Current Space is proud to present I Close My Eyes to See, a solo exhibition of works by Monique Crabb.

Please join us for the Opening Reception on Friday, July 25th from 7-10pm.

Exhibit Runs: July 25 - September 14, 2025
Opening Reception: Friday, July 25th from 7-10pm
Closing Reception and Artist Talk: Sunday, September 14th
Gallery Hours: Saturdays 1-5pm, by appointment, & whenever we're open (check out the show anytime you’re here)!

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I Close My Eyes to See
In this series, I reflect on the imbalance created by societal pressure to attain one's dreams, working within the constraints of a grayscale system—transitioning from white to black, with the murky in-between grey. Where does one’s dream truly lie? Society encourages and applauds dreaming, while simultaneously squashing dreams by imposing practicality. A person’s dream can either be a life goal or an unattainable idea—unreal until it becomes real. There’s a fine line between hope and hopelessness, and it’s one that can only be understood through the lens of the individual. It seems as though the world is willing to celebrate dreams only once they’ve been realized; otherwise, they’re seen as impossible.

Statements like, “IT WAS JUST A DREAM” or “DREAM A LITTLE DREAM,’ play with this tension between dismissal and hope. It represents both concealment and protection. Traditionally, we sweep things under the rug to hide them, to bury what we do not want to see or confront. But in doing so, we also shield them from the harshness of reality. What we hide beneath the rug are the dreams we fear cannot be realized, the goals we’ve been told are mythic or unattainable.

Rugs, by nature, are objects meant to be walked on, to be covered by the weight of daily life. But when they are placed on the wall, they disrupt this function—they no longer serve to hide, but to reveal. They transform from mundane objects into something to be seen and reflected upon. They become a statement about the things we have swept away—those dreams and desires that we are often too afraid to fully express, or too unsure to pursue.

They challenge us to look at these suppressed parts of ourselves and ask: What if these dreams, even if they are unrealized, still hold meaning? What if they deserve to be seen, acknowledged, and celebrated, not for their completion, but for their potential to shape our lives, our identities, and our future?

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Monique Crabb (b. 1982), a Mexican-American artist whose work explores the intersection of identity, societal constraints, and the human body through narrative, symbolism, and traditional craft processes. Rooted in feminist theory, her practice interrogates how gendered bodies are shaped by history and society. Her diverse practice spans installation, video, and photography, fiber and other traditional craft processes. At times, the materials she uses carry traces of past lives and through her practice seeks to give them new meaning by reworking them into forms that reflect both personal and collective histories. In other instances, the materials serve as symbolic gestures, adding layers of meaning to the work.

Monique received her BFA in Photography from the Maryland Institute College of Art and MFA at the University of Maryland Baltimore County in Intermedia + Digital Arts, and for nearly a decade contributed to the Baltimore City arts community as co-director of Current Space, an artist-run gallery, studios and performance space. She currently is an adjunct faculty member at Maryland Institute College of Art where she teaches in the Fiber department.

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Image: Jill Fannon Prevas
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Accessibility and Transportation Info: https://www.currentspace.com/visit
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Consider becoming a sustaining member of Current Space – membership starts at just $5/month! Supporters ($10/month) get half price advance tickets and Benefactors ($25/month) get free advance tickets.

Current Space is an artist-run gallery, studio, outdoor performance space, and garden bar; nourishing an ongoing dialogue between artists, activists, performers, designers, curators, and thinkers. Operating since November 2004, we are committed to showcasing, developing, and broadening the reach of artists locally and internationally.

Thank you!
Programs at Current Space are made possible in part by supporting members like you, the Robert W. Deutsch Foundation, and William G. Baker, Jr. Memorial Fund, creator of the Baker Artist Portfolios at BakerArtist.org.