--is in the Mission Brewery Plaza in Middletown, and its newest project, “IN/SITE 92”, sprawls ambitiously all over San Diego and Tijuana. For “IN/SITE”, Installation has organized installations by emerging and better-known area artists at 21 galleries, bookstores, museums and other sites during the months of September and October. Though many of the shows were already on the books, others were rescheduled or specially arranged to be part of the “IN/SITE” program.

“We got really good feedback,” said artist Ernest Silva, who, with gallery director Mark Quint, conceived of the project for Installation. The curators and gallery directors they approached “felt it was a celebration of San Diego artists, and it would give a sort of unity to what’s going on here. San Diego has a terrific number of artists, and over the course of the years, you see great programming. When you put it all together, you get a sense of how much is going on here. But there are only a relative few who see the shows all across the county. So we thought, if we coordinated installations, the sum would be greater than the parts.

“In the back of my mind, I thought, all of these places--museums, galleries, community colleges--all have their own audiences. Wouldn’t it be great if those audiences circulated through all of those places?”

Though Installation does have a problematic history, Silva found that a creative solution could be born of the situation. The program’s “cooperative curating” grew out of a need for exhibition programming and Installation’s lack of a fixed space.

Late last year, high rents forced Installation to close its downtown space, and in January, the gallery’s director, Craig Freeman, left to become an instructor at UC San Diego. The Mission Brewery space became available early this year, and shortly after Freeman left, former Installation volunteer Anna Gonzalez was hired as a full-time managing director. But without funds to hire a new artistic director, Installation was like a car with its engine running but with no one driving, and no particular destination.

Installation’s relatively stable board of directors came to the rescue by establishing an arts advisory board to conceive and implement a program of events and exhibitions for the gallery. Silva, Quint and roughly 10 other artists and gallery directors serve on the board.

“The ‘IN/SITE’ project is the first to come out of this mechanism, so we feel that it works,” Gonzalez said.

Actually, the “IN/SITE” idea took off faster and further than anyone anticipated. Members of the arts advisory board began only a few months ago approaching other galleries, museums and exhibition venues to participate in the program.

“Once we started talking to people, we got so much enthusiasm that people started switching their schedules and it really grew,” Silva said. “The strength of the idea is that it is a cooperative venture. Each institution is using its own resources. No one has anything to lose and they have everything to gain.”

A schedule of exhibitions has been printed and is available at all participating venues, and shuttle bus tours to selected San Diego and Tijuana sites are planned for Sept. 26 and a date in October to be announced. A reception will be held on Friday, Sept. 18 from 6 to 9 p.m. in the Mission Brewery Plaza, where several installations can be viewed. A “performance ritual” by Tijuana artist Cipriano will be performed at 9 p.m. that evening.

Installation has been frequently homeless and constantly poor. It has kept itself afloat through private contributions, funds raised through Artwalk (the downtown festival of arts that Installation organizes annually), and sporadic city and federal grants. “IN/SITE” has not been designed as a fund-raising venture, but some monies may come in from the sale of limited edition sculptures by local artist Jay Johnson. His “Micro Installations” will be installed at various venues, and all proceeds from sales will go to Installation.

Despite its hand-to-mouth existence, Installation continues to plan for the future. “IN/SITE 92” has been billed as a biennial event, with the next to occur in 1994. The first in a series of “Hothouse” exhibitions featuring emerging local artists recently ended at the Mission Brewery site and others are expected to be mounted after “IN/SITE” closes. And 10 other projects, such as a group of exhibitions centered on the theme of personal identity, have been outlined by Installation’s arts advisory board and will evolve as funding and other commitments allow.

“I think we’re back on track, but it’s a different track,” Gonzalez said. “The success that we’re having with “IN/SITE” makes everything else look possible. It’s giving us the energy to look to the future.”

Where the “IN/SITE 92” Shows Are

ABC Art and Architecture Books

Cora Boyd, “Operettas on the head of a pen.”

Sept. 21-Nov. 6

Reception Oct. 9, 6-9 p.m.

835 G St.

Open daily 11 a.m.-6 p.m. 544-6444

Boehm Gallery at Palomar College

Ming Mur-Ray, “Beyond Numbers,” and Ben Anderson, “A Balance is Something.”

Through Sept. 30

Marcia Olson, “3,584 Patterns and Counting,” and Nanette Yannuzzi Macias, “The Interview, The Journey, and Claiming Death.”

Oct. 9-Nov. 11

Reception Oct. 8, 6-8 p.m.

Gallery talk with the artists Thursday, Oct. 15, 11 a.m.

1140 W. Mission Road, San Marcos

Open Tuesday 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Wednesday and Thursday 10 a.m.-7 p.m., Friday and Saturday 10 a.m.-2 p.m. 744-1150

Casa de la Cultura

Jean Lowe and Kim MacConnell, “Tale of the Bull/Cuento del Toro.”

Sept. 9-30

Reception Sept. 9, 7 p.m.

Avenida Paris y Lisboa, No. 5

Altamira, Tijuana

Open daily 10 a.m.-8 p.m. 011-5266-872604

Centro Cultural de la Raza

Four Regional Latina Artists, “Ambientaciones: 1492-1992.”

Oct. 10-Nov. 22

Reception Oct. 9, 7-9 p.m.

Balboa Park

Open Wednesday-Sunday noon-5 p.m.. 235-6135

Centro Cultural Tijuana

Ellen Phillips, Cheryl Lynn Parry and Larry Dumlao, “Transcending Borders: Human & Environmental Inter-Relations.”

Sept. 25-Nov. 2

Reception Sept. 25, 7:30-9:30 p.m.

East Paseo de Los Heroes & Los Mina, Tijuana

Open daily 10 a.m.-5 p.m. 011-5266-84111

Galleria de Arte de la Ciudad

Anna O’Cain, “There was a snake in the garden.”

Sept. 11-Oct. 6

Reception Sept. 11, 7:30-9 p.m.

Calle Segunda & Constitucion

Antigo Palacio de Municipal, Tijuana

Open Monday-Friday 9 a.m.-7 p.m. 011-5266-850104

Installation

Cipriano, “Performance Ritual;” Carmella Castrejon, “Elementos;” Jay Johnson, “Micro Installation;” Nina Katchadourian, “30 years 20 minutes 17 tapes,” and Daphne Ruff, “RuffWear.”

Through Sept. 26

Reception Sept. 18, 6-9 p.m.

Adolfo Davila, “Los Que Se Van;” Judit Hersko, “Surge;” Melissa Smedley, “New Work,” and Olav Westphalen, “A faithful reconstruction of the upstairs room with all its contents.”

Oct. 9-31

Reception Oct. 16, 6-9 p.m.

2150 W. Washington, Suite 406

Open Friday and Saturday noon-5 p.m. and by appointment. 260-1313

Java Coffeehouse/Gallery

Michael Soriano, “The Flight of Waxed Dreams,” and Luis Stand, “Historical Ceremonies.”

Sept. 20-Nov. 1

837 G St.

Open daily 8 a.m.-2 a.m. 235-4012

David Lewinson Gallery

Patricia Patterson and Roy David Rogers, “Two Installations and Other Works.”

Oct. 10-Nov. 28

629 J St., Second floor

Open Wednesday-Saturday 11 a.m.-6 p.m., Fridays until 9 p.m. 755-2494

Lyceum Theatre Gallery

Ellen Phillips, Cheryl Lynn Parry and Larry Dumlao, “Transcending Borders: Human & Environmental Inter-Relations.”

Through Sept. 9

79 Horton Plaza

Open Monday-Friday 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and during performances. 231-3586

Mesa College Art Gallery

James Luna and Lewis De Soto, “Kish Tetayawet Dreamhouse Wampkish.”

Through Sept. 16

7250 Mesa College Drive

Open Monday-Friday 11 a.m.-4 p.m., Thursdays until 8:30 p.m. 677-2878

Linda Moore Fine Arts

Deborah Small, “Frances Slocum/Maconaqua.”

Oct. 26-Nov. 22

Reception Nov. 6, 6:30-9 p.m.

1611 W. Lewis St.

Open Monday-Friday noon-5 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.-3 p.m. 260-1101

Museum of Contemporary Art, San Diego

Noboru Tsubaki

Through Sept. 26

Antony Gormley, “Field.”

Oct. 3-Dec. 9

Gormley lecture Oct. 1, 7:30 p.m.

700 Prospect St., La Jolla

Open Tuesday-Sunday 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Wednesday until 9 p.m. 454-3541

Playas de Tijuana

Ulf Rollof, “Abandonado II.”

Oct. 3-31

Three-quarters of a mile south of bullring on right past canyon, Tijuana. 492-8982

Quint/Krichman Projects

David Jurist, “In the Tepidarium,” and Jay Johnson, “Micro Installation.”

Oct. 3-Nov. 7

Reception Oct. 3, 4-7 p.m.

7447 Girard Ave., La Jolla

Open Tuesday-Saturday 11 a.m.-5 p.m. 454-3409

Rita Dean Gallery

Leslie Samuels, “Silent Death, Invisible Weapons,” and James Healy/Pawel Tulin, “Cereal Killers: The Art of Corporate Lebensraum.”

Through Sept. 12

Thomas Nault, “Private.”

Sept. 15-Oct. 24

544 Sixth Ave.

Open Tuesday-Thursday 11 a.m.-6 p.m., Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. -10 p.m. 338-8153

SOMA Gallery

Brent Riggs, “The Spirit of Loveliness in Youth.”

Sept. 10-Oct. 4

Reception Sept. 18, 7-10 p.m.

Amanda Farber, “In Here.”

Oct. 9-31

Reception Oct. 16, 7-10 p.m.

343 Fourth Ave.

Open Tuesday-Thursday 11 a.m.-6 p.m., Friday-Saturday 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Sundayn noon-5. 232-3955

Southwestern College Art Gallery

Liss Platt, Ellen Phillips and Joyce Cutler-Shaw

“Three in One.”

Oct. 8-Nov. 6

Reception Oct. 8, 6-9 p.m.

900 Otay Lakes Road, Chula Vista

Open Tuesday-Friday 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Wednesday-Thursday 6-9 p.m. 482-6372

D.G. Wills Bookstore

Steve Ilott, “Travels.”

Sept. 18-Oct. 10

7461 Girard Ave., La Jolla

Open Sunday-Thursday 10 a.m.-9 p.m., Friday-Saturday 10 a.m.-10 p.m. 456-1800

Women’s Caucus for the Arts

Patsy Babcock, Eva Montville, Laura Crouch and Mary Louise Donovan, “Eve Transplanted: Mind Your Garden.”

Through Sept. 26

India St. Design Center

2165 India St.

Open Friday and Saturday noon-5. 598-8373

David Zapf Gallery

Johnny Coleman, “Ruminations.”

Through Sept. 26

Chuck Collings, “Resolve”

Oct. 9-31

Reception Oct. 9, 6-9 p.m.

Artist lecture/informal discussion Oct. 24, 2 p.m.

2400 Kettner Blvd.

Open Friday and Saturday noon-5 p.m. and by appointment. 232-5004