49 Oak

Current & Upcoming

Rights & Responsibilities

Ryer Spann and Quimby Danger

March 6-21, 2026

Opening: Friday, March 6th 5-8pm

Rights and Responsibilities is a duo show featuring Ryer Spann and Quimby Danger. In this show, they each are investigating two starkly different communities of people and how they access play, comfort, and tomfoolery. Spann’s work looks into the hyper masculine Maine Maritime Academy community, paired in contrast to his more tender, emotional, imagined worlds. Danger is looking inward to her close relationships with friends and her sisters; she is examining safety being found in absurdity and a close knit small community. The two are interested in what is allowed inherently through patriarchal powers and how that is enforced or rejected.

About

49 Oak is a flexible, experimental space where students gain real-world experience presenting their work to the public. Through pop-up shops, exhibitions, and project-based programming, students build essential professional skills; curating, installing, promoting, documenting, selling, and staffing exhibitions, under the guidance of Artists at Work and faculty mentors. During the summer, 49 Oak shifts its focus to showcasing work by the College’s alumni, strengthening professional networks and career pathways.

As a living laboratory, 49 Oak prepares students for the following:

Professional Exhibition Experience

Ability to plan, curate, and install exhibitions and pop-up shops
Experience working with timelines, budgets, and shared creative spaces
Confidence presenting work to public audiences, clients, and collectors

Sales & Entrepreneurial Skills

Experience pricing artwork and products
Understanding point-of-sale systems, inventory, and customer interaction
Preparation for freelance, self-employed, and small business models

Marketing & Promotion Skills

Portfolio-ready documentation of exhibitions and work
Experience writing artist statements, wall text, and promotional copy
Understanding how to promote creative work through events, email, and social media

Project Management & Collaboration

Experience working in teams with defined roles and responsibilities
Ability to manage deadlines and deliverables tied to real outcomes
Skills in problem-solving, adaptability, and professional communication

Career Pathways & Job Readiness

Preparation for roles such as gallery assistant, exhibitions coordinator, studio assistant, arts administrator, or creative producer
Transferable skills applicable to museum, nonprofit, retail, and creative industry jobs
Clear articulation of skills and experience on résumés, CVs, and in interviews

Professional Networks