“Our lives—our real lives—are made almost wholly of attempts at tenderness. We work hard on behalf of those we love, daydream about their future happiness, go out of our way to save them even the slightest pain, comfort them when the pain arrives just the same.” -George Saunders* The Heart isn’t Heart-shaped, at its core, is an exhibition about love. But, as some of the pieces on view attest, it is also an exhibition about profound loss, connections between generations, and friendships. This exhibition includes objects from the LCVA’s permanent collection, art from several contemporary artists, all which speak to the deep relationships and connections we share with other people - sometimes light, and at other times heavy, but always sincere. Through her videos Shuangyu Hua is a poetic archeologist where she remembers important objects through her family’s collective memory. June Sanders’ earnest photographs are one of a kind – they are tender moments of collaboration where the “flaws” are actually what makes them beautiful and precious. All of the pieces remind us of the gift of time and the moments we get to share with our closest loved ones. The typical human heart looks very different from its shape that represents affection and life. However, the shape and the physical beat both shows and sustains love, compassion, and time – we cannot separate the two. The human heart, in any form, is always heart-shaped. This exhibition is generously sponsored by Navona and David Hart, Ironworks Financial and Joni Beachly. *linear notes to Jeff Tweedy’s Warm