Historic Marker Dedication - Advancing American Art

Subway Exit, from the museum’s Advancing American Art collection, was painted by O. Louis Guglielmi (1906-1956) in 1946. The artist, who attended the National Academy of Design and and spent summers at the McDowell Colony, worked as part of the Federal Art Project during the Great Depression. His pieces, which often referenced social or political themes, are also held at the Museum of Modern Art and the Smithsonian American Art Museum.

AUBURN HERITAGE ASSOCIATION

901 SOUTH COLLEGE STREET AUBURN, ALABAMA 36849

A historic dedication presented by @JCSMAUBURN JCSM.AUBURN.EDU

Louis O. Guglielmi, Subway Exit, 1946, oil on canvas, 38¾ x 36¾ inches, Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art, Auburn University; Advancing American Art Collection.

The Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art and Auburn Heritage Association Friday, March 29, 2019

WELCOME Cynthia B. Malinick, director and chief curator Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art REMARKS Mary Norman, president Auburn Heritage Association ADVANCING AMERICAN ART Cynthia B. Malinick UNVEILING OF THE MARKER Members of the Auburn Heritage Association ACCEPTANCE OF THE MARKER ON BEHALF OF AUBURN UNIVERSITY Cynthia B. Malinick ADJOURN Refreshments in the Grand Gallery

In 1946, at the beginning of the Cold War, the U.S. Department of State assembled a group of modernist paintings by American artists to be exhibited throughout Eastern Europe, Asia, and Latin America. The purpose of this diplomatic initiative, called Advancing American Art, was to demonstrate the ascendancy of contemporary American art while promoting the freedom of expression that a democracy allows. Within a year of the first exhibition, the project was abruptly halted due to partisan criticism for using taxpayers’ money to purchase the art, and some negative reactions among the public and media. Opponents took issue with the mostly abstract or expressionistic styles used to portray American life, along with the leftist views of some of the artists. Following the collection’s return from abroad, it was auctioned off as surplus property, together with a related group of watercolors. Auburn University, then known as Alabama Polytechnic Institute, acquired 36 of the 117 paintings in the sale.

Auburn University’s acquisition of paintings from the auction featured works by major artists of the day, including Arthur Dove, Lyonel Feininger, Jacob Lawrence, Georgia O’Keeffe, and Ben Shahn, together with significant examples by emerging artists. It became the cornerstone of a formative university art collection. More broadly, the collection acknowledges the value of public debate on art and the government’s role in art patronage, topics that continue to challenge American discourse. For nearly 60 years, the collection was without a permanent location for public viewing. In 2003, the Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art opened, and Advancing American Art joined other works of art in a broad collection spanning more than three centuries. As a vital part of Auburn University and the greater community, the museum is entrusted by the citizens of Alabama to preserve, enhance, research, and interpret this collection.

ADVANCING AMERICAN ART COLLECTION, Acquired 1948 Erected by Auburn Heritage Association, 2018