Miami University Art Museum - Spring 2013 - visual arts @ miami

visual arts @ miami

Art Museum McGuffey Museum Hiestand Galleries Cage Gallery

spring 2013

Miami University School of Creative Arts visual arts @ miami | 1

On the cover: Jean Lodge, English Interlude (detail), 1974; trial proof, Digswell House; gift of Deborah Hawley; 2012.38.73

visual arts @ miami is a publication of the Miami

University Art Museum showcasing visual arts at Miami University, Oxford, for its members and the surrounding community.

visual arts venues @ miami Cage Gallery McGuffey Museum

Distributed in the Oxford Press prior to the Fall and Spring semesters, visual arts @ miami also serves as a unified resource for visual arts and culture within the School of Creative Arts.

Inside this issue:

Directions 3 Acquisitions 2012 4 Oxford’s Stellar Staircases 6 Art Museum Spring Exhibition 8 Art Museum Programming 9 Hiestand Happenings 10 In the Cage 12 A Living Treasure 15 A True Original 16 Staff Spotlight 17 Interns @ the Museum 18 Events @ a Glance 19 Exhibitions @ a Glance 20

Hiestand Galleries

5

89

66

Blue Bus Stops at the Art Museum

Art Museum

8

Art Museum - 8 Hiestand Galleries - 66

Cage Gallery - 5 McGuffey Museum - 89

Art Museum Staff Robert S. Wicks, Ph.D., Director Jason E. Shaiman, Curator of Exhibitions Cynthia Collins, Curator of Education Laura Henderson, Collections Manager/Registrar Mark DeGennaro, Preparator/Operations Manager Sherri Krazl, Marketing and Communications Coordinator Sue Gambrell, Program Coordinator Debbie Caudill, Program Assistant Scott Kissell, University Photographer Steve Gordon, McGuffey Museum Administrator

Curatorial Interns: Brian Cash Kristi Fernberg

Student Workers: Melissa Krueger Jessica Mickley Morgan Murray Cara Norton Sayalia Sakhardande Lauren Simon Ariel Lovins Abria Marshall Trayli Monroe

Membership Steering Committee: Sarah Michael, President Dana Lentini, Vice President Nancy Arthur Heather Kogge Stephen Lippmann Sue Momeyer Elaine Rauckhorst

from the director

directions More than an Art Museum

By Dr. Robert S. Wicks

U

niversity museums are poised to play a vital role as higher education enters a period of transformation. One core belief among museum educators is that active engagement encourages students to become excited about museums during their college years and can inspire them to become life-long museum-goers and supporters.

At the same time, the nature of that engagement is itself undergoing a radical change.

How are responses to art engagement changing?

New modes of communication, much of it based upon the internet, have supplemented and in some cases replaced written and verbal responses to art. The universal presence of digital cameras embedded in smartphones, tablets and other portable computing devices makes it incredibly easy to record, comment upon, respond to and share things with others through YouTube, Twitter and Facebook.

Is it important that students encounter works of art in person at the museum?

Yes, because people want to have authentic experiences. You can find images of the Mona Lisa on the internet (32,500,000 hits at last count), yet art lovers spend thousands of dollars for a 15-second glimpse of the most famous painting in the world and say the effort was worth it.

Art appreciation takes more than 15 seconds, of course, and is multi-dimensional, requiring dedicated attention, contemplation and study.

It can be transformational, resulting in personal insights not otherwise possible.

Can the virtual experience of art actually extend our understanding? *Rebecca Nagy, “The Role of the Campus Museum in an Age of Distributed Education,” Thursday, November 15, 2012. futureofmuseums.blogspot.com

Absolutely. Making our collections available online enables students and researchers to better understand what resources exist for a given artist or period.

Google Art Project goes beyond simple documentation, allowing users to zoom in on details. The virtual environment can provide the first taste, encouraging the viewer to seek out the original and thereby enhance both exercises.

Beyond required class visits and assignments, what might draw more students to our museums?

At the University of Florida, engineering students are encouraged to attend arts events because the “experiences of visual and performing arts ignite their creativity, leading to better engineering solutions and to products that have aesthetic appeal in a competitive global arena.” One objective? “They want to put the STEAM in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, ART, and Math).”* We are working to do the same here at Miami in order to become more than an Art Museum.

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collections REPORT

Acquisitions 2012

Below: Meissen fruit compote, ca. 1930, porcelain, mounted on tapestry pattern porcelain stand; gift of Richard and Carole Cocks; 2012.63 Right: Detail of compote

By Laura Henderson This is my last report about collections before my retirement, and I would like to say thank you to all the generous donors and friends of the Art Museum and McGuffey Museum, as well as the staff and volunteers, for making the past 11 plus years so memorable. The museums are on track for a great future, and although I will no longer be part of the daily operation, I wish you all the best.

T

he Collections Development Committee (CDC) met in November, 2012, to review and make recommendations about objects recently acquired by the Art Museum and McGuffey Museum. A major purchase, featured in the Fall 2012 arts calendar, was the color lithograph diptych by Joan Mitchell, Sunflowers IV, 1992, thanks to donations by the John D. Sommer family and others to the Commemorative fund in memory of Nancy Sommer.

Other purchases include prints by Jean-Émile Laboureur, Jacques Villon, Henri Patrice Dillon and Auguste-Louis Lepère, and a painting by Philip Morsberger, ca. 1960, purchased from Oxford Citizens for Peace and Justice.

Frank Jordan contributed four significant works by Robert Frederick Blum, all ca. 1880, Windmill, Haarlem, Holland, pastel on paper; Jester, mixed media; a pen & ink drawing of a dandy, and a print after the drawing, both titled A Macaroni of the 18th Century. Donations from Clive Getty included two photographs by Eve Sonneman, Baltimore, 1967, and The Rodeo Queen of Silver City, NM, 1975, as well as a very early color photolithograph, copyright 1900 by J.I. Austen & Co., Chicago, and a pre-Columbian sculpture of a female figure with child, ceramic, La Tolita culture, Ecuador.

Received from Peter Dahoda were prints by Robert McKibbin, Abstract Interior, ca. 1960, and Jean Lodge, Champs des Fleurs, 1968; a signed terracotta pot, 20th C., by Robert Tenorio, Santo Domingo “Kewa” Pueblo, and an oil on panel painting by Jason Weller, Phalanger-Cus Cus, 1991. Peggy R. Rogers donated a Chinese scroll painting of bamboo and chickens, early 20th C. Louise Griffing gave us two woodblock prints, The Professor, and For He Had Great Possessions, by Robert Overman Hodgell, who began his art career as an apprentice to John Steuart Curry.

From members of the Fletcher Benton family we received six small sculptures, steel, 2000-2012, and four watercolor/iris prints, 2000, all of which were in the exhibition of Fletcher Benton’s work at Hiestand Galleries in March, 2012. Another sculpture, by Michael Bigger, Sidecar #6, 2005, charcoal powder-coated aluminum, was donated by William Brenner.

An exquisite Meissen fruit compote, ca. 1930, mounted on a tapestry pattern porcelain pedestal, was received from Richard and Carole Cocks.

A large ceramic pot, 2011, with brown glaze ground and sang de boeuf (oxblood) decoration, was a gift from Regis C. Brodie, Emeritus Professor of Art, Skidmore College.

Deborah Hawley added to the collection she donated last year of works

by Jean Lodge with 43 prints, eight graphite drawings, 22 watercolor sketches and nine oil paintings, all ca. 1960-1970. Jean Lodge grew up in Ohio and graduated from Miami University with a BA in 1963. Selections of her work will be on exhibition at the Art Museum this Summer from May 31June 29.From Jim and Fran Allen we received a collection of four abstract drawings and some sketches by David Hockney, ca. 1962.

A considerable collection of antiquities was donated by Harvey and Deborah Breverman, including 77 terracotta oil lamps, several Greco-Roman pots, Etruscan jars, and nine small ceramic heads on individual mounts.

Contemporary Art Film Series @ the Art Museum Thursday, January 31, 7 p.m.

Basquiat (1996), Rated: R The Breverman collection fills many of the gaps in the existing art museum group of antiquities.

From Robert and Carol Kane we received a classic Tagasode (“Whose sleeves?”) screen, Meiji Period (1868-1912), two panels, painted with colorful kimonos draped over a kimono rack, set against a silver leaf ground.

Thanks to Roger Williams, the collection of art, memorabilia and archival material from the Williams, Riggs and Covington families of Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky is now complete, with their addition of 37 paintings, drawings, pastels and sketches by Annette Covington and John Covington. The collection is housed at the art museum and King Library Special Collections.

Our textile collection gained three handmade family quilts from Joseph and Etsuko Leonard, in Maple Leaf, Around the World and Wedding Ring patterns; a dress and a shirt (huipil) from Chiapas, Mexico, donated by Susan Kay, and a bridal hat from Uzbekistan, handmade of gold embellished fabric and decorated with strands of beads, from Frances McClure. Harriet Sneed Schmitt gave us a two-piece silk wedding dress, 19th C., worn by Harriet in 1945 and by her grandmother, Harriet Stone Read, in 1875, at their weddings. An object that can be classified as both a print and a textile is a gift from Patricia Wolf of a “Souper” dress, screenprinted in color on paper, designed by Andy Warhol based on his Campbell’s Soup can print, ca. 1968.

Note: McGuffey Museum gifts are listed on page 7.

There was one conservation project in 2012 on a painting by Joe Zucker, Study 4, 1966, oil on canvas, completed by Old World Restorations in Cincinnati.

The CDC voted to de-accession one object, a framed oil on canvas painting, which was water damaged beyond repair and not salvageable.

Again, to all the generous supporters of the museums, your gifts are very much appreciated. I will miss working with all of you!

Laura Henderson Collections Manager/Registrar

Directed by Julian Schnabel, the film Basquiat tells the story of the youthful JeanMichel Basquiat, who was a street artist living in Thompkins Square Park in a cardboard box when he was “discovered” by Andy Warhol and the art world.

Cynthia Collins, Curator of Education, will introduce the film and highlight Basquiat’s contributions to contemporary art.

Thursday, February 21, 7 p.m.

My Left Foot: The Story of Christy Brown (1989), Rated: R

This drama film, directed by Jim Sheridan, tells the true story of Christy Brown, who was born with cerebral palsy and could control only his left foot. Brown overcame many challenges to become a writer and artist. Jason Shaiman, Curator of Exhibitions, will give a brief introduction and an overview of Christy Brown’s accomplishments.

Thursday, March 21, 7 p.m.

The Great Contemporary Art Bubble (2009) Rated: NR

This investigative documentary narrated by Ben Lewis, a London-based art critic, provides a glimpse into the super-colossal art market bubble created by savvy businessmen and others. Dr. Robert Wicks, Director, will discuss the most relevant features of the film.

Art Museum Film visualSeries arts @ miami |

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mcguffey moments

Oxford’s Stellar Staircases

By Steve Gordon

W

hat a lovely staircase is a comment frequently expressed by visitors to McGuffey Museum. Once a hallmark of refinement and skilled carpentry, the staircase today has almost become an afterthought in modern buildings. Narrow, dark and nondescript, modern staircases in public buildings are typically relegated to the sides or rear, and in houses are often partially enclosed and seldom, if ever, have a balustrade.

Behind the facades of many 19th century Oxford houses can be found handsome, well-designed staircases that continue to serve as interior focal points. The staircase in the Lorenzo Langstroth House (1856), a National Historic Landmark, features an especially handsome spiral contour, while the decorative staircase in the center hall of the Stanton-Bonham House (1868) soars for three full stories.

Among the earliest and most intact Federal style staircases in Oxford is the one in the Orange Stoddard House (1830). For nearly two centuries the original slender spindles have supported the tubular walnut handrail, caressed by countless human hands, while the paired flights of stairs in Peabody Hall on the Western Campus (1871) have withstood the passing feet of thousands of students.

Lewis Place, Oxford’s grandest antebellum house, was built in 1839 and features an impressive center hall and staircase. In 1903, when Miami began to remodel the house for President Benton’s occupancy, Philip Moore, the house’s absentee owner, expressed concern over Miami’s intention to replace the original staircase. The architect employed by the university proposed installing a heavy oak staircase, something Moore felt was “inconsistent and incongruous” when embodied in a “quiet colonial mansion.”

The secret behind the beauty of the McGuffey House staircase is simple—it is aesthetically handsome and well proportioned. The renowned Italian architect Andrea Palladio wrote centuries ago, “staircases will be commendable if they are clear, ample and commodious to ascend, inviting, as it were, people to go up.” Writing in 1851, the Philadelphia architect Samuel Sloan suggested risers should never exceed seven inches and the steps no more than one foot in depth. Risers on the front staircase of the McGuffey House are exactly seven inches in height and eleven inches deep.

Although the McGuffey House was built in 1833, the existing front staircase is a replacement of the original dogleg stairs. Joseph McCord, a retired carpenter and owner of the house in 1868, installed a “modern” staircase with its continuous serpentine handrail and decorative frieze panel.

The curved handrail, considered among the most difficult architectural features to construct, is one of many aspects still extant in the McGuffey House.

Years ago the PBS drama Backstairs at the White House used the architectural element as a metaphor for profiling how the “other half” lived.

Resident domestics were certainly not confined to the President’s house or homes of the very wealthy. Indeed, during the 19th century many middle-class American households included resident servants. Census records for Oxford reveal the McGuffeys and many other families in Oxford had domestics. The McGuffey House still retains most of its original back staircase.

Sloan observed, “it is always very convenient in a private dwelling of ordinary size, to have a private stairway for the use of domestics.”

In this age of sterile elevator cars filled with Muzak, there are still many places in Oxford that boast historic staircases. Forego the health club Stairmaster and instead reacquaint yourself with real risers. Be sure to enjoy the view.

Below: Staircase at the Orange Stoddard House (1830)

Steve Gordon: Inside McGuffey So, who is McGuffey Museum Administrator, Steve Gordon? It’s safe to say he is a person who is passionate about local history, sharing that history to enrich other people’s lives and experiences. “History is a great way to keep us humble--looking back at the history of the great ideas, the people and the culture ties us together.”

Steve also does historical research on properties and places in Ohio as an independent consultant, and he works as a subcontractor for the Three Valley Conservation Trust, encouraging landowners to place conservation easements on their properties.

His hobbies include gardening, landscaping, hiking and exploring Ohio. One of his many interesting stories under the category of “Ohio’s coolest finds” was when he got a call to check out some foundation remains on Cincinnati’s Riverfront, which turned out to be the original waterworks.

When asked about his favorite thing at the McGuffey Museum, Steve shared, “It’s the way the artifacts capture the stories of the people and events around Oxford and Miami, making it easier for people to learn through tangible things.”

He continued, “At McGuffey, we don’t have rehearsed tours, we aim to educate and illuminate people by having conversations, learning about our visitors, and then sharing stories they can relate to, appreciate, and get excited about.

“Our hope is that when they leave they have had an enjoyable, educational and illuminating experience, whether they are a second grader, a parent or grandparent of a Miami student or a random visitor.

“Inevitably, the conversation always goes beyond the McGuffey house, and I love the opportunities to make people feel welcome and to share the rich history and wonderful things about our community. It’s almost as if we are the front door to the history of Oxford and Miami University.”

Visiting McGuffey The museum will be closed January and February, 2013.

Visits are possible by appointment by e-mailing gambresw@MiamiOH.edu or calling (513) 529-1887.

Beginning March 1, 2013 the museum will be open Thursday, Friday and Saturday, 1-5 p.m.

During open hours, no reservations are required.

Please call ahead for large groups of 12 people or more.

The visit is a casual experience catering to each person’s interests and available time, with lots of opportunity for questions.

The Museum is staffed by student aides, interns and a graduate student, with support from over 25 active McGuffey Volunteers.

Students and Volunteers undergo extensive training in preparation for giving tours.

Additions to the McGuffey Collection in 2012 The gifts to McGuffey Museum were interesting and varied this year. From Janice Roudebush we received a canvas bag and a striped knit cap inscribed with The Saturday Evening Post, both used by Warren T. Roudebush when delivering magazines as a boy. Wendy Richardson donated a corset busk made of baleen (whale jawbone) and an illustrated children’s book, Little Playfellows, 1879, inscribed in front with “C. C. Dubois / His Book.” Four objects from Barbara Hepburn Gausmann were The Moorsfield Antiquarian, A Quarterly Magazine of American History, Vol.2, No.2; Circular of Cincinnati College, 1837; The Floral Offering, A Token of Friendship, 1846, which belonged to Henrietta McGuffey Hepburn, and Exercises to Accompany Hepburn’s Rhetoric, ca. 1875. Ernst Bever gave us a table model music box, late 19th C., in a wood case with lift-up top, with 25 metal records included. Rita J. McKenzie contributed a scrapbook that belonged to Sally Truitt, Senior Year, McGuffey High School, 1950-51, and a framed watercolor painting of Bonham House, by Marjorie Bowers, came in from Joanne McQueen to be lent to Bonham House for the entrance hall. Cheryl Haislar and Glenna Costlow Ruhrmund donated an early Classroom Printer, copyright 1932, wood, complete with all its parts and in excellent condition.

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January 15-May 11

ART museum SPRING exhibition

Department of Art Faculty & Alumni Exhibition T

he art faculty at any university or college impart a collective knowledge and skill sets onto the next generation of aspiring artists. Miami University faculty are no exception as they educate and demonstrate where art has been and where it is going. They encourage students to explore new possibilities with traditional materials such as pigment, clay, ink, paper, film and metals, while introducing new artistic practices through technology and multimedia.

In the process of teaching, educators routinely view a plethora of work produced by dozens of students every semester. They review and critique the work of their students, guiding and challenging them to expand their knowledge and abilities. However, how often do art students at Miami University have the opportunity to view works created by their professors and instructors? At Miami University it happens every two years. During the Spring 2013 semester, students, university staff and faculty, and the public will have the opportunity to view the work of educators in the Miami University Department of Art in this biennial exhibition.

Art faculty at Miami are generally viewed as educators, both by their students and the general populace. It must not be forgotten, however, that they were trained as and continue to be working artists. Many show their works in museum and gallery exhibitions throughout the world, competing against thousands of other artists. Unfortunately, many of Miami’s art faculty, as at other colleges and universities, are frequently overlooked as artists

Gallery hours:

Tuesday-Friday 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Saturday Noon-5 p.m.

Closed Sunday-Monday

themselves due to the nature of their teaching responsibilities. Thanks to the continued support of the Department of Art, Hiestand Galleries and the Office of the Dean for the School of Creative Arts, the Miami University Art Museum is pleased to be a partner in the presentation of our art faculty here in Oxford every two years, alternating venues with the Hiestand Galleries.

Continuing a tradition for the past few exhibitions, the work of current faculty is shown alongside the work of emeriti faculty who forged the way for today’s art educators at Miami University. In the exhibition are 43 works by 26 faculty members, past and present, and 25 works by Department of Art alumni, who were selected by their former art faculty. The jurors for selection of alumni works were Anita Douthat, Associate Director of the Carl Solway Gallery in Cincinnati, and Roy Johnston, retired Professor of Art and former Chair of the Art Department at Eastern Michigan University.

The integration of faculty and alumni art in the galleries of the Art Museum illustrates the rich heritage of quality, both in terms of teaching and artistic production. This exhibition presents a wide variety of art forms including sculpture, painting, ceramics, photography, digital video, printmaking, collage and mixed media works. Visitors to the Art Museum will have an opportunity to see the work of familiar and not-so-familiar artists, while exploring the vast array of art making practices and the continual growth of the visual arts at Miami University.

Galleries closed: March 9 & 16 May 12-24 June 30-August 20

Walk-in tours:

Saturday, February 9, Noon Saturday, March 23, Noon Saturday, April 13, Noon

Programs Tuesday, February 5, 7 p.m.

The Shaping of New Visions: Interpreting Contemporary Art Dr. Rina Kundu, Assistant Professor, Department of Art and Design, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee In the aftermath of Modernism, art has had only one option, and that is to be contemporary. Art is so much a business of transformation that change is always part of its nature, whether you think of it in physical, intellectual or spiritual terms. Being contemporary thus means more than embracing the present. This talk describes these differences and reflects on strategies to interpret art of today.

Tuesday, February 26, 5 p.m.

Visual Expressivity in the African Diaspora: Conjunctures and Disjunctures Dr. dele jegede, Professor, Department of Art, Miami University This lecture will focus on Dr. jegede’s forthcoming published scholarship in A Companion to Modern African Art, a volume edited by Monica Blackmun Visonà and Gitti Salami.

Tuesday, March 5, 5:30 p.m.

Design’s New World: Collaboration, Interaction, Participation Peg Faimon, Chair, Professor, Department of Art, and Helen Armstrong, Assistant Professor, Graphic Design, Miami University The field of graphic design has quickly evolved over the last decade. Join the dialogue about how technology and a new culture of collaboration have changed the field of design. Explore how faculty and students share their expertise in the world of co-creation, user-generated content and interdisciplinary projects.

Tuesday, March 19, 5 p.m.

From Labyrinth to Surfaces: An Exploration of Image-Space Joomi Chung, Associate Professor, Department of Art, Miami University Joomi Chung will present the trajectory of her artwork surrounding the ideas of image, memory and time.

Wednesday, March 27, 7 p.m.

Text Arts: Writing, Poetics and Visual Display Dr. chris cheek, Associate Professor, Department of English, Miami University Dr. cheek will present and discuss forms of textual practice developed predominantly by artists over the past two decades, with a glimpse at the history.

Artists whose work forms points of reference for this talk include Jenny Holzer, Fiona Banner, Janet Cardiff, Caroline Bergvall, Barbara Kruger, Félix González-Torres, Lawrence Weiner, Bob Grenier, Mel Bochner and Ian Hamilton Finlay.

Wednesday, April 3, 4 p.m.

Dana Saulnier: Night after Night Dana Saulnier, Professor, Department of Art, Miami University The artist will discuss the development of his work, his aesthetic values as an artist, his recent series of “night paintings” and the complex relationship with the history of painting that circulates within his practice.

Tuesday, April 9, 5 p.m.

Striking Balance Jacob Tonski, Assistant Professor, Department of Art, Miami University

Jacob Tonski will describe how his creative works seek to understand the ways in which we find balance with the many forces in our lives. Forms range from kinetic sculpture to video art but are always probing the inescapable relationship to the world around us.

Tuesday, April 23, 7 p.m.

20th Century African-American Printmakers Larry Winston Collins, Associate Professor, Department of Art, Miami University This discussion will highlight the work of printmakers of African descent who found sustainable conditions to explore their creativity during the Work Projects Administration (WPA) period in the 1930s. Works by Robert Blackburn, John Biggers, Elizabeth Catlett, Dox Thrash and Charles White, among others, will be discussed.

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Hiestand Galleries Showcasing student and visiting artist works School of Creative Arts, Miami University

North Gallery Through February 15

2013 Miami University Young Painters Competition for the $10,000 William & Dorothy Yeck Award Friday, January 25 Juror Lecture: 4 p.m., 100 ART Reception: 5:15-6:15 p.m.

Award Ceremony: 5:45 p.m.

Through the generous gift from William (Miami University Class of 1936) and Dorothy Yeck of Dayton, Ohio, Miami University has a unique opportunity to provide students and the community at large to develop a critical understanding of painting in the 21st century. The competition winner will be awarded the $10,000 William and Dorothy Yeck Award and the painting will become part of Miami University’s permanent collection. This year’s competition focuses on representational realism paintings. This year’s juror, Lance Esplund, is the U.S. art critic for Bloomberg News. He has written previously for The Wall Street Journal, The New York Sun and other publications such as Art in America and Modern Painters.

February 28 – March 20

B.F.A. Capstone Exhibition

Reception: Tuesday, March 5, 4:30-6 p.m.

Department of Art senior studio majors participating in the semester-long Capstone course feature their latest visual investigations.

March 25 – April 2

James Price, M.F.A. Exhibition, Painting - Angel Reception: Friday, March 29, 4:30-6 p.m.

Rhythmic patterns within movements and combinations relying on dysfunctional memory resulting in altered states.

April 4 – 14

Stephanie McGuiness, M.F.A. Exhibition, Painting Little Explosions Reception: Friday, April 12, 4:30-6 p.m.

One afternoon, I found a notebook documenting a difficult period in a stranger’s life. A narrative developed from this source by combining the written events with invented and personal environments. These paintings are the visual result of the narrative, serving as a focus for the viewers to project their own experiences.

April 17 – 25

Tim Parsley, M.F.A. Exhibition, Painting - After the Meridian Brightness Reception: Thursday, April 18, 4:30-6 p.m.

What we construct, constructs us. History reveals this, and American history in particular evidences the complicated effect of constructive ambition. My work reconfigures various ideas and images of American history, exploring the undercurrents for how we construct and are constructed today as individuals and societies.

hiestand happenings hiestand happenings

Robert E. & Martha Hull Lee Gallery Dec 7, 2012 – Feb 8, 2013

Dana Oldfather - Taming of the Unrelenting Empty

May 1 – 10

B.F.A. Graphic Design Exhibition

Reception: Friday, May 10, 4:30-6 p.m.

This annual exhibition includes recent works by Senior Graphic Design majors from the Department of Art. Package, identity, web and logo design are featured in this exhibition.

Hiestand Galleries Ann Taulbee, Director, Hiestand Galleries, Department of Art (513) 529-1883

Gallery hours: Monday-Friday 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

Other hours available by appointment.

Galleries closed: During exhibition installation and January 1-11; March 11-15; May 13-June 10; July 11-August 26 Receptions are at Hiestand Galleries except as noted.

For full details visit http://arts.muohio.edu/art/facilities/ hiestand-galleries

Lecture: Thursday, January 24, 6 p.m., ART 100 Reception: Friday, January 25, 5:15-6:15 p.m

Dana Oldfather, the winner of the 2012 Young Painters Competition, returns with new works created especially to highlight her studio practice from this past year. Through an emotive abstraction, Oldfather examines the transitory nature of comfort, power and security. Drawn to the combination of sweet and dangerous, solid and ephemeral, full and empty, natural and man-made, physical and architectural, her work combines diametric elements resulting in a bio-mechanical environment and organism as one; something that has no birth or death and is beginning to show signs of autonomy.

March 18 – 29

Vanessa Graham, M.F.A. Exhibition, Metals - Recent Works Reception: Friday, March 29, 4:30-6 p.m.

By denouncing perfection and embracing quirks, I both find and make my objects. I chose materials that are tactile and visceral, processes that are open ended.

Both deliberate choices and spontaneity bring these objects to life. A wayward thread, a runaway glob of solder or the bleed of rust suggests a history in each of the pieces. I find beauty and worth in their mistakes, am fascinated by their unplanned forms, discrepancies in surface and subtle faults.

April 29 – May 10

Shane T. Wright, M.F.A. Exhibition, Metals - Choose Reception: Tuesday, April 30, 4:30-6 p.m.

Reflecting on the historical links between cultural values and art, and how these are passed to future generations, my work presents two differing views of what could be in contemporary art. The viewer is asked to reflect on the cultural values present in contemporary art and choose which of my two “views” he or she would prefer to represent the values of our society in the future.

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Cage Gallery

Showcasing Architecture + Interior Design School of Creative Arts, Miami University

January 14 – 18

PAVE Design Submissions: “The Future of Retail” Utilizing industry experts in trends analysis and retail design, students will first understand forecasts of retail needs. They will then gain potent tools for analysis into the pragmatics of the customer experience and engage in rigorous exploration of myriad motivators and influencers inherent to retail spaces Studio: TOUCH. [the front of the store is a tactile environment] (both physical and virtual). Developing a foundation in communicating brand will provide students with a broad understanding of the field and their role therein. A deepdive analysis into the consumer experience will help them shape forward-thinking attitudes and solutions for 3 2 design problems. Design project outcomes include a small 1 flower shop for western Expats in Shanghai, China, and submissions for the 2012 PAVE Student Design competition 3 2 for a pop-up store for Bonobos brand menswear in the 1 meatpacking district of NYC.

The consumer experiences a raw, stripped environment that speaks to their individuality and the importance of a singular thread in the fabric of society. The consumer becomes acquainted with the merchandise in a very intimate and tangible way. The unraveling of merchandise highlights each item as a feature. The mood is set by simplicity and order in the midst of chaos. The studio is a workspace for the consumer to easily indentify the diversity in merchandise + unique possibilities that exist in the store.

Each table displays a specific category of merchandise.

Free-form fabrics hang on felt racks above the finished Bonobos merchandise. Each fabric panel directly corresponds to the pair of pants below. Consumers can actively engage with the wide range of patterns, textures and fabric options offered by the brand.

Faculty: Kim Martin

January 21 – February 1

ARC636 Student / ’ Faculty Soiree: “Design and Research Methods” ARC636, 2013, “Design and Research Methods” is the Master of Architecture prethesis seminar engaged in the writing portion of the thesis design process. Each ARC636 graduate student will present graffiti boards of thesis topics of interest and passion. ARC636 invites the Cage Gallery visitor to engage the boards by leaving your mark –of ideas, questions and comments.

Faculty: Diane Fellows

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arts @ miami

February 4-15

felt

In collaboration with students, John Humphries will install several original pieces exploring novel ways of making sound from images.

Cage Gallery

John Weigand, Chair, Department of Architecture + Interior Design 101 Alumni Hall, Oxford (513) 529-7210 arcid@MiamiOH.edu www.arts.MiamiOH.edu/ architecture-interior-design Gallery hours: Monday-Friday 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

IN the cage

March 4 – 15

Graphic Design - Best in Class

February 18 – March 1

Upcyle

Faculty: Murali Paranandi

This is an exhibition of jury-selected work by second, third and fourth year B.F.A. graphic design students. The work in the show represents the design curriculum, from traditional to interactive to three-dimensional media, in both self-authored and collaborative projects.

Faculty: Peg Faimon

March 25 – April 5

loving bruce work by Diane Fellows An installation of photographs and images/sound-in-motion about one man’s desire to un-tether himself from social expectations that are deeply rooted in landscapes he has never seen. From the archives of a life: 1982-83; 2009; 2011.

Places: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Long Beach Island, New Jersey; The East Village, New York.

Below: film stills with projection Right: photograph, the artist and Bruce, Long Beach Island

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African Children’s Choir

Cary Wolfe: The Biopolitics of Animal Bodies Thursday, February 7, 4 p.m. | Location TBA. Reception to follow.

Friends and Enemies: Art by Marina Zurkow April 2013 | Location TBA

Round Table Discussion with Altman Fellows

Thursday, April 11, Late Afternoon Session Art Exhibit and Presentation: Marina Zurkow, “Friends and Enemies”

For further information and additional Humanities Center programming please visit cas.muohio.edu/humanities

Sponsored by Brett & Laura Smith and the Western College Alumnae Association 7:30 p.m., Thurs., Feb. 7, Hall aud. $9 youth, $17 Srs., $18 adults pIck 5: $6 Students, $13 Srs./adults

SparkS wIll Fly!

Bowfire

Sponsored by The Knolls of Oxford, Kona Bistro, and Jim & Kathy Squance and Family 7:30 p.m., Tues., march 5, Hall aud. $13 youth, $27 Srs., $28 adults pIck 5: $10 Students, $23 Srs./adults

claSSIcal muSIc SenSaTIon

The 5 Browns

Sponsored by the Baymont Inn & Suites, Gil & Joyce Gordon, Mary Holtz, Kona Bistro 7:30 p.m., Thurs., april 11, millett Hall $8 youth, $16 Srs., $17 adults pIck 5: $5 Students, $12 Srs./adults

Pick 5, Pay Less!

Purchase 5+ tickets in one order Box Office only

Box office, room 111, Shriver center, 529-3200

MiamiOH.edu/PerformingArtsSeries

Cultivating the next generation of art enthusiasts

A free program including storytime led by the Lane Public Library children’s department, paired with a related craft.

For children ages 3-5, accompanied by an adult.

Free

When:

cosponsored with

10 a.m.-Noon

and open to the public

Lane The

Libraries

Spring 2013 Thursday, February 28 Thursday, March 28 Thursday, April 25

Location:

Miami University Art Museum

featured collector

A Living Treasure

By Bonnie Mason

H

elen Snider’s commitment to the Miami University Art Museum began in the early 1980s when she joined the museum docents. She was, and still is, passionate about contemporary art. Helen took university classes on the subject and visited museums in the United States and abroad. It was a joy to watch her in action as she guided and instructed countless students and other visitors in the work of past and current artists.

Helen’s commitment to the Art Museum went beyond her docent responsibilities. Supporting the growth of the museum and its collection was one of Helen’s passions. Many people remember the role she played in the acquisition of R. B. Kitaj’s painting, Germania (Joe Singer’s Last Room).

To know Helen is to understand her involvement in the arts, especially new movements in the arts, and her political and social activism.

An early indication of Helen’s engagement was her decision to stop wearing silk stockings after the Japanese invasion of Manchuria. Again, in 1941, she was thrust into the center of world affairs when her husband, Delbert (Del) Snider, a gifted young economist, was sent on assignment to Honolulu by the U.S. Treasury. Helen and Del were enjoying life and new friends in the exotic Hawaiian setting when they awoke on December 7th to the sound of what they thought were coconuts dropping on the roof.

Later that day, when the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor had ended but the threat of an invasion

continued, Del and Helen, in the midst of a blackout with no clear idea about what to do, decided to spread a blanket over a table and crawl underneath to play bridge with friends.

World politics and art came together for Helen in the turbulence and excitement of Paris after the Liberation when Del was assigned to work with the Bank of France in 1945. That brought the Sniders into contact with the vibrant cultural scene in postwar Paris. Among their new friends were Clément Serveau and his wife. Between the wars Clem, like his friend and colleague Henri Matisse, had begun a promising career as an artist. After the war, Serveau’s work was widely exhibited in Europe and the United States and he was asked by the French government to design new bank notes and postage stamps.

The Sniders remained in contact with the Serveaus and other European friends they had made within the cultural milieu of postwar Paris. Later they went to Greece where Del worked to help restore the banking system, but it was always the exciting years in Paris that lived on with them. A small portrait of Helen painted after WW II by Clément Serveau has a prominent place in her retirement residence.

Del and Helen were among the Miami University faculty selected to open a new academic center in Luxembourg in 1968-69 and again in the 1980s, enabling them to renew their contact with the European art world. Helen’s unique experiences provided her with a background that cannot be learned from textbooks. Helen has lived the art.

The Art Museum’s collection of over 16,000 works of art has largly been built through gifts in kind and selected purchases made possible by member donations and endowments. For more information about supporting the Art Museum through membership contact Sue Gambrell at (513) 529-1887 (gambresw@MiamiOH.edu).

15 visual arts @ miami | 15

volunteer spotlight

A True Original!

W

About the Art Museum Docent Program: Meeting weekly when school is in session, the Docent Program is coordinated by the Curator of Education, Cynthia Collins. Docents lead tours, provide classroom based instruction demonstrating artistic methods and more. Any individual interested in becoming a volunteer or docent should contact Cynthia at collinc5@MiamiOH.edu or (513) 529-2243.

16 | visual

arts @ miami

hen the Art Museum opened its doors in 1978, Barbara Serraino was one of the first docents to volunteer. Encouraged by a friend to join, she was excited about the opportunity to learn and teach about art.

A full-time career volunteer, her life quote has been to “make the place where you are better for having been there.”

Reminiscing about some of the highlights of those first years, Barbara shared, “Learning about art has been wonderful, and the travel opportunities in those early years included trips to Europe, and the friendships I’ve made are everlasting—these are still some of my best friends.”

Now in her 29th year of her arts education as one of the Art Museum’s more than 20 docents, Barbara described the whole experience as “opening a door that you didn’t know was there and finding everything behind it.”

A favorite work of art in the collection is Blue Spell by Hans Hofmann, which is currently on display in the Phyllis Burkham Goodyear Gallery, although Barbara prefaced her selection with “it’s hard to choose just one.”

“Being a docent is such a good thing to do, encouraging people to come in to the museum to learn and then share new-found knowledge with others,” she expressed. Her advice is that anyone interested in becoming a docent “should contact Cynthia, and come to our meetings.”

“Most of my work as a docent has been in the writing of the early children’s programs,” said Barbara. One of her favorite programs is ceramics. She continued, “I liked them all, but the ceramics program especially, perhaps because of its connection with the Native American works in the collection.”

Her favorite exhibition while a docent at MUAM was Paul Cadmus: Yesterday and Today in the Fall of 1981.

When visiting a museum, Barbara prefers to experience the art by trying to get alone with the work, to communicate quietly with the piece.

The fewer distractions, the easier it is to engage with the art.

Barbara and her husband Bill, Professor of Finance Emeritus, have three children and are proud grandparents and great-grandparents.

Below: Hans Hofmann (American, b. Germany, 1880-1966) Blue Spell (detail), 1958; oil on canvas; gift of Walter A. and Dawn Clark Netsch; 1979.P.7.7

Art Museum Staff Spotlight

Making a Mark W

hen not working as the Miami University Art Museum Preparator and Building Manager, Mark DeGennaro might be found working on the chain crew at Miami football games, or with his family, or fishing, cooking, golfing or painting.

Mark played football while attending Hiram College, and then completed his art degree at the University of California, Los Angeles. An Ohio native, he moved back with his wife, Debbie, after 10 years in southern California.

One of his first jobs was painting sets for an opera production company in Akron, Ohio. Prior to starting at the Art Museum in 1994, he worked at the Santa Monica Museum of Art, the Gene Autry Heritage Museum and the Karl Bornstein Gallery in Santa Monica, where he had the opportunity to meet and work with many famous contemporary artists, dealers, collectors, and even movie stars. He recalled enjoying lunch with Danny DeVito and Rhea Perlman and on separate occasions having a couple of beers with Cheech Marin and Sylvester Stallone.

When asked about his favorite art or artist, Mark said, “I don’t really have a favorite artist. The types of art I enjoy most are Greek and Roman, Egyptian, and 18-19th century paintings and prints because of the craftsmanship and technical skills.”

One thing that keeps him interested in his job is the people—he has enjoyed getting to know the many different people coming through the door.

Reflecting on some of his earliest memories, Mark vividly remembers meeting the museum docents for the first time. “They are a great group of women,” he remarked, and he appreciated them welcoming him and his family to Oxford. “It’s been nice seeing them every Monday for the past 18 years!”

Mark also enjoys working with and being surrounded by so much art. “We have a very diverse collection from all over the world. Being able to hold a 3,000-year-old object is pretty exciting, especially knowing someone else was holding it 3,000 years ago.”

Another memorable experience for Mark was when three Native American potters came in to inspect the Edna Kelly pottery collection. “As they were going through the pots, one of the potters recognized a pot made by a relative of his. It was a cool ah-ha moment.” Mark feels it’s one of the museum’s best kept secrets. “It’s the best collection of southwest Native American pots, baskets, jewelry and rugs this side of the Mississippi, nearly 600 pieces from 1890s-1970s.”

The 2001 exhibition of the Edna Kelly collection remains one of Mark’s favorites among the more than 200 exhibitions he has worked on. For Mark, the Art Museum is the perfect place to enjoy the creative accomplishments of mankind.

visual arts @ miami | 17

Interns @ the Museum Curatorial Interns Krista Dunkman (left) and Jaqueline Wallace (right) split their time researching and preparing for the Spring 2013 Department of Art Faculty & Alumni Exhibition and a future Art Therapy exhibition. Both worked closely with Curator of Exhibitions, Jason Shaiman.

Krista Dunkman, Senior, Art History & History major from Carlisle, Ohio Most enjoyed: “Creating the themed placement for the exhibit, since the pieces didn’t necessarily go together.”

Favorite piece in Spring exhibition: Photograph, Topaz Internment Camp, Utah - Lydia and Barrack Wall, by Jon Yamashiro.

“It’s interesting to me because it represents a younger generation negotiating its cultural history.”

Other internship experiences: Also interned at the United States Air Force Museum in Dayton.

Happy New Year from your friends at the Miami University Art Museum

Jacqueline Wallace, Junior, Art History major from Philadelphia Most enjoyed: “Working with Jason determining the setup for the Department of Art Faculty and Alumni Exhibition, deciding the appropriate placement of works throughout the galleries.”

Favorite piece in Spring Exhibition: Rainmaker, by Tadashi Koizumi. “I felt it was whimsical, silly, and brings fun to copper, which is normally such a serious medium.”

Other internship experiences: Interning with the Philadelphia Children’s Museum this Summer.

Thank you for your support!

Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest!

f: facebook.com/MiamiUniversityArtMuseum t: twitter.com/MiamiUArtMuseum p: pinterest.com/MiamiUArtMuseum

Back row, left-right: Scott Kissell, Steve Gordon, Sue Gambrell, Jason Shaiman and Sherri Krazl Front row: Mark DeGennaro, Debbie Caudill, Bob Wicks, Laura Henderson and Cynthia Collins

Summer 2013 Exhibitions May 24–June 29, 2013 (Summer) Hamilton High School Art Show Collections Highlights - Recent Acquisitions Jean Lodge: Prints, Paintings and Drawings

events @ a glance

visual arts @ miami

January January 14 – Reception: VIP / Members Preview – Department of Art Faculty & Alumni Exhibition. (Art Museum) 5-7 p.m.

January 23 – Department of Art Faculty & Alumni Exhibition Extended Hours / Open House. (Art Museum) 5-7 p.m.

January 16 – Student Reception: Winter Art Reception and Exhibition Opening.

(Art Museum) 6-8 p.m.

January 25 – Reception: Dana Oldfather - Taming of the Unrelenting Empty.

(Hiestand) 5:15-6:15 p.m.

January 15 – Department of Art Faculty & Alumni Exhibition opens to the public.

(Art Museum) 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

February

February 5 – Extended Gallery Hours.

(Art Museum) 5-8 p.m.

The Shaping of New Visions: Interpreting Contemporary Art; Dr. Rina Kundu, Assistant Professor, Department of Art and Design, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee. (Art Museum) 7 p.m.

February 5 – Opening Reception, Nicaragua: A Remarkable Enigma, Photo Exhibition. (MacMillian Hall Lobby) 7 p.m.

January 24 – Lecture: Dana Oldfather - Taming of the Unrelenting Empty Reception. (ART 100) 6 p.m.

February 9 – Saturdays at the Art Museum, Walk-in Tours.

(Art Museum) 12 p.m.

February 21 – Contemporary Art Film Series - My Left Foot: The Story of Christy Brown. (Art Museum) 7 p.m.

January 25 – Lecture / Reception / Awards Ceremony: 2013 Miami University Young Painters Competition for the $10,000 William & Dorothy Yeck Award. Juror Lecture: (ART 100) 4 p.m.; Reception: (Hiestand) 5:15-6:15 p.m.; Award Ceremony: (Hiestand) 5:45 p.m.

January 31 – Contemporary Art Film Series: Basquiat. (Art Museum) 7 p.m.

February 26 – Extended Gallery Hours.

(Art Museum) 5-6 p.m.

Visual Expressivity in the African Diaspora: Conjunctures and Disjunctures; Dr. dele jegede, Professor, Department of Art. (Art Museum) 5 p.m.

February 28 – Art Explorers.

(Art Museum) 10 a.m.-Noon

March

March 5 – Extended Gallery Hours.

(Art Museum) 5-6:30 p.m.

Design’s New World: Collaboration, Interaction, Participation; Peg Faimon, Chair, Professor of Art and Helen Armstrong, Assistant Professor, Graphic Design /Art. (Art Museum) 5:30 p.m.

March 5 – Reception: B.F.A. Capstone Exhibition. (Hiestand), 4:30-6 p.m.

April & May April 3 – Dana Saulnier: Night after Night; Dana Saulnier, Professor, Department of Art. (Art Museum) 4 p.m.

April 9 – Extended Gallery Hours.

(Art Museum) 5-6 p.m.

Striking Balance; Jacob Tonski, Assistant Professor, Department of Art. (Art Museum) 5 p.m.

April 12 – Reception: Stephanie McGuiness, M.F.A. Exhibition. (Hiestand) 4:30-6 p.m.

March 19 – Extended Gallery Hours.

(Art Museum) 5-6 p.m.

From Labyrinth to Surfaces, An exploration of Image-Space, Joomi Chung, Associate Professor, Department of Art. 5 p.m.

March 27 – Extended Gallery Hours.

(Art Museum) 5-8 p.m.

Text arts: Writing, Poetics and Visual Display; Dr. chris cheek, Associate Professor, Department of English.

(Art Museum) 7 p.m.

March 23 – Saturdays at the Art Museum, Walk-in Tours. (Art Museum) 12 p.m.

March 29 – Receptions: Vanessa Graham and James Price, M.F.A. Exhibitions.

(Hiestand) 4:30–6 p.m.

March 21 – Contemporary Art Film Series: The Great Contemporary Art Bubble (2009). (Art Museum) 7 p.m.

March 28 – Art Explorers. (Art Museum) 10 a.m.-Noon

April 13 – Saturdays at the Art Museum, Walk-in Tours. (Art Museum) 12 p.m.

April 25 – Art Explorers. (Art Museum) 10 a.m.-Noon

April 23 – Extended Gallery Hours.

(Art Museum) 5-8 p.m.

20th Century African-American Printmakers; Larry Winston Collins, Associate Professor, Department of Art. (Art Museum) 7 p.m.

May 10 – Reception: B.F.A. Graphic Design Exhibition. (Hiestand) 4:30-6 p.m.

April 18 – Reception: Tim Parsley, M.F.A. Exhibition. (Hiestand) 4:30-6 p.m.

April 30 – Reception: Shane T. Wright, M.F.A. Exhibition. (Hiestand) 4:30–6 p.m.

visual arts @ miami | 19

exhibitions @ a glance

visual arts @ miami

January

Through Feb 8, 2013 Dana Oldfather - Taming of the Unrelenting Empty (Hiestand)

Through February 15 2013 Miami University Young Painters Competition for the $10,000 William & Dorothy Yeck Award (Hiestand)

January 15 – May 11 Department of Art Faculty & Alumni Exhibition (Art Museum) Global Perspectives, Art History @ A Glance and Charles M. Messer Leica Exhibition (Art Museum)

January 14 – 18 PAVE Design Submissions: “The Future of Retail” (Cage)

January 21 – February 1 ARC636 Student / Faculty Soiree: “Design and Research Methods” (Cage)

February

February 4 – 15 felt (Cage)

February 4 – 28 Nicaragua: A Remarkable Enigma, Photo Exhibition by Miami student Jeff Salomon. (MacMillian Hall Lobby)

February 18 – March 1 Upcyle installation+solar shade process (Cage) February 28 – March 20 B.F.A. Capstone Exhibition (Hiestand)

March

March 4 – 15 Graphic Design - Best in Class (Cage)

March 18 – 29 Vanessa Graham, M.F.A. Exhibition, Metals - Recent Works (Hiestand)

April / May

April 4 – 14 Stephanie McGuiness, M.F.A. Exhibition, Painting - Little Explosions (Hiestand) April 17 – 25 Tim Parsley, M.F.A. Exhibition, Painting - After the Meridian Brightness Explosions (Hiestand)

March 25 – April 2 James Price, M.F.A. Exhibition, Painting – Angel (Hiestand) March 25 – April 5 loving bruce work by Diane Fellows (Cage)

April 29 – May 10 Shane T. Wright, M.F.A. Exhibition, Metals Choose (Hiestand)

May 1 – 10 B.F.A. Graphic Design Exhibition (Hiestand)

Miami University Art Museum 801 S. Patterson Ave., Oxford (513) 529-2232 artmuseum@miamioh.edu www.MiamiOH.edu/Art-Museum

Hiestand Galleries 124 Art Building, Oxford (513) 529-1883 sfagallery@miamioh.edu www.MiamiOH.edu/ hiestandgalleries

Cage Gallery 101 Alumni Hall, Oxford (513) 529-7210 arcid@miamioh.edu www.arts.MiamiOH.edu/ architecture-interior-design

McGuffey Museum 401 E. Spring Street, Oxford (513) 529-8380 mcguffeymuseum@miamioh.edu www.MiamiOH.edu/ mcguffeymuseum

Gallery hours: Tuesday-Friday 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Saturday Noon-5 p.m.

Closed Sunday-Monday

Gallery hours: Monday-Friday 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

Other hours available by appointment.

Gallery hours: Monday-Friday 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Museum hours: Thursday-Saturday 1-5 p.m.

Closed January & February