Prjct OMNiĀ is raw. Emotional. Difficult. Imperfect.

It’s human.

The art installation inside downtown Traverse City’s Warehouse MRKT is theĀ first project by artĀ curator and dealerĀ Chris Sims. “Initially, my main goal was just to create a dialogue,” he says, “but I realized I couldnā€™t have a dialogue without experience.”

So Chris worked on building the PrjctĀ OMNiĀ brand online and did a series of interviews with artists from around the world. As his project gained a following on social media, he wanted to take it a step further. He met with Dan and Meredith Falconer, owners of Warehouse MRKT, and proposed a contemporary art installation to showcase work outside of art galleries.

They loved the idea.

“I wanted to bring in artwork thatā€™s challenging, edgy and powerful,” Chris says. “Artwork that youā€™re not going to find anywhere else. My goal was to influence a different taste for art. Whether people hate it or love it, are inspired or disgusted. I wanted people to have a reaction.

Prjct OMNi

Photo by Tyler Franz

The warehouse collaboration currently features the works of nine modern artists including Andy Kittmer,Ā Mauro MartinezĀ andĀ Eva Magill-Oliver.

Similar to an art museum, each piece is accompanied by a description ofĀ the work.Ā Chris worked with Kim HƤnninen, the registrar at The Dennos Museum Center,Ā to design and create the labels.Ā A price sheet and booklet about the artists are also available for visitors to use while exploring the installation. “I wanted everything to be available from the artists themselves to the work,” Chris says.

Walking through the exhibit with Chris, it’s easy to see and hear his passion. He talks about each piece and artist as if he’s known them for years instead of a few months.Ā Bradford Lynn likes to mesh the real world with his dreams;Ā Veronica Mortellaro has chronic pain and uses watercolors to create a sense of freeness;Ā John ReussĀ highlights the dark sides of our psyche like loneliness, anxiety and alienation. Their stories are intimate.

“I had something I wanted to say but didnā€™t know how to bring it out,” Chris says. “I realized this wasnā€™t something I could say alone. I needed other artists. They help me express what I want to do for the city. We’re in this together.”

Prjct OMNi

Photo by Tyler Franz. From left: Meredith Falconer, Chris Sims, Dan Falconer

All of the artwork shown in Prjct OMNi is availableĀ for sale. As pieces sell, they’re replaced with new workĀ by the same artist. On November 30, the current exhibit will rotate out and a new group of artists will be featured in the ongoing installation.

Over the next several months, Chris will also be working on a new project.Ā Though he isn’t revealing his idea yet, Chris did say it will be more extensive than the warehouse project. “It’s going to take a lot of communal effort and push from the city,” he says. “I want to try and turn peopleā€™s heads in a different direction. It’s going to be a lot of fun.”

Take a tour of the Warehouse MRKT in this MyNorth Media video!

A freeĀ raffleĀ is being held by Prjct OMNi for “Together Alone,” a piece byĀ Cinta Vidal AgullĆ³ of Barcelona, Spain. See her work and enterĀ here.Ā 


More Northern Michigan Art

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Photo(s) by Tyler Franz, courtesy of Prjct OMNi