SPRING
2014
INSIDE 3
LOCATIONS & HOURS
4
SPRING 2014 CALENDAR OF EVENTS
5
FROM THE DIRECTOR
6-9
12-13
PROFILES IN PHILANTHROPY
14-17 LECTURES • • • •
Rubie Watson Nii Quarcoopome Herbert Cole Joshua DeMonte
22 WHAT’S NEW?
23
FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA FOUNDATION
Cover image
18-19
EDUCATION NEWS
SPRING 2014 EXHIBITION
10
MUSEUM PARTY
20 FIRST FRIDAYS & A WEDDING
Fulani women attending the Ouahigouya regional fair (detail) Burkina Faso, 1970 Photo by Nora Leonard Roy
11
21
Editor: Elizabeth M. Wallace Copy editor: Gail Zlatnik Design: Meng Yang
ART AWARDS
NEW STAFF
Copyright © 2014
NEWS/STUDIO ONE 90.9 FM NEWS 910 AM ClaSSICal 91.7 FM www.iowApublicrAdio.org
TE M P OR ARY OFFICE S • STU DIO ARTS B U ILDIN G TE M P OR ARY LOCATION S • IOWA M E M O RIAL U N IO N TH IR D FLOO R • FIGG E ART M US EU M
1375 Highway 1 West/1840 SA Iowa City, IA 52242-1789 319.335.1727
125 North Madison St. Iowa City, IA 52242 319.335.1742
uima.uiowa.edu
225 West Second St. Davenport, IA 52801 563.326.7804
IOWA MEMORIAL UNION THIRD FLOOR Free admission Hours: Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Thursday, 10 a.m.–9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, 12–5 p.m.
UIMA@IMU
BLACK BOX THEATER
On-campus visual classroom featuring an extensive installation from the Museum’s permanent collection
On-campus space for UIMA special exhibitions
FIGGE ART MUSEUM Free admission to the Figge Art Museum for University of Iowa students, faculty, and staff with UI ID cards and UIMA members with their membership cards.
Gallery space and storage for 11,000 pieces from the UIMA’s permanent collection, located one hour east of Iowa City
The UIMA Magazine is sponsored by
Willis & Willis Law Firm/Security Abstract
Nancy B. Willis & Craig N. Willis
SPRING 2014 CALENDAR
EXHIBITIONS FEBRUARY 22–JUNE 15
ART & LIFE IN AFRICA Black Box Theater, third floor, Iowa Memorial Union (IMU)
JUNE 7–AUGUST 3
A MOVABLE MUSEUM: Works from the UIMA School Programs Collections Figge Art Museum
ONGOING
UIMA@IMU, third floor, IMU
ONGOING
VIDEO CLASSROOMS: Studio Arts (SA), IMU
PUBLIC PROGRAMS JANUARY 3
5:00–7:00 p.m.
FIRST FRIDAY, hotelVetro, 201 S. Linn Street, Iowa City
FEBRUARY 7
5:00–7:00 p.m.
FIRST FRIDAY, hotelVetro
FEBRUARY 27
7:30–8:30 p.m.
SMART TALK Museums, Repatriation, and Cultural Policy in the United States by Rubie Watson, 240 Art Building West (ABW)
MARCH 7
5:00–7:00 p.m.
FIRST FRIDAY, location TBD
MARCH 27
7:30–8:30 p.m.
EXHIBITION LECTURE In Search of the “African” in Art Museum Installations: The Remaking of the DIA African Art Gallery by Nii Quarcoopome, 240 ABW
APRIL 4
5:00–7:00 p.m.
FIRST FRIDAY, location TBD
APRIL 10
7:30–8:30 p.m.
EXHIBITION LECTURE Perspectives on African Art and Life: Projects, Passions, and Pet Peeves over Fifty Years by Herbert Cole, 240 ABW
APRIL 12
8:00–11:00 p.m.
MUSEUM PARTY, Coralville Marriott Hotel & Conference Center
APRIL 23
5:00–6:00 p.m.
PUBLIC RECEPTION for visiting 3D artist Joshua DeMonte, M.C. Ginsberg - Objects of Art, 110 E. Washington St., Iowa City
APRIL 24
7:30–8:30 p.m.
SMART TALK Handmade: Craft, Art, and Digital Fabrication by Joshua DeMonte, 240 ABW
MAY 2
5:00–7:00 p.m.
FIRST FRIDAY, location TBD
JUNE 12
5:30 p.m.
PUBLIC OPENING for A Moveable Museum: Works from the UIMA School Programs Collections, Figge Art Museum
MEMBER/VOLUNTEER EVENTS MARCH 9–13
PATRON TRIP TO LOS ANGELES
APRIL 30
5:00–6:30 p.m.
VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION RECEPTION University Club, 1360 Melrose Ave., Iowa City
4
UIMA
FROM THE DIRECTOR
from
Photo by Heather Aaronson Dr. O’Harrow with Yayoi Kusama’s Red No. 28 (1960) (detail) Oil on canvas 52 x 41.75 in. Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Gaston de Havenon 1969.517
the Director
Dear Museum Supporter, Happy 2014! This year, the UIMA will turn forty-five years old. As it reaches a significant juncture in life, we have an opportunity to look back proudly at all the accomplishments of the last few decades of the twentieth century, and, at the same time, to look forward to all that can be achieved as a university art museum rebuilt for the twenty-first century. Like our beloved middle-aged institution, countless personages of historical note have thought to review their “track record” at this point in their lives, and to look to new paths and activities that best serve others around the world. One of those great people was an art museum professional from Winterset, Iowa. George Leslie Stout was an alumnus of the University of Iowa and, while working at the Fogg Museum at Harvard, helped establish the sciencebased approaches to artwork that form the basis of modern art conservation. Then, at the ripe old age of forty-five, Stout did what a vast majority of middle-aged Americans did not do during World War II: he enlisted in the U.S. military. More accurately, he re-enlisted, because he originally served in World War I at a battlefield hospital and then joined the U.S. Navy Reserve in 1918. This time around, Stout decided to transfer to the unit within the U.S. Army that was tasked with saving world art and heritage from Nazi looting and destruction—the Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives Section (MFAA) of the Twelfth Army Group, more popularly known as the Monuments Men. Lt. Commander Stout (as he was by the end of the war) led a team of art historians and cultural experts that would eventually save and recover more than forty tons of artistic masterpieces, from the Bayeux Tapestry to Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, from sculpture by Michelangelo to paintings by Vermeer. He and his colleagues accomplished more for
posterity in a couple years than do most people in their lifetime. After the war, Stout’s career in the art world continued apace: he was appointed director of the Worcester Art Museum and then director of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston (his successor at the Gardner Museum, and fellow Iowan and UI graduate, Anne Hawley, will deliver a UIMA lecture later this year). It just so happens that this spring, around the time that the exhibition at the J. Paul Getty Museum on Pollock’s Mural (the UIMA’s most famous painting) opens in LA, the film Monuments Men (starring George Clooney as George Stout) will also open at movie theaters across the country. Although much of the dialogue in this film is based on conjecture, the actions and successes of Stout and his fearless art museum colleagues are pretty much on the mark. With numerous examples these days of serious threats to world civilization and culture, George Stout’s determination and energy in his middle age should serve as a model for how great people and institutions can serve our community and the rest of the world. I look forward to seeing the UIMA make significant contributions to cultural education and research across Iowa and throughout the world in the coming years. So, on that optimistic note, thank you for all that you do for the UIMA during this crucial period of its life, and we look forward to seeing you at another museum function soon. Yours sincerely,
Sean O’Harrow, Ph.D. Director
u im a . u io wa .ed u
5
SPRING EXHIBITIONN
February 22—June 15 Black Box Theater
in
& This spring the University of Iowa Museum of Art will present the exhibition Art and Life in Africa at the Iowa Memorial Union. From February 22 to June 15, 2014, the Black Box Theater will undergo a transformation into a dynamic facility for exploring the arts and lives of diverse African peoples. A key priority for the UIMA—the custodian of the University of Iowa’s world-class collections—is to determine how we can best facilitate the research, teaching, and learning objectives of faculty and students across the university. At the same time, we strive to serve communities around the State of Iowa and provide worldwide access to our collections and educational resources. To meet these myriad objectives, UIMA Curator of African and Non-Western Art Catherine Hale, working in partnership with Professor Christopher D. Roy of the School of Art and Art History, has developed both an exhibition and a website that Cameroon; Bamum peoples Throne Wood, glass beads, cloth, thread 35 x 21 x 20 in. (88.9 x 53.34 x 50.8 cm.) The Stanley Collection, X1986.401
6
UIMA
SPRING EXHIBITION
Niger; Nigerien peoples, Market, Photo by Christopher D. Roy
feature content from Professor Roy’s original landmark project, also called Art and Life in Africa, or ALA. Pushing the boundaries of the traditional art exhibition, the new exhibition will coincide with the inauguration of the ALA website and will invite visitors to take an active role in investigating the works on display. While the exhibition will include brief labels and a handout about art objects for those who are not technologically inclined, its most extensive information source will be the ALA website, which will be accessible in the exhibition space via smartphones, tablets, and computers. (Visitors who wish to explore the show in more depth but lack a suitable device may use one provided by the UIMA during a gallery visit.) This curatorial strategy represents a move away from conventionally passive modes of communication and toward more participatory models of audience engagement. In 1997, Professor Roy (with Linda McIntyre) created a CD-ROM titled Art and Life in Africa. This project brought together an unparalleled
combination of media and scholarly material on Africa that included photographs, essays, maps, and videos. It explored such topics as art’s relationship to everyday endeavors, the spirit world, education, leadership, the ancestors, birth, and death in different cultures. With contributions from more than thirty experts in the field of African art history, it was an invaluable resource for high school and university educators and students across North America and abroad. In the years since, its format has become incompatible with more recent technologies, and its material inaccessible to its numerous users. In 2012, with support from the Digital Studio for the Public Humanities, Innovations in Teaching with Technology Awards, the StanleyUI Foundation Support Organization, and PASALA (Project for the Advanced Study of Art and Life in Africa), Catherine Hale and Professor Roy joined forces to update the Art and Life in Africa CD-ROM content and make it available to audiences through a new website, free of charge.
u im a . u io wa .ed u
7
SPRING EXHIBITION
the UIMA Mapping Project. If you are unfamiliar with the Mapping Project: The UIMA is currently working with the WorldMap platform developed at Harvard University to geo-reference, or digitally “pin,” the objects in our collections to their points of origin on a global map (beginning with Africa). We are adding a variety of “layers” of information that will make it possible to investigate individual objects in more depth, as well as to consider the relationships between them and their associated data. Among the many layers are ethnolinguistic groupings, trade routes, colonial territories, bodies of water, population rates, religious sites, images, and links to YouTube videos and Wikipedia entries.
Cameroon, Equitorial Guinea, Gabon; Fang peoples Ngontang [helmet mask] Wood, pigment 24 3/8 x 10 1/4 x 10 1/4 in. (61.91 x 26.04 x 26.04 cm.) The Stanley Collection, X 1986.338
We plan to create layers from the ALA website to serve visitors who would like to explore its content in relation to broader concepts, historical contexts, and other data. For example, users will be able to view objects from the UIMA’s collections in comparative perspective with field photographs and essays on related topics from ALA as well as supporting data from other sources, such as population statistics from the World Census and period maps from the McEvedy Penguin Atlas of African History.
Over the course of the two-year undertaking, student participation has been a critical component of the project. The website was designed by IMU Marketing + Design, a studentstaffed web development group, and the original data was recovered, edited, and reentered by Cory Gundlach, a UI graduate student in African art history and curatorial research assistant at the UIMA. All of the recouped Art and Life in Africa data, as well as any future additions, will be maintained and updated by the UIMA, thereby ensuring that it continues to be available for decades to come. The second phase of the website project, which will occur during the spring 2014 semester, is focused on integrating the ALA website data with
8
UIMA
Democratic Republic of the Congo; Songye peoples Neckrest Wood 5 3/8 x 6 1/4 x 4 1/2 in. (13.65 x 15.88 x 11.43 cm.) The Stanley Collection, X1986.558
SPRING EXHIBITION
Democratic Republic of the Congo Kuba peoples Mukyeem [mask] Cloth, shells, beads, fiber 17 3/4 x 11 x 16 1/2 in. (45.09 x 27.94 x 41.91 cm.) The Stanley Collection, X1986.372
After the Art and Life in Africa exhibition closes, it will be adapted for travel as part of the UIMA’s Legacies for Iowa Collections-Sharing Project. The ALA website and the UIMA Mapping Project will provide readily accessible resources for educators in the communities receiving this
exhibition and offer options for different kinds of engagement. Of course, communities that do not host the exhibition will be able to draw on these online resources in their teaching/learning activities in and outside of the classroom, too.
Sponsored in part by J. Randolph & Linda Lewis, Richard H. & Mary Jo Stanley, Craig N. & Nancy B. Willis, and multiple donors to the Members Special Exhibition Fund
u im a . u io wa .ed u
9
MUSEUM PARTY
April 12, 2014 8:00–11:00 p.m. Coralville Marriott Hotel & Conference Center
From to
Join the Journey PARTY SIGNATURE SPONSORS University of Iowa Community Credit Union Willis Law Firm/Security Abstract PARTY SPONSOR Integrated DNA Technologies PARTY HOSTS Jane McCune Anna & James Barker Phelan, Tucker, Mullen, Walker, Tucker & Gelman LLP Jackie Blank Shive-Hattery, Inc. Kristin Hardy & Gerry Ambrose Alan & Liz Swanson Hudson River Gallery—Nick Hotek Mary Westbrook Lensing Funeral & Cremation Service Tom & Polly Lepic 10
UIMA
ART AWARDS
Five Iowa City residents and a downtown development group were honored Wednesday, September 18, for their support of the University of Iowa Museum of Art. UI President Sally Mason and UI Museum of Art Director Sean O’Harrow presented the awards at a reception held at the president’s residence. “I’m so impressed with how much these honorees’ contributions exemplify the spirit of the people for whom the awards are named,” Mason says. “Supporting and advancing the arts is a collective endeavor, a high pursuit that requires the time, talent, contributions, and vision of very special people from many walks of life. We thank the awardees for many years of service and support to the Museum of Art, without which we would not have the amazing museum and collection that we have enjoyed—and will continue to enjoy—for many decades.” Mason is pictured below with honorees. Photos by Miranda Meyer, UI photo service
Figure 1
•
Debra Gabrielson Lee, Elliott/Stanley Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Museum’s Permanent Collections through Donations of Works of Art. Lee is a retired librarian who earned a bachelor of fine arts degree from the UI in 1973. (Figure 1)
•
James H. Burke, Edwin Green Award for Outstanding Contributions Made Toward the Purchase of Works of Art. It is with sadness that we report Mr. Burke passed away unexpectedly on December 8. He was a retired art dealer and former editor for the Harcourt Brace publishing company. Burke was a 1949 graduate of the UI and also held a master’s degree in library science from Columbia University. (Figure 2)
•
Robert Fellows, Webster and Gloria Gelman Award for Outstanding Service to the Museum through Volunteer Involvement. Fellows is a UI professor emeritus of physiology and biophysics. He has served on the UIMA Advisory Board since its inception and currently chairs its nominating committee. (Figure 3)
•
Chunghi Choo, Frank Seiberling Award for Significant Faculty Contributions to the Museum. Choo is a UI professor of art and an artist in metal arts. Seiberling hired her in 1968 when he was director of the UI School of Art and Art History. She has been a tireless mentor for UI students and a vigorous supporter of the museum.
•
Marc Moen and the Moen Group, Ulfert Wilke Award for Significant Contributions toward Museum Outreach. Moen and his group are Iowa City developers. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Iowa State University and graduated from the UI College of Law. Moen and his business partners have hosted numerous Museum of Art outreach events, notably First Fridays, in their hotelVetro in downtown Iowa City.
Figure 2
Figure 3
u im a . u io wa .ed u
11
PROFILES IN PHILANTHROPY
Philanthropy Turns Today’s Discoveries into Tomorrow’s Excellence Art museums enrich us in ways that nothing else can. They are vital to a thriving community and inspire innovation and creativity—essential to advancing our world. They provide opportunities for personal discovery and wonder, and sometimes even exuberance. University of Iowa Museum of Art patrons love museums, and we have selected three couples who have made impressive commitments to advance our own museum. Through their philanthropy, these individuals have enabled the UIMA to discover innovative ways to excel, and successful steps to incorporate these initiatives into the heart of the institution. We delight in sharing their stories of support, and we encourage you to join them in choosing your own way to deepen the distinction of our museum.
Matthew & Kay Bucksbaum a gift to Legacies for Iowa: A University of Iowa Museum of Art Collections-Sharing Project Kay and Matthew Bucksbaum have jokingly called themselves “cosmopolitan Iowans,” after living in nearly every large city in Iowa before eventually settling in Chicago. They have experienced life in Iowa communities with limited access to museum-quality art, and have recognized the pioneering way in which Photo by Nora Feller the UI Museum of Art shares its collection with the people of Iowa. The Bucksbaums’ enthusiasm will be felt throughout the state as the Matthew Bucksbaum Family Foundation funds small, pre-selected exhibitions to be shown in approved museums, nonprofit galleries, and art centers across Iowa. Communities that are participating in the art-share program include Cedar Falls, Cedar Rapids, Davenport, Dubuque, Maquoketa, and Mount Vernon. With ongoing funding from their foundation, the Bucksbaum family will enable even more Iowa cities to benefit from this thriving outreach program. With heavy hearts, we report that Matthew passed away on November 24.
12
UI MA
PROFILES IN PHILANTHROPY
H. Dee & Myrene Hoover a gift to the Fund for Rebuilding the UI Museum of Art H. Dee and Myrene Hoover have been longtime supporters of the UI Museum of Art and believe that the UI’s current fundraising campaign, For Iowa. Forever More., addresses the very survival of the museum. They recognize that one of the best university art collections in the country has been homeless for five very long years. They lament the fact that an entire class of UI students has graduated without full access to this fundamental resource. And Photo by Mei-Ling Shaw Williams although museum outreach efforts, using offsite locations, have been extraordinarily successful, the Hoovers know that the scope and authenticity of the “museum experience” cannot be duplicated. The pair has made a generous leadership gift to rebuild the UI Museum of Art and are serving as the volunteer chairs for the upcoming UIMA building campaign. They are deeply committed to restoring the cultural benefits of museum programming to the deserving people of Iowa.
Robert & Delores DeWilde Bina gifts that advance African art through student support and art acquisitions Robert and Delores DeWilde Bina have developed their own unique style of philanthropy for the UI Museum of Art. The Bina-Bina Model combines passion for collecting African art with devotion to education and research. Throughout the years, Robert and Delores have enabled UI graduate students specializing in African art history to conduct field research in Africa, an important aspect of their studies. These life-changing experiences have led to significant scholarly contributions by young UI academics. Further, the Binas Photo by Miranda Meyer, UI photo service have sponsored the purchase of numerous noteworthy works of African art that have further enhanced the stellar UIMA collection. The BinaBina Model beautifully suits the mission of a university museum, while satisfying the philanthropic objectives of patrons.
u im a . u io w a . ed u
13
LECTURES
FEBRUARY 27 7:30–8:30 p.m. 240 Art Building West
Rubie Watson Museums, Repatriation, and Cultural Policy in the United States
Rubie Watson received her PhD from the London School of Economics and has taught anthropology at the University of London, University of Pittsburgh, and Harvard University. From 1997 to 2004, she was director of the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology at Harvard. She and her husband, James Watson (an alumnus of the University of Iowa), retired from Harvard in 2008 and now live on a farm in western Illinois.
14
UI MA
Repatriation of art and artifacts is a major issue in the museum world. As director of the Peabody (Anthropology) Museum at Harvard University from 1997–2004, Dr. Watson was deeply involved in the repatriation of many Native American objects and human remains to tribal officials throughout the United States. In her Smart Talks presentation, she will discuss her personal experience of repatriation efforts at the Peabody and the United States federal law Native Americans Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), which underpin those efforts.
LECTURES
MARCH 27
EXHIBITION
7:30–8:30 p.m. 240 Art Building West
LECTURE
Nii Quarcoopome In Search of the “African” in Art Museum Installations: The Remaking of the DIA African Art Gallery
In 2003 the Detroit Institute of Arts began a major building renovation project that was followed by the remaking of its entire suite of exhibition galleries. Along with this ambitious effort, the museum also decided to redefine its century-old mission statement to make it more visitor-centered, which meant taking a whole new approach to the way it presented the arts to its public. This lecture outlines and critically reviews some of the innovative curatorial and interpretive tools DIA used to overcome the challenges that confronted the reinstallation of the African gallery.
Nii Quarcoopome received his PhD in art history from UCLA, taught at the University of Michigan, was a curator at the Newark Museum, and is now curator of African art and head of the department of Africa, Oceania, and Indigenous Americas at the Detroit Institute of Arts. In a unique collaboration, he is also curator of African art at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City, where he is implementing reinstallation of the Nelson-Atkins African galleries, as he did those at the DIA. Quarcoopome has received numerous fellowships and awards for scholarly research and exhibitions from the Social Science Research Council, Smithsonian Institution, Fulbright Program, and the J. Paul Getty Foundation. He received implementation grants from the National Endowment of the Arts and the National Endowment of the Humanities for his recent exhibition Through African Eyes: The European in African Art, 1500–Present.
u im a . u io wa .ed u
15
LECTURES
EXHIBITION
APRIL 10
LECTURE
7:30–8:30 p.m. 240 Art Building West
Herbert Cole Perspectives on African Art and Life; Projects, Passions, and Pet Peeves over Fifty Years Herbert M. Cole is a professor emeritus of the Department of the History of Art and Architecture at the University of California, Santa Barbara. He received his BA from Williams College and his MA and PhD from Columbia University. Herbert Cole’s specialty is Africa, but his teaching areas and subjects include African American, Native American, Oceanic, and Indonesian art in festivals, shrines, architecture, and performance. He has held fellowships from the NEH, Smithsonian Institution, and Ford Foundation, and received a 2001 Leadership Award from the Arts Council of the African Studies Association. His major publications include Icons: Ideals and Power in the Art of Africa (1989); Igbo Arts: Community and Cosmos (with C. C. Aniakor, 1984); and The Arts of Ghana (with D. H. Ross, 1977).
16
UI MA
Herbert Cole describes his talk as a hasty, slide-illustrated trip through four years of African arts fieldwork: in Nigeria on Igbo mbari houses, figures, and masquerades; in Ghana for royal arts, festivals, architecture, and shrines; and in Kenya on personal decoration among three semipastoral peoples. He will offer a look at some of the twelve exhibitions he has organized and the books accompanying them, along with some other adventures, pitfalls, fun, students, and follies along the way.
LECTURES
APRIL 24 7:30–8:30 p.m. 240 Art Building West
Joshua DeMonte Handmade: Craft, Art, and Digital Fabrication
Digital Fabrication technologies are changing the way we consider making objects. It is altering the ways companies manufacture their goods, how artists consider tangible form in space, and how craftsmen create. These new digital tools allow for fast production, easily achieved accuracy, and formerly unattainable forms, but many ask the question, “Is it handmade?” Joshua DeMonte will discuss digital fabrication technologies such as 3D printing and 3D scanning, his work and how it relates to crafts and adornment, and the role of 3D printing technologies and how it relates to the concept of handmade.
Joshua DeMonte is a professor and artist operating in Baltimore, Maryland. He currently runs the Interdisciplinary Object Design program and Object Lab at Towson University. He received his MFA and BFA degrees in Metals, Jewelry, and Computer Aided Design from Tyler School of Art, Temple University, where he studied under metalsmiths Stanley Lechtzin and Vickie Sedman. His work has been displayed at the Smithsonian’s Renwick Gallery, the Museum of Art and Design, and the 3D Printshow in London and Paris. His jewelry work combines the qualities of traditional adornment and architectural form. The often large pieces of jewelry are intended to transform the space around the wearer. These architectural pieces, when oriented on the figure, transform the wearer into the landscape or figure existing within the architectural space. Joshua DeMonte’s visit is sponsored in part by M.C. Ginsberg - Objects of Art and The UI School of Art and Art History
u im a . u io wa .ed u
17
EDUCATION
Major Additions to the UIMA School Programs Collections Richard Zane Smith; Snake Jar (detail)
Art museums show artworks to provide the experience of real objects to their audiences; without a space to accommodate large groups of young people, the UIMA brings our objects to their spaces. This year, we have added two new masterworks of contemporary ceramic art to the American Indian and First Peoples Collections of the UIMA School Programs Collections. Growth and transformation are crucial to our lively and expanding school program, and while some people consider familiar works of art as “old friends,” there is excitement and joy in celebrating the new! Richard Zane Smith masterfully blends American Indian traditions and innovative self-expression in his ceramic art. Smith incorporates hand-built techniques to create works based on prehistoric corrugated forms such as classic jars and bowls. Smith’s use of
18
UI MA
Richard Zane Smith (American, b. 1955) Snake Jar, 2012 Ceramic: hand-built earthenware UIMA School Programs Collections, AIS.39
EDUCATION
natural clay and slips for surface decoration, and his choices of colors and dynamic patterns, are at once vibrant yet subtle. He ingeniously fuses these techniques with his Wyandot heritage to create distinctive pottery inspired by the plains and western landscapes, the physical and metaphysical presence of nature, and the echoing voices of his ancestors. It is of great importance to Smith that his pottery continue to act as inspiration and revitalization for the Wyandot community, with each work a source of memory and renewal for numerous generations to come. Smith’s Snake Jar (2012) and Edge & Flow (2012) will be incorporated into the UIMA School Programs Collections. They are outstanding creations of formal composition and craftsmanship; they will also communicate to K–12 students the reality that American Indians and First Peoples of Canada do not exist in a romanticized past but are presently living and working throughout the United States. The UIMA School Programs Collections consist of works purchased with funding provided by UIMA Education Partners, including two anonymous family foundations, US Bank, Scheel’s, and individual donors. The UIMA School Programs Collections are used in K–12 art, social studies, and language arts classrooms throughout Iowa.
Richard Zane Smith (American, b. 1955) Edge & Flow, 2012 Ceramic: hand-built earthenware UIMA School Programs Collections, AIS.40
A MOVABLE MUSEUM: Works from the UIMA School Programs Collections June 7–August 3 Figge Art Musuem “An awesome experience, jam-packed full of information the kids were eager to soak up”— that is Ankeny teacher Jessamy McKinney’s description of a UIMA K–12 School Programs presentation. Her accolade is typical for a project that reaches thousands of students in hundreds of classrooms across the state each year. The programs’ collections of more than two hundred works from five continents are created in a wide range of media and grouped thematically to provide primary source material for students of art, social studies, and language arts. Another Ankeny teacher, Brooke Jetmund, was “so pleased” to see her students “engaged with higher-level thinking questions and thrilled to be able to handle the artifacts.” New thematic collections are added, based on input from teachers regarding their curricular objectives. As a Spencer teacher, Jan Myers, noted, “Our students realize and appreciate the opportunity to see art while learning about its cultural context, creative process, and traditional form.” This summer, Figge Art Museum visitors will be able to share the experience that Iowa teachers and classes have endorsed with such enthusiasm. The upcoming exhibition—scheduled when state schools are on vacation—will show the scope of the UIMA School Programs Collections, illuminate their use in the classroom, and keep them working year-round! For further information, please go to the UIMA website: http://uima.uiowa.edu.
u im a . u io wa .ed u 19
JANUARY 3 hotelVetro 201 S. Linn Street, Iowa City
FEBRUARY 7 hotelVetro 201 S. Linn Street, Iowa City
MARCH 7 location TBD
APRIL 4 location TBD
MAY 2 location TBD
Sponsored in part by H. Dee & Myrene Hoover in honor of Alden Lowell Doud, hotelVetro, and other generous UIMA sponsors
In a happy “first-ever” for the post-flood UIMA, Sarah Eaton and Abigail Rowold were married in the UIMA@IMU Visual Classroom on Friday, November 22, 2013. Surrounded by a small group of family and friends, the two stood in front of Alma W. Thomas’s Spring Embraces Yellow, 1973.
Congratulations,
Sarah and Abby!
Photo by Gorman House Photography
20
UI MA
N S
NEW Staff MARKETING ASSISTANT
REGISTRARIAL ASSISTANT
Third-year MFA student, Book Arts
Third-year MA student, Library Information Science, Certificate in Book Studies
MEMBERS COUNCIL ASSISTANT
Third-year BA student, Art History and Studio Art, Certificate in Museum Studies
Amanda assists with UIMA Members Council events and meetings, and helps to coordinate museum membership. Her goal and her passion are to work in an art museum. Her experience at the UIMA contributes to her understanding of the museum world and helps guide discovery of her future museum position.
Sarah assists in the maintenance of the UIMA collection database, organizes documents and information for the Luce Foundation Top 100 Works, and manages rights-andreproduction requests. In addition to her work with UIMA this year, she has also been a student assistant in the UI Library’s conservation and digital preservation lab. Her UIMA tasks draw upon and add to her knowledge of librarianship and the information profession, furthering her goal of becoming a conservation and special collections librarian.
Alexandra Minchich
Amanda Lissak
Cody uses a wide variety of digital media to promote museum exhibitions, programs, and events. As a visual artist, she sees her exposure to the UIMA Collections as a continuous source of inspiration. She maintains a balance between older, often obsolete bookmaking technology and current digital formats. Her experience with digital media in her own art-making informs her work communicating with art enthusiasts about all that the museum has to offer.
Alice Phillips
works closely with docents and gallery attendants at the UIMA@IMU Visual Classroom. Since receiving degrees in May 2013, she has participated in the education department’s numerous activities in the museum, all of which are helping to prepare her for continued studies in art history.
Sarah Luko
Cody Gieselman
NEW STAFF
CURATORIAL ASSISTANT FOR ACADEMIC AFFAIRS AND RESEARCH
PhD, Art History, specializing in 19th-century French Symbolist art
Alice prepares the Print Study Room for classes and individuals at the UIMA@IMU, teaches visiting classes about prints, and assists with research and exhibitions of the permanent collection. With her background in art history and museum work, she aspires to contribute to collection research at the UIMA, gain curatorial experience, and encourage the university and the community to visit the UIMA@IMU.
EDUCATION COORDINATOR
BA, Art History and Studio Art, Certificates in Museum Studies and Entrepreneurial Management
Alex facilitates outreach through the UIMA’s K–12 school programs, organizes the museum’s calendar, and
u im a . u io wa .ed u
21
WHAT’S NEW?
Where in the World is the UIMA NOW ?
GET YOUR PHOTO IN THE UIMA MAGAZINE! When you travel abroad, take UIMA magazines with you. Photograph your group with the magazine in front of a landmark. Email your photos and story to be featured in the next UIMA magazine to uima@uiowa.edu.
H. Dee and Myrene Hoover in front of Godafoss (Waterfall of the Gods), Iceland. The waterfall is the location where ancient Icelanders disposed of their statues and images of the Norse Gods when the country converted to Christianity. The Hoovers traveled to Iceland last summer with an Iowa Voyagers trip. Myrene says, “Iceland might best be described as Yellowstone on steroids.”
2013 UI HOMECOMING PARADE For the first time ever, the UIMA participated in the UI Homecoming Parade. The parade theme was “Countless Hawkeyes, One Spirit!” Celebrating Jackson Pollock’s Mural, the UIMA Members Council entered a float titled “Countless Brushstrokes, One Pollhawk Spirit!” Many hours were spent constructing the float, painting the jumpsuits worn by the float’s entourage, and walking in the parade. The float was a big hit with the crowd. Kudos to our wonderful Members Council! Photo by Kay Irelan
22
UI MA
The Impact of $5 Million Last spring, the University of Iowa launched a $1.7 billion fundraising initiative, For Iowa. Forever More: The Campaign for the University of Iowa. Within the scope of this campaign, the University of Iowa Museum of Art (UIMA) is seeking to raise $5 million for the purpose of ensuring that it always is positioned to fund essential operations: offering vital content for its programs and caring for its priceless collections. Success in this effort will guarantee the museum’s capacity to offer exceptional exhibitions, provide original programming, maintain collections, and build endowment. Coupled with the priority to stabilize operational resources is the task of rebuilding the facility, which was lost to the Iowa River in 2008. At this very moment, UI officials are working diligently to determine the location, architect, design, and cost of the new space. There is no question that a new museum will be built, but it will take considerable fundraising to do so. Therefore, we are striving now to establish the necessary resources to operate a 21st century, state-of-the-art museum, knowing that once the new building becomes a reality, fundraising must shift to meet the urgency of construction. As today’s museum patrons, we clearly face monumental philanthropic decisions that ultimately will define the UIMA for years to come. Private support is essential, not only to operate the museum, but also to replace the damaged facility. What a blunder it would be to succeed in building a spectacular new museum, but to fail in securing the financial resources necessary to operate it! Sadly, this is a legitimate concern because the University of Iowa funds no UIMA programs.
It is private giving that supports all museum programs and is the lifeblood of the UIMA. It is equally unsound to possess a world-class art collection with no accessible facility in which to exhibit it. What is a sympathetic donor to do? We would like to suggest a philanthropic approach that would include an outright donation for the new building, coupled with a deferred gift for operations. This may be a perfect solution for dedicated patrons who want to invest in the promising future of the UI Museum of Art at this historic moment. Please consider creating your own lasting legacy for the UI Museum of Art, either through an outright gift, a deferred gift, or—for the greatest impact—both a planned and outright gift. We would be delighted to help. State and federal governments provide tax incentives for charitable gifts to institutions such as the UI Museum of Art. Substantial reductions are possible on a range of taxes, and you may donate many different types of assets. Because each financial situation is unique, we urge you to consult your professional advisor to maximize the tax benefits available to you. For more information, please contact me at pat-hanick@uiowa.edu or at (319) 467-3768. You also may visit the UI Foundation’s planned-giving website at http://www.uifoundation.org/planned-giving I speak for the entire museum staff in saying how much we appreciate every single donation. Together, we stand on the brink of creating a cultural institution that will impact Iowa and the larger arts community for decades to come. Now is our time to lead. Please join us.
Director of Development pat-hanick@uiowa.edu (319)467-4768 or (800) 648-6973.
1375 Highway 1 West/1840 Studio Arts Iowa City, Iowa 52242-1789 (319) 335-1727 uima.uiowa.edu
The State University of Iowa Foundation is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization soliciting tax-deductible private contributions for the benefit of The University of Iowa. The organization is located at One West Park Road, Iowa City, IA 52244; its telephone number is (800) 648-6973. Please consult your tax advisor about the deductibility of your gift. If you are a resident of the following states, please review the applicable, required disclosure statement. GEORGIA: A full and fair description of the charitable programs and activities and a financial statement is available upon request from the organization using its address/telephone number, listed above. MARYLAND: A copy of the current financial statement is available upon request from the organization using its address/telephone number, listed above. For the cost of copies and postage, documents and information submitted under the Maryland Solicitations Act are available from the Secretary of State, 16 Francis Street, Annapolis, MD 21401, 410-974-5521. NEW JERSEY: INFORMATION FILED WITH THE ATTORNEY GENERAL CONCERNING THIS CHARITABLE SOLICITATION AND THE PERCENTAGE OF CONTRIBUTIONS RECEIVED BY THE CHARITY DURING THE LAST REPORTING PERIOD THAT WERE DEDICATED TO THE CHARITABLE PURPOSE MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY BY CALLING 973-504-6215 AND IS AVAILABLE ON THE INTERNET AT http://www.state. nj.us/lps/ca/charfrm.htm. REGISTRATION WITH THE ATTORNEY GENERAL DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT. NEW YORK: A copy of the last financial report filed with the Attorney General is available upon request from the organization using its address/telephone number, listed above, or from the Office of the Attorney General, Department of Law, Charities Bureau, 120 Broadway, New York, NY 10271. PENNSYLVANIA: The official registration and financial information of the State University of Iowa Foundation may be obtained from the Pennsylvania Department of State by calling toll free, within Pennsylvania, (800)732-0999. Registration does not imply endorsement. WASHINGTON: Financial disclosure information is available upon request from the Secretary of State, Charities Program, by calling (800) 332-4483. WEST VIRGINIA: West Virginia residents may obtain a summary of the registration and financial documents from the Secretary of State, State Capitol, Charleston, West Virginia 25305. Registration does not imply endorsement.