Art@UMUC Magazine, Fall 2016

FALL 2016

News and Perspectives for Friends of the Arts

4 A RT S

Akemi Maegawa: Dualities

P R O G R A M

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The Art of Design

U N I V E R S IT Y

O F

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M A RYL A N D

Arts Program Out and About: Newark, New Jersey

U N I V E R S IT Y

C O L L E G E

GREETINGS From the President Dear Patrons, I have often said that art feeds the creative spirit that dwells in each of us, fires our imaginations, drives innovation, and enriches our world.

At University of Maryland University College (UMUC), our Arts Program accomplishes all of these things, while furthering our mission of bringing education within reach for students across Maryland and around the world. Our collection—which now includes some 2,800 pieces—is marked by its accessibility. It is on regular display, free of charge, in our administrative facilities, in our galleries, and through a variety of public exhibitions.

It showcases the work of new and established artists alike, and it serves to introduce their work to broader and more diverse audiences.

Our Faculty Arts Invitational 2016 offered a perfect example of how the Arts Program accomplishes its mission, providing artists and their invited guests a showcase for their fine art. At the same time, it reminded us of the importance of art in our communities. No matter which subject they teach, these faculty members share information, perspective, appreciation, history, and criticism with their students. Their students, in turn, share insights and perspective, and the resulting dialogue shapes the future—of the arts and of our nation.

To all of you who support the arts and our Arts Program, I say thank you. Because of you, we can continue to showcase inspiring work like that on display in our Faculty Arts Invitational 2016, introducing it to new and more diverse audiences and continuing to enrich the educational experience for our students, faculty, staff, and the local community.

Thank you for your commitment, your generosity, your vision, and for all you do on behalf of our university and our Arts Program.

Sincerely,

Javier Miyares, President University of Maryland University College

From the Chair Dear Art Patrons,

UMUC ARTS PROGRAM

MISSION STATEMENT With a regional and national focus, the Arts Program is dedicated to the acquisition, preservation, study, exhibition, and interpretation of works of art of the highest quality in a variety of media that represent its constituents and to continuing its historic dedication to Maryland and Asian art.

We are in the midst of an exceptional 2016 season, and we are very enthusiastic about the high quality of the exhibits the UMUC Arts Program continues to provide to our students and the arts community. We just wrapped up a successful run of the exhibition Plurality: The Conceptual Art of Akemi Maegawa, which closed to rave reviews from our visitors and supporters. Through the end of July we featured the extraordinary talent of faculty within the University System of Maryland in our annual Faculty Art Invitational. And a stunning collection of work by several exciting artists—Bill Harris, Maria-Lana Queen, and Sargent-Thamm—titled Convergence: Narrative and Symbols was recently on view at the federal courthouse in Greenbelt.

Our Third Biennial Maryland Regional Juried Art Exhibition—one of the Arts Program’s most celebrated events—is now under production. Hundreds of hopeful artists competed for space in this exhibition, which opens in September. Then in October a new and compelling exhibition from our Joseph Sheppard collection, The Horrors of War, will open. We also have received several new artworks for our permanent collection and look forward to a major collection of work by Washington Color School artist Paul Reed.

The UMUC Arts Program is committed to providing outstanding exhibits and supporting artists from Maryland and the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. As always, we could never do any of this without your continued support. Please consider donating to the Arts Program to keep these wonderful programs going!

Thank you so much for supporting the arts at UMUC. I hope to see you at one of our programs soon.

Sincerely,

Anne V. Maher, Esq., Chair, Art Advisory Board University of Maryland University College

CONTENTS

12 4

The Art of Design

Akemi Maegawa: Dualities

ON THE COVER

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Arts Program Out and About: Newark, New Jersey

In Every Issue GREETINGS FROM THE PRESIDENT AND THE CHAIR Akemi Maegawa UMUC showcased the work of Akemi Maegawa in an exhibition earlier this year.

Find out more about the artist on p. 4.

Akemi Maegawa, Baby Bottles with Tank, 2006, porcelain, size variable

2 COLLECTION SPOTLIGHT 3 DID YOU KNOW? 18 NEWS AND EVENTS 22 BECOME A FRIEND OF THE ARTS AT UMUC

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Organizing Memories (detail) by Akemi Maegawa;

Veil by UMUC graphic communication program faculty member Ding Ren; At the Center of It All mural by twin brothers Raoul and Davide Perre (known as How and Nosm) on the exterior wall of the Mana Art Center in Jersey City, New Jersey.

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YOSHITOSHI MORI / BY JON WEST-BEY

FALL 2016 Managing Editor Eric Key Editors Sandy Bernstein Beth Butler Nancy Kochuk Barbara Reed Director, Institutional Marketing Cynthia Friedman Graphic Designer Jennifer Norris Project Manager Laurie Bushkoff Arts Program Staff Tawanna Manago Rene Sanjines Jon West-Bey

Thanks to a generous donation from Julian and Patricia Jones, the UMUC Arts Program is pleased to have a drawing by Japanese artist Yoshitoshi Mori to display. Born in Tokyo in 1898, Mori is closely associated with the Mingei folkcraft movement and was influential throughout much of the 20th century as a stencil print artist and a fabric artist. Mori produced a series of stunning textiles early in his career.

The donated drawing, titled The Oni, depicts a man, presumably a samurai, attacking

a demon-like character known as an oni. In Japanese folklore the oni are typically portrayed with unkempt hair, sharp claws, and horns; they may also have an odd number of fingers.

The eponymous oni of Mori’s drawing is shown in a contorted stance, under attack by a sword-wielding samurai figure. Because the oni wears a loincloth of tiger skin, a typical symbol of invincibility, the drawing suggests that the samurai figure will attack the oni but not necessarily defeat it. Thus an interpretation of the piece as a representation of the internal human battle against evil seems quite reasonable.

UMUC Art Advisory Board Javier Miyares, UMUC President Anne V. Maher, Esq., Chair Eva J. Allen, PhD, Honorary Member Myrtis Bedolla, Vice Chair Joan Bevelaqua Schroeder Cherry, EdD I-Ling Chow, Honorary Member Nina C. Dwyer Karin Goldstein, Honorary Member Juanita Boyd Hardy, Honorary Member Sharon Smith Holston, Honorary Member Pamela G. Holt Eric Key Thomas Li, Honorary Member David Maril, Honorary Member Terrie S. Rouse Christopher Shields Barbara Stephanic, PhD, Honorary Member Dianne A. Whitfield-Locke, DDS Sharon Wolpoff Elizabeth Zoltan, PhD University of Maryland University College is a constituent institution of the University System of Maryland. Art@umuc is published twice a year by UMUC’s Art Advisory Board. Please send comments to arts@umuc.edu or mail to Magazine Editor Arts Program University of Maryland University College 3501 University Boulevard East Adelphi, MD 20783-8007 Phone 301-985-7937 • Fax 301-985-7865

Donor Julian Jones has been a longtime art collector who worked with Bylee Massey to

develop the Arts Program at UMUC. Yoshitoshi Mori’s work has been shown at the Museum of Modern Art in New York; the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo; the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; and several other museums and galleries internationally. Mori died on May 29, 1992.

ABOVE: Yoshitoshi Mori, The Oni, 1987, watercolor, charcoal, and ink, 14¾ x 16 inches, UMUC Permanent

Collection, Asian Collection, Gift of Julian and Patricia Jones

2 UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND UNIVERSITY COLLEGE

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS: Cover: John Woo; Inside cover:

Katherine Lambert, Tracey Brown; p. 1 clockwise from top left: John Woo, Ding Ren, Ervin McDaniel, John Woo; pp. 2–5 John Woo; p. 6: Akemi Maegawa; p. 7: John Woo; p. 8: Akemi Maegawa; pp. 9–11: John Woo; p. 16–17 Eric Key; p. 18: clockwise from top left: courtesy of Sarah Wegner, Tracey Brown, John Woo, Tracey Brown; p. 19 art board members, clockwise from top left: Tracey Brown, Tracey Brown, Tracey Brown, Terrie S. Rouse; all others: John Woo; p. 20 top: Tracey Brown; all others: John Woo; p. 21 clockwise from top left: Tracey Brown, John Woo, courtesy of James Phillips, Tracey Brown

DID YOU KNOW? LITTLE-KNOWN FACTS ABOUT ARTISTS AND ARTWORKS IN THE UMUC PERMANENT COLLECTION

By Eric Key

Did you know . . . the late Eugene Leake, a former

D.C. artist Tim Davis, who moved

David Smedley, head of the

Leslie Chin, who works in all

president of the Maryland Institute

to the area after earning an MA

sculpture program for Howard

media, specializes in the ink-resist

College of Art, was an outstanding

from the University of Illinois at

University, produced a bronze

technique, and has exhibited at

landscape artist?

Urbana-Champaign, trained as

bust of Charles H. Wright, the

the Baltimore Museum of Art, was

a sculptor?

namesake for a museum of

born Chung Pao-Hua in China?

African American art in Detroit?

ARTWORK DETAILS ABOVE, LEFT TO RIGHT: Eugene Leake, Hedgerow, 1975, oil on canvas,

UMUC Permanent Collection, Doris Patz Collection of Maryland Artists; Tim Davis, Why You Waiting, 2007, acrylic and photography collage on canvas, UMUC Permanent Collection, International Collection; David Smedley, Homage to Bill Taylor, 2008, cherry wood, UMUC Permanent Collection, Maryland Artist Collection; Leslie Chin, Fisherman’s Wharf, 1970, mixed media on canvas, UMUC Permanent Collection, Doris Patz Collection of Maryland Artists

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Blue Sky Cake (U.S. and Japan) 2014, earthenware and porcelain 4 UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND UNIVERSITY COLLEGE 6 x 9 x 9 inches

AKEMI MAEGAWA

DUALITIES

BY BRIAN YOUNG

This article originally appeared in the UMUC exhibition catalog Plurality: The Conceptual Art of Akemi Maegawa and is being reproduced here with minor changes.

The exhibition was on display in the UMUC Arts Program Gallery from January 17 through April 17, 2016.

An opening reception, including a talk by Maegawa, was held on February 7.

Your Sunny Side Should Be Up Chair, 2006, stoneware, fabric, and foam, 5 x 12 x 12 feet

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kemi Maegawa and her work first came

City; the PF Gallery near Detroit; the Irvine Contemporary in

Washington, D.C.; and Area 405 in Baltimore, Maryland.

to my attention in 2006, when she was

completing her MFA at Cranbrook

The Cranbrook Academy of Art prides itself on fluidly

Academy of Art in a suburb of

mixing disciplines. A ceramist like Maegawa could fully

Detroit, Michigan. At that time, I was the curator for the

expect to study and immerse herself in other media, despite

Cranbrook Art Museum and responsible for overseeing

her coveted place in the prestigious ceramics department.

the MFA installation, in which every graduating student is

In fact, my strongest memories of my early encounters with

required to exhibit. Even then, I gave Maegawa a coveted

her work did not focus on ceramics. Perhaps she first came

spot to showcase her work. Over subsequent years, I have

to my attention when I “caught” her wrapping Carl Milles’s

learned a great deal more about Maegawa and her work,

large-scale statue Europa and the Bull, which is permanently

which continues to evolve. She harnesses an intellectual

installed on the Cranbrook campus. Maegawa used a light-

energy that resides in every work, no matter how whimsical

colored, soft fabric and tightly fitted it around the piece as

it may first appear.

she did with Wrapping Project–Studio. To keep the fabric

taut, she sewed all the seams by hand. As Maegawa later

Maegawa was born in Tsu, the capital city of Mie pre-

fecture, Japan, in 1968. In 1995 she moved to Hong Kong,

explained, it seemed that people had stopped noticing the

where she worked in the financial field until 2000. But the

imposing bronze work—despite the sculptor’s fame, the

following year, she enrolled at the Corcoran College of Art

provocative subject, and its prominent location. However, by

and Design, where she earned a BFA. Her education at

covering the work, ironically, Maegawa brought attention back

Cranbrook followed. Maegawa now resides in Bethesda,

to the piece. Visitors seemed to use the transformation as a

Maryland, with her husband Ryszard Pluta, MD, PhD, who

jumping-off point to discuss the role of public sculpture as

enjoyed a celebrated career as a neurosurgeon before

well as Maegawa’s work. Incidentally, Maegawa wrapped this

becoming a medical researcher.

enormous work during a cold Michigan winter. Some people

initially thought she was providing a protective cover.

At Cranbrook, Maegawa studied with the highly esteemed

Wrapping Project–Studio dates from 2008, and it shares

ceramist Tony Hepburn, an artist I had known previously from

my time at the Arkansas Arts Center. Because Cranbrook is so

sensibilities with the Cranbrook piece in which she wrapped

selective—accepting only 15 artists in each of 10 disciplines—

Carl Milles’s Europa and the Bull. In fact, Maegawa said that

my expectations were high for Maegawa and her colleagues.

wrapping the bull came after Wrapping Project–Studio, in

I later found out that she had received no fewer than three

part because after wrapping her studio contents, Maegawa

awards for ceramics while at the Corcoran. And before she

no longer had access to them. The overall effect of this more

graduated from Cranbrook, she received acclaim in numerous

personal work is that it seems to elevate the status of artist.

exhibitions, such as those at the SculptureCenter in New York

The artist’s tools become worthy of special protection and

ABOVE: Carl Milles’s Greek mythical sculpture

Europa and the Bull, 1935, located on the Cranbrook Academy of Art campus; LEFT: Maegawa’s fabric-wrapped version of Milles’s bronze scupture inspired by her Wrapping Project series.

6 UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND UNIVERSITY COLLEGE

WRAPPING PROJECT–STUDIO

The fabric layer that I created can be viewed as a protection or an external skin (like a cocoon). It hides the object and makes it visually inaccessible, but the covering also makes us more aware of the form of the object or the existence of the object by itself. By creating such an external skin and presenting the covered object, I question the meaning of the object and the role of protection and care.

AKEMI MAEGAWA

Wrapping Project–Studio, 2008 fabric and objects from studio 62 x 47½ x 40 inches

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8 UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND UNIVERSITY COLLEGE

admiration. The idea of plurality is also demonstrated in a conceptual notion that the tools themselves can become works of art, or at least the soul of the art. The piece also indicates recognition of the work of Christo, but as Maegawa is quick

WRAPPING PROJECT–WISH BALLOON

to point out, there is a difference: Christo aims to obscure the underlying element; Maegawa reinforces it.

For her MFA requirement, Maegawa created a provocative

conceptual piece called Wrapping Project–Wish Balloon. She asked some 50 to 100 people who had influenced her career to blow into a balloon as they made a wish. The balloons were

For Wrapping Project–Wish Balloon, I asked people around me to make a wish while blowing up a balloon. Then

then installed on a wall, where they slowly deflated as if the

I carefully covered each of the wish

wishes themselves had dissipated into the surrounding ether.

balloons with felt by hand stitching.

I bring up these two early works not to reminisce nostalgically about our budding friendship; rather, I want people to under-

Unlike wrapping a solid object, wrapping

stand that even when Maegawa was studying with one of the

a wish balloon demanded extra

most respected ceramists in the United States, she chose to work in fiber, balloons, and above all else, with ideas. In this current exhibition, there is a good deal of work that reflects her mastery of ceramics. There is also an abundance of work in other media, including fiber. But taken as a whole, this body

caution. I did not want to pop or break anybody’s wish existing in the balloon.

I had no idea what kind of wishes

of work is really about the manifestation of ideas into concrete

people had made in the balloons, but

form. When approaching Maegawa’s work, I would encourage

I felt a huge responsibility each time I

viewers first to consider the message and then to explore how

held a balloon. While I was sewing and

that message came to be.

wrapping the balloon, I thought about the person the entire time.

LEFT: Wrapping Project–Wish Balloon (inflated, detail), 2007– 2015, balloon, fabric, thread, and Japanese handmade paper; ABOVE: Wrapping Project–Wish Balloon (deflated) 2007–2015, balloon, fabric, thread, and Japanese handmade paper, size variable (approximate floor installation size 5 x 5 feet)

AKEMI MAEGAWA

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Cradle to Grave, 2014, stoneware, silk thread, fabric, and beads, 4 editions, each ceramic piece 7 x 11 x 7 inches, each fabric piece 11 x 11 x 7 inches

One of the principal messages in this exhibition is reflected

in the exhibition’s title, Plurality: The Conceptual Art of Akemi Maegawa. Cradle to Grave, 2014, is a perfect encapsulation of the exhibition. There are eight whimsical and colorful Volk-

CRADLE TO GRAVE

swagen buses that have a reborn, hippie spirit about them.

The obvious visual element in these objects is that Maegawa has taken a symbol of American freedom and consumerism

I made Cradle to Grave thinking about

and paired it with another symbol, for example, the symbol

life and death, yin and yang, beginning

representing the opposing forces of yin and yang on the sides of the two red vehicles. On one level, Maegawa is putting on

and end. Cradle to Grave consists of

display a reference to both the East and West as they collide.

four pairs of the iconic Volkswagen

These Volkswagen buses might represent the European and

buses, a symbol of the hippie era

American taste for open roads and bright self-promotion, in contrast to the Eastern belief in cosmology, invisible forces, and an overall sense of balance. While this might be Maegawa’s intention, the viewer has to look a bit deeper. The cloth vehicle in this pair is in actuality a baby toy, while the ceramic one is

when I was born. Each pair consists of a fabric sculpture and a ceramic sculpture. The soft fabric Volkswagen

an urn for one’s ashes. So this really is a work that lives up to

is made like a baby’s toy for a newborn;

its title. On another level, the piece is also personal, reflecting

the ceramic Volkswagen sculpture is

the artist’s interest in both fiber and ceramics and the duality of Maegawa’s background in two cultures. The playful nature of the piece might even be a tongue-in-cheek allusion to stereo-

an actual urn for keeping the ashes of a dead person.

types. These objects also reflect the artist’s focus on handmade objects. The hand-building and hand-stitching methods used in both are intentional. Maegawa does not use high technology, nor does she employ mass production.

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AKEMI MAEGAWA

Taste, 2011, stoneware, acrylic paint, and straw, 10 x 8 x 9½ inches

Baby Bottles with Tank and Baby Bottles with Gun, both

of contemporary craft is typically more benign (Confrontational

from 2006, portray a different collision of ideas than Cradle to

Clay being one exception). Beginning in the 1950s, Peter

Grave does. There is the obvious, jarring employment of weap-

Voulkos began to make clay objects that shed their utilitarian

onry with items intended for babies. To my eyes, this pairing has

purpose, and later Robert Arneson infused his ceramic pieces

the effect of opposing the presence of tanks and guns. There is

with humor and politics. Maegawa is part of that tradition, but

also another duality here. In most Asian cultures, ceramics are

her works do not venture into the realm of unsettling. Aestheti-

used for utilitarian or ceremonial purposes, the most obvious

cally, they remain bright and balanced.

being for eating and drinking. Here, Maegawa has used a craft

object, instilling it with a political or social statement against

to categorize. Clearly, there is a nod to her husband, a neurosur-

the use of weapons and force. Such statements are rare in the

geon. Yet I am more intrigued by—and admiring of—the idea that

world of contemporary craft. There is precedence, but the field

this work barely climbs into the realm of fine art. Without the

Taste, 2011, is another piece in the exhibition that is difficult

straw, one might imagine that this piece would be awfully close to the anatomical brain models that are used in medical training.

And isn’t it curious that the straw is a ready-made item of sorts?

But it provides the springboard into making Taste a work of fine art. In the context of a gallery setting, however, the work plays with our senses and with our sensibilities.

Plurality: The Conceptual Art of Akemi Maegawa is an

exhibition that provides a rich glimpse into the art and mind of a gifted ceramist. Each piece leads the viewers into different realms simultaneously.

Brian Young was the senior curator of the Arts Program at UMUC and was instrumental in developing this exhibition.

Baby Bottles with Gun, 2006, porcelain, size variable

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BY ERIC KEY

UMUC’s talented graphic design faculty members show that those who teach, can UMUC is proud of its many career-relevant programs designed to build the skills, competencies, and capabilities students need to achieve their professional aspirations.

One of these is UMUC’s graphic communication major, which helps students master the skills and technology to compete in today’s rapidly changing visual arts and communication environment.

In the graphic communication major, students take courses in graphic art and design, computer graphics, communication, business-oriented writing, and publication—while also receiving professional instruction on topics such as principles of composition, color theory,

layout, and context. A key component of the program is having students create (or update) a portfolio that demonstrates their work to potential employers. With a BA in Graphic Communication from UMUC, graduates are well positioned for careers in a variety of settings.

The success and appeal of this popular program rests on the talents of the faculty members—artists in their own right—who take on the essential role of mentoring their students. Among these, most prominent are Richard Vosseller, Ding Ren, and Ryan Hackett, who bring considerable artistic experience, as well as academic credentials, to the classroom.

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2

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The creative process behind Richard Vosseller’s Smoke sculpture:

1 Digital photograph of a puff of smoke 2 Study for Smoke, CAD image from

a three-dimensional laser scan of

the puff of smoke

3 Scale model of Smoke made of

birch wood, glue, and rice paper,

14 x 14 x 32 inches

4 Proposal rendering for a full-scale

installation at the D.C. Commission

for the Arts and Humanities Gallery

5 Draft installation in alternate materials

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at the Silber Gallery, Goucher College;

Smoke, 2012, galvanized steel wall

framing stud, screws, aluminum cable,

turnbuckles, 12 x 12 x 27 feet

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Ding Ren, Drying Sheet in the Forest, Invisibility Cloaks series, 2015–16, analog photograph, 4 x 6 inches

Richard Vosseller

Ding Ren

Richard Vosseller, who heads up UMUC’s graphic commu-

Adjunct assistant professor Ding Ren, an artist based in Amster-

nication and art programs, is a painter and sculptor who has

dam and Washington, D.C., uses photography to document

exhibited his works throughout the United States. Over the last

cross-cultural patterns through analog photographic practices.

decade, his work has evolved to incorporate principles of paint-

She helps students explore the use of photography as a tool

ing, sculpture, poetry, and commercial construction. Vosseller

of documentation while also teaching them to create stunning

has published art reviews in papers ranging from the Washing-

photos. The online format provides Ren an extra advantage,

ton Post and Montgomery Gazette to the Las Vegas Sun. He

allowing her the time to provide more thoughtful comments

has received a Cirque Du Soleil Grant; a supported residency

to student work and appropriate links.

at the Goldwell Artists Residency in Rhyolite, Nevada; and two

commissions for public works from Arlington County, Virginia.

the world, including those by EVA International (Ireland’s

He has a BFA in general fine arts from the Maryland Institute

biennial exhibition of contemporary art), the Frieze Foundation

College of Art and an MFA in painting from the San Francisco

(London), and the Trawick Prize (Bethesda, Maryland). Her

Art Institute.

works have been exhibited in the Netherlands, the Philippines,

China, Ireland, Iceland, Portugal, and the United Kingdom—as

With a special interest in 3D work, Vosseller teaches such

Ren’s work has been recognized in competitions all over

courses as 3D Design, 2D Design, Painting, Sculpture I, and

well as at UMUC, the Katzen Arts Center (Washington, D.C.),

Color Theory. His students appreciate his perspective and

and Maryland Art Place (Baltimore). Ren received a BA in

expertise. According to one student, Vosseller has “the sharpest

photography from University of Maryland, Baltimore County

eye for art of any teacher I’ve ever had,” while another says

and an MFA in studio art from George Washington University.

simply, “This guy knows his stuff.”

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Ryan Hackett Ryan Hackett, a founding member of the Washington, D.C., gallery Decatur Blue, received Baltimore’s Sondheim Artscape Prize, including a $25,000 fellowship, in 2010. He has exhibited widely, at locations that include the American University Museum and Corcoran Gallery of Art (Washington, D.C.), Queens Museum of Art (New York), Diego Rivera Gallery (San Francisco, California), and Baltimore Museum of Art (Maryland). He received a BA in studio art from University of Maryland, College Park and an MFA from the San Francisco Art Institute. Hackett currently lives in Bethesda, Maryland, and teaches painting and graphic design at UMUC.

Other Teaching Artists The immensely talented faculty who teach in the graphic

The success and appeal of this popular program rests on the talents of the faculty members—artists in their own right—who take on the essential role of mentoring their students.

communication program include Evan Villari, a recognized filmmaker, writer, and educator who has taught and presented lectures nationally, as well as Joseph Kabriel, David Labrozzi, Matthew Smith, Erin Stellmon, Carley Augustine, Colleen Fitzgerald, Josh Yavelberg, Joseph Cassar, Mateo Zachai, and Paul Zdepski. These gifted teaching artists encourage UMUC students to realize their true potential and help them develop the skills that can lead to professional success.

TOP: Ryan Hackett, Hybrid Transmission (Cicada/Surveillance Camera) 1 and 2, 2011, alkyd based oil over digital print on canvas, 72 x 72 inches; BOTTOM: Ryan Hackett, Polar Subwoofer, 2007, synthetic fur, audio equipment, 60 x 17 x 17 inches

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BY ERIC KEY

Newark, New Jersey The Arts Program sponsored its annual bus trip to experience

the arts in another community on June 11. On this year’s trip,

the red carpet for us, we spent the rest of the day visiting the

44 art enthusiasts—including collectors, artists, students, and

studios of Philemona Williamson and Ben Jones and the arts

patrons of the arts—joined the Arts Program staff on a daylong

community at the Mana Contemporary in Jersey City. Philemona

trip to various art venues in Newark and Jersey City, New Jersey.

Williamson’s representative talked about her postmodernist,

figurative works, which are often childlike or depict innocence.

Located next door to Manhattan and its well-known art

After a hearty lunch at Vonda Restaurant, which rolled out

scene, Newark can be overshadowed by the hustle and bustle

Ben Jones gracefully provided a 30-minute talk about his art, his

of New York City. But once we learned that Newark has its

life, and what inspires him and gave everyone an autographed

own vibrant take on the arts and

copy of his catalog.

culture, we decided to see it

for ourselves.

viewed the collection of the Fred-

erick R. Weisman Art Foundation.

The group gathered at the

At Mana Contemporary, we

Leroy Merritt Center for the Art

Weisman was a Los Angeles–

of Joseph Sheppard at 6 a.m. on

based businessman whose pas-

June 11 for a light breakfast and

sion was to collect contemporary

introductions all around before

art. The collection includes works

boarding the lavish charter bus

by such artists as Ed Ruscha,

to New Jersey. After picking up

John Baldessari, and Robert

other group members in Balti-

Irwin. This exhibition allowed us

more, Maryland, we were on our

to enjoy a wide array of art.

way to explore the arts of Newark.

was their first opportunity to tour

The first stop included a pri-

vate tour of the Newark Museum, which featured a sneak preview of the installation of works from

For many in our group, this

the collections we visited. Art Bus trip participants pose in front of Ben Jones’s studio in Jersey City, New Jersey.

the permanent African American

student Tonyia Jackson says she has “a new love for them” and was enthusiastic about the bus

art collection. The museum’s American Art collection—one of the

trip. “The experience is a memorable one and appreciated in all

finest in the country—has more than 12,000 paintings, sculp-

aspects,” she wrote.

tures, and works on paper. Without going into detail about the

wonderful yet surprising traditional and contemporary art collec-

was much more to see and do, everyone wanted to know one

tions, I would simply say that this museum is worth another visit.

thing: where are we going next?

16 UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND UNIVERSITY COLLEGE

When we returned to UMUC at midnight, knowing there

Great Trip

Recently I had the experience of going on an art-related bus trip with staff from UMUC. The trip was filled with great people, and we spent the day visiting museums, meeting artists, and seeing their artworks. The experience was a memorable one and appreciated in all aspects. I’ll explain a few great things in reference to the great adventure.

First and foremost, the staff of UMUC and Mr. Eric Key had everything mapped out perfectly. Our trip to the Newark Museum was awesome. The displays and arts were unique and beautiful. I’ve never visited those particular museums before and have a new love for them. We also stopped at several artist studios and were able to talk to the artists while viewing their works of art. All of the different art mediums were beautiful, inspiring, and left a grand impression on my mind.

Finally let me not forget about our lunch. All I can say is “awesome.” The hospitality and courtesy of the staff was authentic and great.

My bus trip is one to remember, and I thank UMUC and Mr. Eric Key for the experience. I will visit the museums again. The artists and creativity in the arts that were seen are very much appreciated. It was a great trip. Thank you all for the experience.

—Tonyia Jackson, art student

FROM TOP: New Jersey artist Ben Jones talks to bus trip participants visiting his studio; detail from one of

Ben Jones’s works; bus trip participants explore the Mana Contemporary in Jersey City, New Jersey.

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art@UMUC

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NEWS AND EVENTS The UMUC Arts Program especially enjoys supporting artists who not only share their creativity in the classroom but also are practicing artists themselves.

This year’s Faculty Art Invitational, All That’s

FACULTY ART INVITATIONAL

2016

All That’s Art

Art, featured the works of 31 visual artists in a captivating exhibition. Some 23 of the artists teach art within the University System of Maryland (USM); the others who participated either teach art at a community college in the area or are independent art professionals.

The 59 works in the exhibition represented

various art mediums and styles—from figurative to landscape to abstractions. Each work created a dialogue between the artist and the viewer.

This year’s Invitational was curated by the

talented artist Joan Bevelaqua, an adjunct professor at UMUC who is familiar with the competing demands placed on the artists in this show. She wrote:

This year’s Faculty Art Invitational cele-

brates the recent achievements of artist/

faculty members from Maryland’s public

universities and community colleges by

exhibiting their latest works in the UMUC

Arts Program Gallery. Today’s teaching

artists serve as the first point of contact

for many students who are majoring in art

or graphic communication or who simply

wish to explore their creative talents. As

teachers, these artists give students the

guidance they need to become art prac-

titioners, no matter what the students’

artistic ambitions may be. As artists, they

devote time and energy to their own body

of works. There is often a struggle between

becoming an excellent instructor and devel-

oping an artistic body of work, not only

because of the time needed for both but

also because the demands and challenges

are so different.

The UMUC Arts Program is proud to sup-

port these artist-teachers who are producing

Christopher Harrington, Peter Herzfeld, Bradley

quality, thought-provoking works of art. Many

Hudson, Theodore Johnson, Matt Klos, David

thanks to James Adkins, Joan Bevelaqua, Ed

Labrozzi, Clayton Lang, Lindsay McCulloch,

Brown, Joseph P. Cassar, Matt Smith Chavez,

Anne McLaughlin, Trace Miller, Nare Ratnapala,

Dustin Davis, Jessica C. Davis, Michel S.

Ding Ren, Daniel Riesmeyer, Brooke Rogers,

Demanche, Susan Dodge, Nina Chung Dwyer,

John Ruppert, Stuart Stein, Nora Sturges,

Colleen Fitzgerald, James Fitzsimmons,

Fahimeh Vahdat, and Sarah Wegner.

18 UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND UNIVERSITY COLLEGE

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Pain by Prince George’s

Community College faculty member Sarah Wegner; Clayton Lang, Bowie State University, with his leather and mixed media creation Tale of All Tails; Myth of Possession #1 by UMUC faculty member and guest curator Joan Bevelaqua; UMUC staff and participating art faculty at the opening reception

NEWS AND EVENTS UMUC Welcomes New Art Board Members UMUC Art Advisory Board members, appointed by the university president, help develop and advance UMUC’s Arts Program. They recommend best practices in managing collections, identify and develop potential revenue sources, offer guidance in planning exhibitions and events, and serve as advocates and ambassadors for the Arts Program. UMUC appreciates the service of all board members and welcomes four new faces to the board: Schroeder Cherry, Terrie S. Rouse, Christopher Shields, and Elizabeth Zoltan.

She has a BA in intercultural studies from

is an associate at Clear

Trinity College in Connecticut and an MA in

Writing Services and

African history from Columbia University.

of museum studies at Morgan State University in Baltimore. His more than 30 years in the museum field have focused on two key areas: making museum resources accessible to the public and developing grant proposals. He earned a BFA in painting and puppetry from the University of Michigan, a master’s degree in museum education from the George Washington University, and a doctorate in museum education from Columbia University.

Terrie S. Rouse, an experienced CEO and

to have some collectible art available for purchase. Below is an example of to the program for the purpose of raising funds to support the arts at UMUC. Artists whose works were donated include Joan Bevelaqua, Alan Binstock,

Christopher Shields,

Patrick Craig, Alonzo Davis, Tim Davis,

a financial market

Richard Franklin, Gladys Goldstein, and

data quality expert,

Raoul Middleman, among others.

has been director of

business operations for

works, please contact Eric Key, Arts

NASDAQ.com since

Program director, at Eric.Key@umuc.edu

1999. In that role, he

for details and special pricing.

If you are interested in any of the

manages the production operations of the website. He earned a BS in art education from the State University of New York College at New Paltz and an MS in information systems management from UMUC. Elizabeth Zoltan, PhD, is senior director for school support services

consultant, has presided

at Connections Educa-

over the opening and

tion, part of the global

operation of various

learning company

cultural institutions.

Pearson. She has

She has worked with

extensive experience in

the National Center for

The Arts Program at UMUC is fortunate

one of the artworks that was donated

Schroeder Cherry, EdD,

an adjunct professor

COLLECTIBLE ART AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE

higher education administration, most recently

Civil and Human Rights in Atlanta, Georgia;

having served as vice president and provost

the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center in Washington,

for Frederick Community College in Frederick,

D.C.; the soon-to-be-opened King Abdulaziz

Maryland. All three of her degrees—a BA in

Center for World Culture in Saudi Arabia;

psychology and an MA and a PhD in engineering

the Atlanta Ballet; and other organizations.

psychology—are from Johns Hopkins University.

Alonzo Davis, Ladder in Blue (detail), 2011, paint, bamboo, and fabric

A Welcome and an Art Walk On Thursday, March 31, Chancellor Robert L. Caret of the University System of Maryland (USM) and his wife Dr. Elizabeth Zoltan hosted a reception at their home, Hidden Waters, in Baltimore County. The event was to welcome the chancellor and his family to the official residence of the USM chancellor and to highlight artworks from UMUC’s art collection. The evening began with a welcome reception, followed by remarks from the chancellor and his wife, as well as UMUC President Javier Miyares. Guests also enjoyed a tour of the artwork in the chancellor’s home, offered by Eric Key, director of UMUC’s Arts Program. The tour featured works by Andy Warhol, Grace Hartigan, Nelson Stevens, Trace Miller, Clifton Santiago, Raoul Middleman, and many others, all of which are in the permanent collection at Grace Hartigan’s beloved artwork Watteau’s Musicians was featured on the art walk.

UMUC. Other works featured on the tour were from the Carets’ private art collection. Several artists represented in UMUC’s collections were in attendance, including Raoul Middleman and Trace Miller.

www.umuc.edu/art

art@UMUC

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NEWS AND EVENTS Courthouse Exhibition Each year the UMUC Arts Program curates a visual art exhibition at the U.S. District Courthouse in Greenbelt, Maryland, by request of art patron Judge Peter Messitte. This joint collaboration, enthusiastically supported by UMUC President Javier Miyares, is designed to reach the wider community through the arts.

This year’s exhibition, which ran for two months this summer, examined the works of Bill Harris, Maria-Lana Queen, and Sargent-Thamm in Convergence: Narratives and Symbols. Our sincere thanks go to artist Preston Sampson for curating the summer exhibition.

Both Judge Messitte and President Miyares

spoke at the May 19 opening reception, which drew a record number of community members, including federal judges and courthouse staff. Special thanks to Jon West-Bey, UMUC curator, and Rene Sanjines, UMUC fine arts technician, for their work in retrieving the works and installing the show.

Art adorns the walls of the federal courthouse in Greenbelt, Maryland.

WILLIAM “BILL” HARRIS

MARIA-LANA QUEEN

Bill Harris is a founding faculty member and former art department chair at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, D.C.; a former art faculty member at Howard University; and a past member of the Washington Printmakers. Now retired, he has mastered the art of woodworking. Harris received his BFA in Design and his MFA in Printmaking and Drawing from Howard University.

A Shield for My Daughter, 2013, printed canvas over wood, 45½ x 23½ inches

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Maria-Lana Queen is a mixed media artist whose works reflect her life and experiences.

Painting helped her deal with the loss of her brother in 2003 and gave her the inspiration to create a body of works that has become her voice in the world. Queen holds a BBA in Marketing from the University of the District of Columbia.

SARGENT-THAMM Collaboratively, Patrick Sargent and Erwin (Elmo) Thamm have forged a friendship by creating prints that include both of their artistic voices. Sargent was a political science major when he enrolled in an entry-level printmaking class that became the beginning of an entirely new journey. Sargent is now completing his MFA at George Mason University.

Thamm is an artist, printmaker, photographer, and video editor. He has printed with Lily Press and Navigation Press and is the cofounder of the GMU Printmakers Guild.

Homage 1, 2011, acrylic paint and oil stick on canvas, 63½ x 53 inches

Enter the Dragon (Bruce Lee), 2013, woodblock, paint, and screen print on paper, 24 x 24 inches

NEWS AND EVENTS Tour of the UMUC Art Collection In May, UMUC’s Arts Program had the honor of meeting Maryland artist Fran Brady, wife of former Reagan White House press secretary James Brady, and giving her an extensive tour of our art collections. After first meeting with UMUC President Javier Miyares, who had issued the invitation, Brady spent several hours with Art Advisory Board members Anne Maher, chair; Myrtis Bedolla, vice chair; and Elizabeth (Liz) Zoltan, along with Arts Program director Eric Key.

Brady responded enthusiastically to works

from the Doris Patz Collection, the Maryland Artist Collection, the Asian Collection, and more.

Her follow-up note summed up her day: “Thank you so much for a wonderful tour of an amazing collection! It really is a collection of collections, and I enjoyed every one of them.”

Upcoming Events BIENNIAL MARYLAND REGIONAL JURIED ART EXHIBITION (BMRE) September 18–December 31, 2016 UMUC Arts Program Gallery, Lower Level College Park Marriott Hotel & Conference Center Opening Reception Sunday, September 18, 2016, 3–5 p.m.

UMUC Arts Program Gallery, Lower Level Works by artists from Maryland, Northern Virginia, and Washington, D.C., will be featured as part of the 3rd Biennial Maryland Regional Juried Art Exhibition, known as the BMRE, sponsored by UMUC. UMUC has long showcased art by both emerging and established artists, and this exhibition is another opportunity to shine a well-deserved light on some of the most talented artists in the region. Jurors for the exhibition include Gretchen Schermerhorn, artist and artistic director, Pyramid Atlantic, Silver Spring, Maryland; Vanessa Thaxton-Ward, PhD, curator and interim director, Hampton University Museum, Hampton, Virginia; and Nina Chung Dwyer, adjunct professor of art, Montgomery College, Rockville, Maryland.

We appreciate Brady’s validation of our

hard work in collecting, preserving, and presenting art at UMUC.

JOSEPH SHEPPARD: HORRORS OF WAR October 30, 2016–October 29, 2017 Dorothy L. and Henry A. Rosenberg Jr. Painting Gallery The Leroy Merritt Center for the Art of Joseph Sheppard Opening Reception Saturday, November 5, 2016, 3–5 p.m.

This exhibition depicts 10 infamous massacres of World War II. The collection of paintings and drawings premiered in Palazzo Oradour-sur-Glane Moroni in Pietrasanta, Italy, to a crowd who understood and reflected on the horror of war. Joseph Sheppard is a well-known illustrator and realist painter who lives in Baltimore, Maryland, for part of the year and has been working in Pietrasanta for more than 30 years.

Eric Key, UMUC Arts Program director and tour guide, offers insights on Raoul Middleman’s large-scale Portrait of Grace Hartigan.

“IT REALLY IS A COLLECTION OF COLLECTIONS, AND I ENJOYED EVERY ONE OF THEM.” Fran Brady

JAMES PHILLIPS: SWIRLING COMPLEXITY INTO CULTURE January 15–April 16, 2017 UMUC Arts Program Gallery, Lower Level Opening Reception and Artist Talk Sunday, January 22, 2017, 3–5 p.m.

Aggression Artist James Phillips has a unique style of painting that incorporates African patterns and designs throughout his compositions. His work has been received with both awe and admiration, for each painting is a veritable kaleidoscope of color.

Get the latest updates on the UMUC Arts Program.

Visit www.umuc.edu/art/newsonline Fran Brady admires a work of art in the President’s Office.

www.umuc.edu/art

art@UMUC

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Make an Annual Contribution to the Arts Program Art enthusiasts in the UMUC community help make the university’s visual arts exhibitions, educational lectures, book signings, symposiums, and meet-the-artist receptions possible. Through the Friends of the Arts program, our biggest supporters enjoy a variety of benefits as a thank-you

FRIENDS OF THE ARTS (January 1, 2015–June 15, 2016)

for helping UMUC’s Arts Program become one of the most recognized

Sapphire-Level Friends

in Maryland.

Wolpoff Family Foundation

Simply commit to making an annual contribution at one of the following levels and you can join our growing list of friends.

Associate ($35) Name recognition in the arts newsletter, invitation to exhibit openings

Friend ($50) Above benefits, plus 10 percent discount on specialty items produced by the Arts Program, 10 percent discount on tickets to nonfundraising events, Arts Program lapel pin

Bronze-Level Friend ($100) Above benefits, plus autographed poster from the Arts Program collection

Silver-Level Friend ($250) Above benefits, plus name recognition on the donors' wall in the Arts Program Gallery

Gold-Level Friend ($500) Above benefits, plus full-color art catalog from a major UMUC art exhibition

Platinum-Level Friend ($1,000) Above benefits, plus VIP invitation to dinner with the guest artist and the university president, 10 percent discount at the Common (the restaurant at the College Park Marriott Hotel & Conference Center at UMUC)

Citrine-Level Friend ($2,500) Above benefits, plus corporate name and logo listing on UMUC Arts Program webpage, name and logo listing on all printed materials for exhibitions and public relations materials for the season

Sapphire-Level Friend ($5,000) Above benefits, plus a corporate art exhibition by a local artist coordinated

by UMUC (Special requirements apply; see www.umuc.edu/art for details.)

Visit www.umuc.edu/art and click on “Join the Friends of the Arts Program” or call 301-985-7937.

Interested in being added to our e-magazine list?

Send your e-mail address to arts@umuc.edu.

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Platinum-Level Friends Joan Burke Bevelaqua Nina Dwyer Michèle E. Jacobs and Joseph V. Bowen Jr. Robert W. Jerome Eric Key Anne V. Maher and Peter V. R. Franchot Michael S. Tenner

Gold-Level Friends Kathryn Bugg Marcia R. Watson

Silver-Level Friends Alvah Beander Myrtis J. Bedolla Lisa Anne Jackson Elmer A. Mendez Raoul Middleman Peter E. Quint Christopher A. Shields

Bronze-Level Friends Harriette E. Chiavacci LaTanya Eggleston

Gift-in-Kind Donors Michael Abrams James A. Adkins Eva J. and Nicholas H. Allen Kwabena Ampofo-Anti Carolyn Aoyama John and Doris Babcock Karin Batten Gwendolyn B. Clark Kevin E. Cole Loring Cornish Sandra Cryder David C. Driskell David R. Durfee Sr. Nina Dwyer Richard Franklin Graham Holding Company William A. Harris Winston Kain Harris Curlee Horton Margo Humphrey Sherry Jackson

Blair and Alice Hayes Sarah Lanning Theresa M. Lesko Julia Lindenmeier Denise Melvin Terrie S. Rouse Jessica Schmidt Lydia Christina Waddler Denise Welch Lesliee S. Whitfield Sharon A. Wolpoff Brian Young

Friends Patricia A. Dubroof Galerie Myrtis Cynthia F. Johnson Anthony Lee Edith Ogella Yoshiko Oishi Weick Mary Ellen Simon

Associates Gregory Branch Elizabeth B. Duncan Flavia Favali James Harrigan Kevin G. Herndon Charlotte E. Pointer Jacqueline K. Randolph

Cynthia F. Johnson Julian S. Jones Eric Key Matthew Klos Philip F. Koch Ulysses Marshall Wanda Spence McDow Anne McLaughlin Arthur Meisnere Trace Miller Tunde Odunlade Kathryn O’Grady Katja Oxman Constance Pitcher Preston W. Sampson Lucy Schoenfeld Joseph Sheppard Stephen Stein Noi Volkov Sharon A. Wolpoff Helen Zughaib