Tephra Institute of Contemporary Art (Tephra ICA) presents “between a rock and a soft place,” a group exhibition reframing the concept of rest as more than a reward for work, but as a practice in itself.

Bringing together the work of five contemporary artists, between a rock and soft place opens a conversation about negotiating societal structures that stand between the subject and a life of ease. Who gets rest and when? What is truly restorative? What permissions do we allow for ourselves to slow down, and how?

Guest curated by Deirdre Darden, between a rock and a soft place features new work by Holly Bass, Adjoa Burrowes, Deborah Grayson, Katie O’Keefe, and Britt Sankofa. The exhibition is the 2023 iteration of Tephra ICA’s Mary B Howard Invitational, a biennial program that values exhibition-making as a collaborative and generative process while supporting the development and public presentation of innovative new work.