WHY IS ART SO DIFFICULT? was the title and premise of an exhibit at the Hooper Mansion, curated by international artist and educator, Bernd Haussmann.
Haussmann chose 13 contemporary artists who are colleagues, friends, and students. For him, it is an important way to reconnect with what he calls "fellow explorers and strugglers". He invited "artists who let us, the viewer, participate in their struggles and failures, wisdom and beliefs.
Artists who allow chance into their work, who are willing to be open and vulnerable, gutsy in what they publicly share…
Artists who never give in, artists who only surrender to their work, listen to the work and let the work be. Without personal agendas and without any claim to the truth." .
In preparation for this exhibit, Bernd had been posing the question, "Why is art so difficult?" to many people, artists and non artists alike. He delights in the variety of responses.
He says "Sometimes the phrasing of the question is more important than the answer. Because it creates an open space, allowing the possibility for new experiencing." Bernd answers his own question in this way, " Why is art so difficult? Because it is so difficult to work against conveniences and conventions, full of challenges and temptations every step along the way. Full of emotions and questions. Just like life itself."

The artists' work challenges our perceptions, takes risks and is innovative. Each artist addresses their own individual themes and issues but as a collective their work is free from traditional conventions and portrays a critical exploration and curiosity to learn about the world and one's place in it.
Participating artists: Rick Ashley, Deborah Bohnert, Heloisa Brandao, Susan Carr, Carin Doben, Gerry Hayes, Amy Maas, Kathleen Quigley, Claire Seidl, Duston Spear, Werner Trotter, Rachel Volpone and Bernd Haussmann. The art displayed goes beyond what the artist or the viewer sees; it ignores traditional boundaries. Haussmann ascribes to a philosophy of openness, acceptance and vulnerability for both the artist and the observer. Through the curation of this exhibit, Haussmann is collaborating with all these artists and even the viewer. Haussmann believes that art is not proprietary but rather the "interrelationship of our senses and our minds, the impossibility of the individual self. Our interconnectedness with all that is and what is not... The experience and the experiencer are one. All art is the result of a conversation, a dialogue, a collaboration." Haussmann's vision can be seen through the other artists' unique works, several collaborations and the inclusion of one example of his own practice. Bernd and some of the other artists use the King Hooper Mansion's spaces in unusual and unconventional ways so as to highlight the integrity of the place. The objective is to educate; to expose as many people as possible to new experiences and the possibilities of what art can be when the artist and viewer alike are open, alert, honest and mindful.