FALL 2019 | VOLUME 8 | ISSUE 1
FEATURED EXHIBITION: LIFE CYCLES: DEATH PAGE 12
PEOPLE OF MUAM: FACULTY & STUDENT LEADERS | PAGE 8
YEAR IN REVIEW PAGE 15-16
FALL EXHIBITIONS: PAGES 12-14
From the Editor
IN THIS ISSUE
For us here at the Miami University Art Museum, Summer seems to fly by! Of course, even when the galleries are closed, we are inside busily preparing for the next exhibitions to open. It’s a thrill for me personally to see first-hand, the exhibitions taking shape – from the deinstallation to the painting, to seeing each object installed and the labels and text panels and exhibition graphics mounted. We truly have a dedicated and talented team who take a lot of care and pride in showcasing each object and exhibition for your learning, enrichment and pleasure.
From the Director About the Art Museum MUAM Around Campus Curricular & Collections Spotlight Collection News: New Acquisitions People of MUAM: Leader Awards Featured Docent: Wendy Richardson Spring 2020 Exhibitions Life Cycles: Death Cutting the Grain Illuminating the Past Year in Review Art History at a Glance Alumni Spotlight: Bridget Garnai In the Cage: Cage Gallery Hiestand Happenings: Hiestand Galleries Contemporary Art Lecture Series McGuffey Moments Exhibitions & Programs at a Glance
I am always excited to finish a new issue of our Visual Arts at Miami magazine which features the visual arts exhibitions and programs from August through December at Miami University. This Fall your visits to the museum will enlighten you to the traditions and practices of various cultures surrounding the end of life cycle–death. You also will learn about ancient ceramics, mainly lamps and vessels used to illuminate in ancient times as you explore objects donated by Harvey and Deborah Breverman. And you will enjoy a study in wood relief prints as well as an updated Art History at a Glance exhibition. As always we have provided an At-A-Glance overview of the wide range of visual arts exhibitions, programs and events at Miami University in our last few pages. I encourage you to use the schedule to plan your regular visits and engage with the visual arts. Plenty of opportunities exist—ENJOY the Visual Arts at Miami and welcome back to another exciting semester!
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About the Magazine Visual Arts at Miami (VAAM) is a bi-annual publication of the Miami University Art Museum (MUAM) showcasing visual arts at Miami University for members and the arts community. Distributed in print inside the Journal News and Oxford Press prior to the Fall and Spring semesters, Visual Arts at Miami is also available digitally through the companion blog at blogs. MiamiOH.edu/VisualArts. Check the back cover for a map detail, contact information and hours.
Sincerely, Editor, Sherri Krazl
SHERRI KRAZL, EDITOR MARKETING/COMMUNICATIONS MIAMI UNIVERSITY ART MUSEUM
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On the cover: Detail of Jim Dine (American, b. 1935); Fourteen Color Woodcut Bathrobe, 1982; Woodcut on paper, number 44 from an edition of 75; Miami University Art Museum Purchase through the Robert B. Sinclair Memorial Fund 1982.78 .
ART MUSEUM
Visual Arts at Miami
From the Director Museums Miami
Steve Sullivan, Director of the Hefner Museum of Natural History with Robert S. Wicks, Miami University Art Museum Director
Steven Conn’s 2015 arrival as the W.E. Smith Professor of History at Miami University was fortuitous. As a public historian and author of the provocative book, Do Museums Still Need Objects?, from the start Steve had a vision of how museums and object-based research at Miami University could be even more impactful. Together with art historian Pepper Stetler, now also associate director of the Miami University Humanities Center, Conn assembled a group of interested Miami University faculty and staff with the goal of forming an umbrella organization of museums and museum-like entities on campus. Our Museums Miami center proposal was approved by the Council of Academic Deans and the University Provost on May 1, 2019. Signatories to the proposal included the Hefner Museum of Natural History, Limper Geology Museum, McGuffey House and Museum, Miami University Art Museum, Miami University Hamilton Botanical Conservatory, University Libraries Special Collections (including the Myaamia Collection, Oxford College Archives, University Archives, Western College Memorial Archives) and the Turrell Herbarium. In time, the organization will incorporate other formal and informal collections on campus, such as Anthropology, Art (Heistand Galleries), Athletics, Computer Science, English and Music, among others. A steering committee was formed on May 15. Following nominations and voting, the body chose me to serve as Museums Miami’s inaugural director. Steve Sullivan, director of the Hefner Museum of Natural History, was selected as associate director. Together we will begin implementing the goals of the center, which are to:
• provide increased access to physical collections through comprehensive digital catalogs and an integrated interface that allows Miami’s independent collections to be searched simultaneously • enhance the interdisciplinary research capabilities infrastructure at Miami University • formally integrate the wide-ranging contributions of Miami’s museums and material collections into the institutional strategic plan You can expect to see a Museums Miami web presence soon together with publicity about our ongoing collaborative efforts. Keep an eye out!
Robert S. Wicks, Director Miami University Art Museum & Museums Miami
• position Miami’s museums and collections as an integral part of the educational experience at Miami University in ways that benefit all majors at both the undergraduate and graduate levels • increase interdisciplinary dialog and exchange among Miami’s museums as well as with informal collections housed in departments and other units at the university
Volume 8, Issue 1 | Fall 2019
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The Miami University Art Museum, completed in 1978, was designed by Walter Netsch of Skidmore, Owings and Merrill in Chicago, and is situated on three acres of scenic sculpture park grounds. It houses five galleries of changing exhibitions and a growing permanent collection of more than 17,000 artworks. MUAM is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums (AAM) and is a proud member of the North American Reciprocal Museum Association (NARM).
Where is the Art Museum on Campus? For starters, you can’t miss the large, industrial red sculpture by Mark di Suvero on the front lawn. MUAM is also just a 7-minute walk from the Armstrong Student Center, diagonally across from Tappan Hall, at the intersection of S. Patterson Ave. and Chestnut St., right when you enter Oxford off of State Route 27.
What can the Art Museum do for Students? Lots of things! MUAM is a great place to see diverse exhibitions and explore outstanding works of art. You can also work, intern, volunteer, join the Art Museum Student Organization (AMSO) and attend lectures and social events.
What can the Art Museum do for the Public? The Art Museum and Sculpture Park is FREE & OPEN to ALL and is an excellent venue for exploring arts and culture from around the world. Membership in support of programs and exhibitions is available at varying levels. Each one offers a higher level of engagement with the museum via special-invitation-only events and special programs. More information on the member program is available on our website via the Members link.
Hours
Museum Staff
Tuesday–Friday: 10 AM–5 P.M. Saturday: 12–5 P.M. Closed: Sunday, Monday, national holidays, university closures, and during installation (more info on website.) Closures: Aug 30, Oct 12, Nov 27-30, Dec 15-Jan 28, 2020
Dr. Robert S. Wicks, Director
FREE & OPEN TO ALL!
Website MiamiOH.edu/ArtMuseum Location & Contact 801 S. Patterson Ave. Oxford, OH 45056 (513) 529-2232 ArtMuseum@MiamiOH.edu
Debbie Caudill, Senior Program Assistant/Security Cynthia Collins, Curator of Education Mark DeGennaro, Preparator/ Operations Manager Sue Gambrell, Program Associate Sherri Krazl, Marketing/Communications Jason E. Shaiman, Curator of Exhibitions Laura Stewart, Collections Manager/ Registrar
/MIAMIUNIVERSITYARTMUSEUM
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@MIAMIU-ARTMUSEUM ART MUSEUM
@MIAMIOHARTMUSEUM
Visual Arts at Miami
MUAM Around Campus: Info Booths & Donut Carts Taking the Miami University Art Museum (known to many students as MUAM) around campus, interns on the Art Museum’s Marketing team ran information booths and the first ever “Donuts and Dali” Cart this past semester. The intent is to continue spreading the word across campus about the Art Museum and its many offerings for arts and culture, hands-on curricular experiences, entertainment, research and more. Information booths are also set up each year at the Orientation Resource Fairs throughout the summer as well as Alumni Weekend and this year, the Undergraduate Research Forum Showcase. “It’s fun asking students if they know of or have visited the Art Museum and hearing more and more positive responses to that question,” said “Donuts and Dali” coordinator Caroline Bastian (‘19). The donut cart was a huge hit and will be back around campus this Fall.
Volume 8, Issue 1 | Fall 2019
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CURRICULAR & COLLECTIONS SPOTLIGHT
Art and Its Markets
First of its kind course makes its mark BY SHAVON ANDERSON, UNIVERSITY NEWS AND COMMUNICATIONS
It took a mere $450 million to purchase Leonardo da Vinci’s painting of “Salvator Mundi” from a New York auction house in 2017. Mike Hatch, assistant professor of art history, kneels at a table beside a student as they discuss an art print on the table. If you’re not connected to the art circuit, the massive number is enough to give you sticker shock with the most in-demand works selling for unimaginable figures. Hatch studies why. “How is it that we decide that one artwork is more valuable than another?” he said. “Who gets to decide, and by which mechanisms do we attach value to things?” Hatch wanted his students to get better insight into the artdealing industry and understand the process. Drawing on his ties working with international galleries and auction houses, he created a groundbreaking course where students could learn how art flows from artists to auction houses through firsthand experience. “This class also shows students how the critical research skills they learn in the humanities support professional skills they can put on resumes,” he said. Hatch connected with the Thomas French Fine Art gallery in Akron, which loaned the class 30 print art pieces for the spring semester. Each student chose a print. During a class session at the Miami University Art Museum, students studied their pieces with help from Hatch and Bob Wicks, director of the art museum. Hatch and Wicks showed the class how to note wear and tear in order to create a condition report. Treating the museum like a client, each student created an individual proposal, including the best market price for their artwork. After presenting to the class, five selected proposals were pitched to Wicks and his staff. In an unprecedented collaboration, Miami’s Center for Career Exploration & Success awarded Hatch a $3,000 grant. Around $2,000 goes to purchasing the winning piece from the Thomas French Fine Art gallery for the museum to acquire. “Although the art museum does have a number of acquisition funds that can be used to purchase works of art for the 6
permanent collection, this is the first time a university course has been given money for the purpose of recommending an art museum purchase,” Wicks said. Even students, like senior Bradley Warner, were shocked by the opportunity. “We were thinking this was going to be lecture learning,” he said. “We show up and realize that we’re getting the museum a new piece of art? That’s insane.” Warner hoped his print, an iconic Jasper Johns lithograph, wins the spot. “Johns had things go for near the tens of millions of dollars before,” he said. “This is obviously not worth anything near that, but being able to have a piece of his work in the collection is alone significant.” Hatch believes the real connection between the course and the art museum highlights the importance of the museum as a learning tool. The course’s innovative structure gives students a real-world example of how galleries and art dealers present works on offer to museums. That focus is what drew senior Camille Boggan to register for the course. After gaining experience in galleries over the past two summers, she narrowed her passion to understanding art markets but said Hatch’s course delivers more. “It’s not only about understanding how the market works but also how that intersects with the general scope of art being put in museums,” she said. “In art management, you learn about the organization and not the art itself. Art history looks into the objects.” While Hatch’s grant covers this semester, he’s working to secure funding so that the course can regularly recommend pieces for the Art Museum. Pitched proposals and the final artwork selection happened in May. Read the collections update on the facing page to see which works were selected.
ART MUSEUM
Visual Arts at Miami
Collections News: Recent Aquisitions LAURA STEWART, COLLECTIONS MANAGER/REGISTRAR
Each November, Miami University Art Museum’s Collections Development Committee meets to review acquisitions for the calendar year, and 2018 was no different. The museum acquired a number of significant objects that will augment the collections and support the mission as a teaching institution. Donation highlights include the following: • • • •
Barbizon School oil on canvas landscape painting by Camille Magnus (French, b. 1850) Shipibo textiles from Peru Several African objects from Cameroon, dated to the mid-1960s Portfolio of color lithographs by Harvey Breverman
Acquisition funds allowed the museum to purchase works by ancient and contemporary artists such as: • Scythian pin with 24 karat gold deer finial and bronze axe with horse’s head along with several arrowheads • Ode to Chief Seattle, 5-color lithograph by Native American artist Juane Quick-to-See Smith • Cloth Ebonko masquerade costume by Nigerian artist Ekpenyong Bassey Nsa Perhaps one of the most exciting activities surrounding recent acquisition activities at the museum was the Spring 2019, semester course, “Art and Its Markets” taught by art history professor Michael Hatch. Having received funds from Miami’s Center for Career Exploration and Success, his students made recommendations to their peers as to which of 30 prints the museum should purchase from generous collaborative partner, Adrienne French of Thomas French Fine Art, LLC. The top acquisition proposals were presented to museum staff on May 2, and the following selections were made: • Agostino Carracci (Italian, 1557-1602), Holy Family with Saints John the Baptist, Catherine and Anthony Abbot, 1582, Engraving after Paolo Veronese (1528-1588) painting in S. Francesco della Vigna, Venice • Max Klinger (German, 1857-1920), Simplici Schreibstube (Simplicius’s Writing Lesson), 1881, Etching with aquatint from Intermezzi (Interludes), Opus IV, Plate 7 • Jasper Johns (American, b. 1930), Savarin, 1977, Offset lithograph, four-color process, unsigned, printed by the Whitney Museum of American Art Look for these and other fine examples from the Miami University Art Museum’s collection in coming exhibitions. To schedule an appointment to view recent acquisitions and other objects not currently on display, contact Laura Stewart, Collections Manager/Registrar, stewarle@miamioh.edu (513) 529-2235.
Volume 8, Issue 1 | Fall 2019
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Faculty Leader of the Year
PEOPLE OF MUAM
In 2018 the Art Museum launched its Faculty and Student leadership Awards program recognizing those who have contributed greatly to the mission of the museum. The awards are given at our annual Member Meeting held each Spring. This past April we were pleased to recognize Dr. Pepper Stetler as our 2018-19 Faculty Leader in appreciation of her efforts to connect students with the Art Museum. Professor Stetler was instrumental in the initiation of our Spring Capstone exhibition program which began in 2012 with a 1970s themed exhibition. She has since led two others. She is an advocate for arts and the humanities and in addition to teaching Art History she serves as the Associate Director for the Humanties Center. Thank you again Pepper for your support and contributions.
MUAM LEADERS HONOR ROLL FACULTY LEADERS ELLEN PRICE (2018) PEPPER STETLER (2019) STUDENT LEADERS CAROLINE BASTIAN (2018) BERENICE ACEVEDO (2019) ETHAN CLEARFIELD (2019)
Student Leaders
BERENICE ACEVEDO & ETHAN CLEARFIELD This year, the Art Museum presented two students with the 2018-19 Student Leader Award, in recognition of, and appreciation for, their leadership and ongoing contributions. The awards this year went to Berenice Acevedo (‘19) and Ethan Clearfield (‘19). Berenice was a triple major in Spanish, Spanish Education and Latin American Studies. She was a
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student worker for three years assisting with guest services, gallery security and events. Ethan was an American Studies/Arts Management major and Museums and Society minor. While at the Museum he helped catalogue and research an upcoming travel poster exhibition, made an online version of an exhibition and assisted with marketing.
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Visual Arts at Miami
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on s d r a h c Ri y d n e W Wendy Richardson, an Oxford resident, is in her 17th year serving as a docent at the Miami University Art Museum. She is a life-long learner who studied art on-and-off throughout her undergraduate years. Wendy earned her undergraduate degree in Psychology and also studied Social Gerontology. She spent most of her career working in human resources for the Ohio Casualty Group. Wendy was born in San Francisco after her parents moved from Hawaii, but was raised in Atlanta. She is the proud mother of two sons and six grandchildren. In a conversation about her role as a docent, Wendy explained that “The joy for me in being a docent is talking to people, especially kids – my goal has always been that even if they don’t learn anything about something hanging on a wall – I want them to go away affirmed that they themselves are creative creatures.” “You might have a preconceived notion that you don’t belong teaching as a docent at an art museum based on your [possible] lack of experience or knowledge. But in fact, anyone with any interest in art can come here and find ways they can contribute to the experiences of guests. Its an incredibly enriching experience and we also have an opportunity to give back to the various segments of the public who come to the museum.”
RITE FAVO KS: WOR M A U M T N AR ASIA
spending time with this great group. Art is at the heart of much of what Wendy does and discusses. Upon reflecting on her art classes, she recalls a profoundly impactful exercise a professor assigned. “We were given a mat window used in framing art and photos and were told to spend the following two weeks just looking at the world through that frame, and referencing the elements and principles of art that they had been studying.” She continues to use this exercise regularly when thinking about and viewing art. Wendy is an inveterate collector and enjoys her large collection of matryoshka (Russian) nesting dolls, as well as her collection of Japaneese kokeshi dolls, among others. She is also a jewelry maker and maintains a booth at a local antique mall. She has done some metal smithing, but her three lines of jewelry feature wooden elements, beads, English horse brasses, stones, sterling silver and unique objects. As a co-op artist at the Oxford Community Art Center she is able to showcase and sell her work.
When she is not engaging in docent work, collecting or making jewelry, Wendy can be found volunteering at the Oxford Senior Center. All of these activities give her Wendy especially enjoys creating art with children a lot of opportunities to tell people she meets about the through organized groups and K-12 programs at the Art Museum, and highlight “its broad collection and great Museum as well as Art Explorers. She also appreciates the diversity of artists and eras, and it’s FREE!” social aspects of being a docent, the group lunches, and ART MUSEUM Volume 8, Issue 1 | Fall 2019 9 Contact Cynthia Collins, Curator of Education, at collinc5@mamioh.edu for info about the docent program.
Miami University Art Museum Exhibitions JAN 28—JUN 13, 2020
COMING SPRING 2020 Circling ‘Round (Douglass Gallery) In this sixth juried Student Response Exhibition, Miami students are called upon to present unique and diverse commentaries on what constitutes a “circle.” Interpretations are subject to the student’s personal perspective, major/minor, culture, age, experiences, etcetera. Cash prizes for the best three works are provided by the Art Museum’s Membership Committee. Voting will be conducted by visitors to the exhibition. Come visit and explore the creative contributions Miami students are making to the arts.
Myaamia Ribbonwork (McKie Gallery) This community-curated exhibition is developed together with the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma and will provide historical context and background to the contemporary revival of ribbonwork among the Miami people. The exhibition will correspond to the 20th anniversary of the proposal to establish the Myaamia Project and in conjunction with the 2020 Myaamiaki Conference at Miami University. At right: Image: Myaamia Women’s Leggings, 19th century; Natural materials; Collection of the National Museum of the American Indian, Smithsonian Institution
East-West Exchange (Art History Capstone Exhibition) (Farmer Gallery) Under the guidance of Dr. Michael Hatch, Assistant Professor of Art & Architecture History, and Art Museum staff, students in the Fall 2019 Capstone class will curate an exhibition that looks at the exchange of art and ideas between Asia and countries in the West. Works in the exhibition date from the 18th century to the early 20th century and present a variety of forms. Capstone students will have the opportunity to select the works, contextualize relationships, and present an in-depth study of the topic. At left: Unknown maker, China; Pilgrim Bottle (1 of pair), Qing dynasty, ca. 1860; Porcelain with overglaze enamel; Gift of Richard and Carole Cocks; 1988.40.1
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ART MUSEUM
Visual Arts at Miami
When We Get Good Again
Miami University Theatre
October 2-6
2019 - 2020
SEASON
She Kills Monsters November 20-24
uncover.
The Wolves
Truth. Integrity. Authenticity.
March 11-15
The Comedy of Errors April 29–May 3
$12 adult | $9 senior | $8 student MiamiOH.edu/boxoffice
MEMBERSHIP HAS NEVER B E E N M O R E R E WA R D I N G . . .
Juniors Art in 3D Call to schedule
SEP 26 | Oct 24 | NOV 21
Become part of the Art Museum today!
» Reciprocal members gain free/discounted access to over 1000 museums in North America » MUAM memberships support programs, exhibitions and member activities
To join or learn more, visit www.MiamiOH.edu/ArtMuseum, call (513) 529-1887, or stop in the MUAM at 801 S. Patterson Ave
Volume 8, Issue 1 | Fall 2019
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EXHIBITION | FARMER GALLERY OPEN AUG 27–DEC 14
BY JASON E. SHAIMAN, WITH DANIEL FOSTER, EMILY RATVASKY AND FAITH WALKER (CURATORIAL INTERNS)
A life cycle is a series of cultural, religious, community and personal events that represent the total experience from birth through death, and for some, the afterlife. Through the lens of anthropology, archaeology and art history, we can learn much about the visual record of life cycle events. An analysis of artifacts produced within a culture sheds light on shared traditions and the individual practices associated with specific groups.
Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead): Reality & Myth
Death is the final stage in life and is the only life cycle event that is inevitable. Material culture pertaining to death is more commonly created and preserved than other life cycle events. Items used in the final passage of a person’s life tell so much about the individual who is mourned, celebrated and commemorated. Life Cycles: Death looks at objects from many world cultures through the organized structure of Ritual and Iconography, Grieving and Mourning, and Representation.
William Niven’s Mexico (1890-1910): Photograph as Document and Memorial
The majority of featured works come from the Miami University Art Museum collection. Additional objects are on loan from Miami University’s Special Collections and Archives at King Library, and the Western Dress Collection in the Department of Art. Other loans are generously provided by the Butler County Historical Society.
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IMIX HERNANDEZ DE LA ROSA, SPANISH INSTRUCTOR DEPARTMENT OF SPANISH & PORTUGUESE TUE, OCT 15, 6 PM (RECEPTION TO FOLLOW) Cultural groups from around the world view death as a natural part of the human condition. Family members, loved-ones, and friends who have passed away are memorialized with annual celebrations. Professor De la Rosa will discuss the elements of the altar de muertos and her interpretation as an individual of Mexican heritage. Co-sponsored with Unidos Student Organization.
ROBERT S. WICKS, PH.D., DIRECTOR WED, OCT 23, 1:15 PM William Niven (1850-1927) was a mineralogist, mining engineer and pioneer archaeologist as well as an accomplished glass plate photographer. His unique images document his explorations as well as everyday life in western Mexico during a time of political upheaval.
Film: The Seventh Seal (1958) DIRECTOR INGMAR BERGMAN JASON SHAIMAN, CURATOR OF EXHIBITIONS THU, NOV 21, 7 PM (1 HR 36 MINS) The Curator of Exhibitions will provide a brief introduction highlighting the work of Ingmar Berman. This classic film is a compelling tale of a Swedish knight and the woes suffered by his country in the grips of Black Death. The knight is determined to complete one redemptive act before he dies.
ART MUSEUM
EXHIBITION | DOUGLASS GALLERY OPEN AUG 27—DEC 14 BY JASON E. SHAIMAN AND JOSH DEMBICKI (CURATORIAL INTERN)
Most patrons of the arts are familiar with the visual characteristics that define woodcut prints on paper, yet few are aware of wood engravings. Both mediums are reverse image print processes in which the raised surface of the wood block is inked and printed. A selection of 18 prints from the Art Museum’s permanent collection will provide visitors with an introduction to the nuances of wood relief prints, including materials, tools and techniques.
Curator Talk | Cutting the Grain JASON SHAIMAN, CURATOR OF EXHIBITIONS WED, SEP 11 | 3 PM Wood-relief printmaking has a long history extending back to the 5th century CE with the advent of woodblock prints in China. By the late 18th century, wood engravings emerged as the preferred medium among artists. Explore the history of these two wood relief formats, learn about what distinguishes these media, and discover how artists explored the two forms of relief printing.
Wood relief printmaking has a long history that began with woodblock prints in China nearly 1,400 years ago. The print medium reached international popularity in the 15th century. Thanks to the invention of wood engravings in the 18th century, wood relief printmaking experienced a resurgence following a decline that resulted in the introduction of intaglio print processes. Masters of woodcut and wood engravings include artists such as Albrecht Dürer, Katsushika Hokusai, Gustave Doré and M.C. Escher, who elevated wood relief prints to a celebrated art form.
Grace Albee (American, 1890–1985) Forgotten Things, 1942; Wood engraving on paper, artist’s proof Gift of Robert E. White, Jr.; 2004.18
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EXHIBITION | MCKIE GALLERY OPEN AUG 27-DEC 14
BY JASON E. SHAIMAN, DR. STEVE TUCK AND THE ART384 STUDENTS
In 2013, the Miami University Art Museum (MUAM) received a donation of ancient ceramics from Harvey and Deborah Breverman of Buffalo, New York. Their donation includes one-hundred and thirty-one ancient ceramic and bronze pieces, produced 1800 BCE–1500 CE. Consisting primarily of seventy-eight oil lamps, the collection includes small figural pieces, utilitarian vessels and several bronze items from Greece, Italy, the eastern Mediterranean, Israel, Byzantium, Egypt and Cyprus, among other locations. Illuminating the Past explores the production and use, historical typology, iconography, cultural references, numismatic connections, and the evolution of such ancient ceramics. While oil lamps were ubiquitous throughout the ancient Mediterranean world and actively studied by humanities scholars over the past century, they are less well recognized by the museum-going public. The presentation of these objects presents a unique opportunity to view this often overlooked segment of ancient pottery used in the daily life of peoples from long ago.
CLASS (STUDENT CURATORIAL) PARTICIPANTS ERIN ADELMAN | YIWEN BAI | CHARLEE BIDDLE ISOBELLA DALE | MATT FACCENDA | MARIA JOSE DESANTIAGO GALAN | NATHANIEL HIEBER | SYDNEY HILL | GRANT JURDEN | MCCARTHY KNEPSHIELD VICTOR KURZ | KAYLA OLMSTED | LILIA THEOBALD MACY WHITAKER | AUBREY WOODARD DR. STEVE TUCK-PROFESSOR | JAY ZUMETA-ADVISOR
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Lamps and Leadpipes: Identifying Makers & Locating Roman Lamp Factories STEVE TUCK, PROFESSOR, DEPARTMENT OF CLASSICS WED, OCT 9 | 4:30 PM This lecture offered in conjunction with the exhibition, Illuminating the Past: Utilitarian Ceramics of the Ancient World, will focus on lamps, their makers’ marks (the names stamped on the bottom) and how we can use these, along with other evidence, to locate lamp factories in the ancient world. .
North Africa Oil Lamp, 1st century CE Terracotta Gift of Harvey & Deborah Breverman 2013.HB.54 Greek Lekythos Vase, ca. 500 BCE Terracotta Gift of Harvey & Deborah Breverman 2013.HB.110
ART MUSEUM
Visual Arts at Miami
Miami University Art Museum 2018-19
A panel-show version of Telling a People’s Story: African-American Children’s Illustrated Literature (TAPS) has been shown at 20 venues to date, chiefly libraries and public schools, with 30 more scheduled for the future. It has been viewed by more than 5,000 students, teachers and parents all across the U.S., from Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky, to Missouri, Iowa and New Mexico.
More than 28 Miami courses had formal assignments in the Art Museum; departments range from Art History to Kinesiology & Health and Women’s Studies.
As the Art Museum celebrated its 40th anniversary (19782018), works from the permanent collection were on display in the exhibition 40 at 40 to honor our many donors and to highlight the diversity of artistic traditions found within our walls.
Two of the core courses in the Museums and Society minor, CCA222 Museums and Collections: Beyond the Curio Cabinet and CCA232 Museums Today: Content, Practices and Audiences are regularly taught by Art Museum staff.
In ART420D, Art and Its Markets, Professor Michael Hatch and his students examined original works of art and made purchase recommendations to the Art Museum. Three works were purchased for the permanent collection, ranging in date from the 17th to the 20th centuries. A grant from Career Services supported class travel and the acquisitions.
Volume 8, Issue 1 | Fall 2019
ART MUSEUM
Curator of Exhibitions Jason Shaiman received a Diversity and Inclusion award from the Office of the President for his active role in promoting social justice and diversity at Miami, most recently through the path-breaking exhibition Telling a People’s Story: African-American Children’s Illustrated Literature.
Not including visitors to our outdoor sculpture park, attendance at the Art Museum was 9,125 during the 2019 fiscal year (July-June). Donuts and Dali pop-up stands sprouted at locations across campus and provided free donut holes and promoted awareness of the Art Museum and its resources.
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Barbara Bresler (MU ‘68) spoke at our 2019 annual members meeting about her passion for collecting African art. Much of the Bresler Collection is now at MUAM.
Professor Pepper Stetler was honored by the Art Museum for her outstanding contributions, particularly for her role as faculty advisor for three Senior Capstone courses in Art History that resulted in exhibitions at MUAM based upon the permanent collection.
Among our recent acquisitions are a group of African political cloths of the 1960s from Cameroon and U.A.R. with portraits of leaders including Presidents Nasser, John F. Kennedy, Jomo Kenyatta, David Dacko and others. A 1990-91 lithograph by Jaune Quickto-See Smith, Ode to Chief Seattle, is a notable addition to our collection of works on paper by First Nation artists.
A full Director’s Report is viewable online at MiamiOH.edu/ArtMuseum beginning Sept. 1.
More than 80 students were directly engaged with the art museum during the academic year interning, art-making, exhibition curation, publicity, event planning, and more.
The Miami University Art Museum (MUAM) is a teaching museum with an encyclopedic collection of more than 17,000 artworks from prehistory to the present. Guided learning through exposure to original works of art is a primary objective of all we do, in our galleries, in the classroom, and beyond. Designed by Walter Netsch of Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, Chicago, the building is situated in a scenic three-acre sculpture park. Completed in 1978, MUAM houses five galleries of changing exhibitions, an auditorium/reception 16 area and a library study room.
Approved as a center by the Council of Academic Deans on May 1, 2019, Museums Miami will allow for greater collaboration, visibility and impact of collections at Miami on research and scholarship. Wicks will serve as its founding director (2019-2021).
Our fifth student response exhibition (SRE), Outside the Box resulted in 92 submissions from across the university. Cash awards were sponsored by the Membership Association.
Local and national organizations, such as Lane Public Libraries, Institute for Learning in Retirement, the Ohio Writer’s Project and the Archaeological Institute of America, regularly schedule their programming in our facility.
ART MUSEUM
Visual Arts at Miami
Art History
GOODYEAR GALLERY ONGOING
at a glance BY JASON E. SHAIMAN AND KATIE MOORE (CURATORIAL INTERN)
Every few years, works of art on display in the semi-permanent exhibition Art History at a Glance are changed out for preservation and rejuvenation. It is our responsibility to protect and ensure that artworks are available for future appreciation and study. We also switch out works to bring new life to exhibitions through presenting old favorites and hopefully some new ones. New to this exhibition is the inclusion of interpretive object labels, offering educational and enlightening information about each work. Art History at a Glance seeks to provide a glimpse into the evolution of Western art dating from the 15th through the 20th centuries. Selected works represent prominent art movements with examples of Renaissance, Baroque, Neoclassicism, Romanticism, Impressionism, Expressionism, Abstract Expressionism, Surrealism, Pop Art, and Contemporary works, among others. Works in this exhibition include gifts from many donors or pieces obtained through Art Museum purchases made possible by funds contributed by many patrons and supporters. The exhibition is curated with assistance from Art & Architecture History undergraduate Katie Moore, Curatorial Intern, Spring 2019.
Volume 8, Issue 1 | Fall 2019
ART MUSEUM
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ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
Bridget Garnai (‘17)
Education: Bachelor of Arts in Art & Architecture History, minors in Arts Management and Museums & Society from Miami University - May 2017; Masters of Library and Information Science with a specialization in Museum Studies from Kent State - May 2019 What are some of your favorite MUAM memories: Some of my favorite MUAM memories are kicking off the school year at the lawn party, helping plan student events with AMSO, and working with my Art & Architecture History capstone class to create an exhibition at the museum. What helped you while at Miami work toward your goals: While I studied at Miami, the faculty and staff with which I interacted had a huge impact on my success. From professors to internship supervisors to student organization advisors, everyone I learned from was interested in my goals and gave generously of their time and talents to help me reach those goals, and then dream even bigger. What is your dream job: Working with a cultural heritage collection as a Collections Manager/Registrar or Museum Educator. What is next? This summer, I’m a fellow at Ohio Humanities, contributing to their cultural heritage tourism website, SeeOhioFirst.org, and applying for full-time museum jobs. What is one thing that you want to tell the world about the museum field and the importance of museums and visiting them? Museums are so important to our world because they are places where we can connect with large ideas and with other people through our interactions with objects. I think that when visiting museums it is important not to be overwhelmed by the context of an object but instead to be open to the emotional, cognitive, and physical connections that only you might be able to make. What advice do you have for current and incoming students interested in working/ studying in the museum field? I’d tell current and incoming students interested in the museum field to volunteer, intern, and visit museums to build connections with museum people and practices. Having practical experiences to pair with the theoretical material of museum studies can make that material more relatable and easier to apply to your future work.
Where are they now? In any given semester 5-10 Miami University undergrads studying Communications, Arts Management, Art History, Marketing, Archeology, History, Anthropology, Architecture, Museums and Society and any other relatable areas of study can be found deeply embedded in the workings of the Miami University Art Museum. These students spend a semester or sometimes more working closely with staff to learn while they help with upcoming and current exhibitions, be it researching works, writing for exhibitions, handling works or helping to market and publicize events and exhibitions. In the past eight years more than 100 students have interned with us. Join us here as we reconnect with them after graduation to discover where they are now.
Some of the MUAM staff recently visited Bridget in Kent’s MUSELAB-their signature study space for exhibition learning experiences.
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CAGE GALLERY ART MUSEUM
Visual Arts at Miami
IN THE CAGE
CAGE GALLERY Alumni Hall, Lower Level 350 E. Spring St. Oxford, OH 45056 MiamiOH.edu/cca/academics/arch-id
OCT 13-NOV 2 GUIDO HARTRAY MARVEL ARCHITECTS | “BUILDING IN THE CITY-CITY IN THE BUILDING�
SEP 22-OCT 12 LONDON 2019: ENERGY EFFICIENCY BY DESIGN Confronted with the emergent needs of a sustainable society allowing for increasing populations and shrinking resources, urban centers, such as London, have discovered new methodologies to cultivate energy-efficient growth within a de-industrialized and technologically innovative urban economy. The broad objective of the London 2019 Studio was to establish a comprehensive and integrative framework where a range of energy-efficient design and building science issues can be engaged through the design of a mixed-use project in the Spitalfields neighborhood of Central London.
Volume 8, Issue 1 | Fall 2019
Guido Hartray examines how interaction in streets, sidewalks and public spaces can influence how we design our living, working and playing environments. The structures that define an urban space are also a way to understand the social structure within an individual building. Working between the scale of the city and the interior we look for ways for each to inform the other.
FALL 2019 CAGE GALLERY
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HIESTAND HAPPENINGS NORTH GALLERY | FALL 2019 OCT 23–NOV 21 LARRY W. COLLINS | THEY THAT MATTER SEP 4–OCT 10 2019 MIAMI UNIVERSITY YOUNG SCULPTORS COMPETITION FOR THE $10,000 WILLIAM AND DOROTHY YECK AWARD Through the generous gift from William (‘36) and Dorothy Yeck of Dayton, Ohio, Miami University has a unique opportunity to provide students and the community-at-large to develop a critical understanding of sculpture in the 21st century. The competition winner will be awarded the $10,000 William and Dorothy Yeck Award and the sculpture will become part of Miami University’s permanent collection. 2019 JUROR: DON DESMETT, CURATOR, DIRECTOR, WRITER, KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN Don Desmett was Founding Director of Exhibitions for the Richmond Center for Visual Arts (RCVA) at Western Michigan University (2006-2016). In 2005, he was a design consultant for SmithGroup (Detroit), working on functional design elements for Western Michigan University’s RCVA. From 2000 to 2004, Desmett was Director of Collections and Exhibitions at The Kalamazoo Institute of Arts (again as Interim Curator from 2018-19). He also served as Director and Curator of The Tyler Galleries at the Tyler School of Art, Temple University in Philadelphia (1990-98). Career highlights include organizing major exhibitions for ArtPrize 8, 9, and 10 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, The Museum for Contemporary Art, Cleveland; The Institute of Contemporary Art in Philadelphia, the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. He has also served on numerous panels and review boards including The National Leadership Grant Review Panel for The Institute of Museum and Library Services in Washington, D.C., The Ohio Arts Council and Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs Visual Arts Review Panels, a panel member for The Mid-Atlantic Association of Museums & The New England Museum Association and, Independent Curators International/Chicago Expo Curatorial Forum 2019. Desmett received his MFA, from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst and his BFA from the University of Akron, Akron, Ohio.
Prompted by a TIME magazine cover from April 20, 2015, Larry W. Collins delves into the awareness of events in the United States concerning the shooting of black men and women by police. Deeply moved while reading the magazine, Collins felt these stories of African American men and women needed to be told and people should honestly take notice of these victims and what these events have to say about our society. Collins reflected back to an exhibition of his work in the mid-1990’s, All For The Cause, where he created 33 portraits of individuals who died during the civil rights movement. Many of those killed were never vindicated, and Collins realized, “the stories of the slain civil rights workers had many characteristics similar to the stories of victims who have experienced police violence.” In They That Matter, Collins re-creates individual shrines, just as he exhibited in All For The Cause, illuminating each person who has lost their life; to show the humanity of the victims and that their lives mattered. [larrycollins.com]
RECEPTION FOR THE ARTIST: THU, OCT 24, 4:30–5:30 PM
JUROR LECTURE: THU, SEP 26, 5:50 PM, ART 100 RECEPTION FOR THE ARTISTS: FRI, SEP 27, 4:30–5:30 PM AWARD CEREMONY: 5 PM
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HIESTAND GALLERIES
Visual Arts at Miami
GALLERY HOURS: MON–FRI: 9 AM–4:30 P.M. Other hours available by appointment GALLERY CLOSURES: DURING EXHIBITION INSTALLATION AND SEP 2, OCT 11, NOV 27-29, AND DEC 12-31, 2019.
. ROBERT E. & MARTHA HULL LEE GALLERY | FALL 2019
SEP 4– OCT 7 TIMOTHY MCDOWELL | IN OUR TIME
OCT 17–NOV 15 AMY SCHISSEL | HYPER-ATLAS
We welcome back artist Timothy McDowell, who served as our juror for the 2014 Young Painters Competition. In his exhibition, In Our Time, McDowell, “interprets current themes through a new visual vocabulary originating from a dialogue between painting and photography—a dialogue that I was able to explore thanks to the support of the Jackson Pollock and Lee Krasner Foundation and their funding.” His current work takes advantage of the reactive chemistry of cyanotype, allowing the manipulation of tonal variations in a painterly way. Using cyanotype on linen as underpainting, as well as cyanotype as collage, he combines this approach with various printmaking mediums. This is the first public showing of these large format, toned cyanotypes on Japanese Kozo paper. He is currently Professor of Printmaking and Drawing at Connecticut College, New London; he received his MFA from the University of Arizona and his BFA from Midwestern State University, Wichita Falls, Texas. [timothymcdowell.format.com]
Schissel’s installation explores vastness and deposits of information in a delicate world. With flowing paper and layer upon layer of traditional materials, she submerges the viewer into a world that navigates the spaces between the analog and digital worlds of traditional cartography and internet mapping to explore new dimensions of our contemporary landscape. As one is surrounded and becomes a part of HyperAtlas, the finesse of her ability to translate emotion and discovery is undeniable. Recently awarded a 2019 Joan Mitchell Summer Fellowship, Schissel has exhibited extensively in national and international venues including the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts, Spartanburg Art Museum, Carleton University Art Gallery, Florida State Museum of Fine Art, Sjalso Studios (Sweden) and the University of Brussels Gallery (Belgium.) Represented by the Patrick Mikhail Gallery (PMG), Montreal QC, Canada, her works have been exhibited in solo exhibitions at the Montreal venue as well as solo and group exhibitions. Schissel is currently an Assistant Professor of Painting at The University of Miami, Florida and received her MFA and BFA degrees from the University of Ottawa, Canada. [amyschisselart.com]
NOV 21–DEC 11 BAIMEI TANG | MFA THESIS EXHIBITION, METALS | SPRING BEGINS Originally from Changde, (Hunan Province,) China, Baimei Tang explores traditional Asian craft and experiments with new technologies in her studio practice. As an Artist-inResidence in Kongbai, (Guizhou Province,) China, in the summer of 2018, Tang was immersed in the 600 year old Miao Village and the traditional handicraft of making silver ornaments. Her interest in the craft of filigree–where metalsmiths draw and pull silver into wires as thin as human hair, braiding the sliver and creating ornamental wearables–is evident in her recent MFA exhibition, Spring Begins. RECEPTION FOR THE ARTIST: TUE, DEC 3, 4–7 PM
RECEPTION FOR THE ARTIST: THU, SEP 19, 4–5 PM
RECEPTION FOR THE ARTIST: THU, OCT 17,
LECTURE: 5:50 PM, ART 100
4–5 PM, LECTURE: 5:50 PM, ART 100
Hiestand Hall | 401 Maple St., Oxford, OH 45056 Galleries located on 1st level Miamioh.edu/hiestand-galleries |HIESTAND (513) 529-1883 GALLERIES Volume 8, Issue 1 | Fall 2019 ANN TAULBEE, DIRECTOR | taulbeae@miamioh.edu
All receptions are in the lobby of Hiestand Galleries All lectures are in ART 100, 21 unless noted otherwise.
CONTEMPORARY ART
T H U R S D AY S 5 : 5 0 – 7 : 0 5 P M | A R T B U I L D I N G , R O O M 1 0 0 (*unless otherwise noted)
SEP 5 | 5:50–8 P.M. | ART 100 | ART DEPARTMENT OPEN HOUSE!
SEP 12 | MIGIWA ORIMO: GAP + SLIPPAGE + A REALM OF DISJUNCTION
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SEP 19 | TIMOTHY MCDOWELL: IN OUR TIME
Migwa Orimo will talk about her recent project/installation, “Proofs of Burden” from the exhibit Nuclear Fallout: The Bomb in Three Archives, which was a part of the 2018 FotoFocus Biennial. For this project, she explored the relationship between public memory and private space by examining how memories are shared and internalized; how they are stored and become stories; and how memories and history collide.
Timothy McDowell, who served as juror for the 2014 Miami University Young Painters Competition, returns for his exhibition, In Our Time, in Hiestand Galleries (Sep 4–Oct 7). McDowell, “interprets current themes through a new visual vocabulary originating from a dialogue between painting and photography.” His current work takes advantage of the reactive chemistry of cyanotype, allowing the manipulation of tonal variations in a painterly way.
Orimo emigrated to the US in the 1980’s after earning a degree in Literature and studying graphic design in Tokyo, Japan. [migiwaorimo.com]
McDowell is currently Professor of Printmaking and Drawing at Connecticut College, New London.
SEP 26 | DON DESMETT: BLIND CURVES ON A STRAIGHT LINE Don Desmett is the juror for the national Miami University 2019 Young Sculptors Competition for the $10,000 William and Dorothy Yeck Award. Desmett received his MFA from the University of MassachusettsAmherst and his BFA from the University of Akron. From 2000 to 2004, Desmett was Director of Collections and Exhibitions at The Kalamazoo Institute of Arts (again as Interim Curator from 2018/19). He was Founding Director of Exhibitions for the Richmond Center for Visual Arts (RCVA) at Western Michigan University (2006-2016).
COLLEGE OF CREATIVE ARTS
OCT 3 | MICHAEL COPPAGE: RECENT WORK Cincinnati Artist Michael Coppage addresses a range of topics including mental health issues, race, the byproduct of human consumption as well as other topics that serve as social commentary related to contemporary life in America. He has co-created a therapeutic art program called “Peace by Piece” at the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital College Hill Campus. Coppage earned a BFA in Sculpture from Memphis College of Art and an MFA in Studio Art from The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. He has traveled around the world extensively and has work in a number of private collections in addition to his more personal works. Visual Arts at Miami
LECTURE SERIESFall 2019 ART 281: CONTEMPORARY ART FORUM
ART MUSEUM NOV 7 | MARY ELLEN GOEKE: ARCHETYPE: CINDY SHERMAN; FOTOFOCUS: AUTO/UPDATE
OCT 10 | JOOMI CHUNG: IMAGESPACE / MEMORYSPACE Joomi Chung’s work evolved surrounding the idea of image-space and memory-space. She will talk about the evolution of her work, philosophical and visual influences, and ideas behind her main projects. Chung is an Associate Professor of Painting and Drawing at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. Her work has been exhibited at national and international venues including Seoul Art Center Hangaram Museum and SOMA Drawing Center, Seoul, South Korea, Fort Collins Lincoln Center and Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO. [joomichung.net]
Volume 8, Issue 1 | Fall 2019
OCT 17 | AMY SCHISSEL: HYPERATLAS
OCT 24 | SARAH ROSE SHARP: FINDING EVIDENCE THE ART OF DETECTION IN AN
Amy Schissel explores our 21st Century lives as we try to bridge the gap between spaces we see and navigate in the physical world and those we see and navigate in the online world. Schissel was recently awarded a 2019 Joan Mitchell Summer Fellowship and was a 2017 recipient of the prestigious Joan Mitchell Foundation Painters and Sculptors Award. She has exhibited extensively in national and international venues including the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts and the University of Brussels Gallery (Belgium).
INTERDISCIPLINARY PRACTICE
Detroit-based artist and writer Sarah Rose Sharp talks about the multitudinous factors in creating a selfsustaining creative existence. Topics include definitions of success, scene etiquette, boundaries, freelance survival skills, reclaiming time, community and self, and artistic values. These are field notes from the trenches of an active artistic existence that accepts no limitations on its possibilities. She conducts ongoing research into the state of contemporary art in redeveloping cities, with special focus and regard for Detroit. [sarahrosesharp.com]
DEPARTMENT OF ART
Mary Ellen Goeke, founding director of FotoFocus, will discuss the organization’s mission to present photography and lens-based exhibitions and programs that are enriching and engaging to a large and diverse public. In addition, Ms. Goeke will provide a post-modern critique of Cindy Sherman’s work with a special emphasis on the work Untitled #117, on display in Gallery 4 at the Miami University Art Museum. NOV 21 | BILLY SIMMS: CRAFTOWNE: COMICS AS INSTALLATION ART Billy Simms is an artist and educator. He has a BA in theatrical scenery and lighting from the University of Maryland Baltimore County, an MS in special education from the Johns Hopkins University, and an MFA from Miami University. [billysimmsart. wordpress.com]
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Staff you could become a member. Membership has various levels from individual and family to reciprocal membership, which also grants you access to over 600 museums in the North America Reciprocal Museum Association. As a member you receive member e-news and invitations to special VIP opening receptions and events throughout the year.
ATTEND FREE PROGRAMS | GALLERY TALKS | GUEST LECTURES | TOURS JOIN | BECOME A MEMBER OR DOCENT SUBSCRIBE | TO OUR E-NEWSLETTER FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA /MIAMIUNIVERSITYARTMUSEUM
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READ WWW.BLOGS.MIAMIOH.EDU/VISUALARTS (THIS MAGAZINE’S COMPANION WEBSITE) WWW.BLOGS.MIAMIOH.EDU/ART-MUSEUM (MOMENTS AT MUAM) VISIT WWW.MIAMIOH.EDU/ART-MUSEUM
JOIN, VOLUNTEER, SUBSCRIBE - LEARN MORE AT WWW.MIAMIOH.EDU/ARTMUSEUM
GALLERY HOURS: TUESDAY–FRIDAY: 10 AM–5 P.M. SATURDAY: 12–5 P.M. 801 S. PATTERSON AVE. OXFORD, OH MIAMIOH.EDU/ARTMUSEUM | (513) 529-2232
ONLINE MAGAZINE/BLOG: WWW.BLOGS.MIAMIOH.EDU/VISUALARTS
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/MIAMIUNIVERSITYARTMUSEUM @MIAMIU-ARTMUSEUM MCGUFFEY MUSEUM @MIAMIOHARTMUSEUM
Visual Arts at Miami
McGuffey Moments
Images of the McGuffeys STEVE GORDON, ADMINISTRATOR
The photograph has become iconic. Rather than looking directly at the photographer, the bespectacled William Holmes McGuffey is attending to a book. The date is around 1848 and the place is Charlottesville, Virginia, where McGuffey had moved in 1845 with his family to teach Latin, Greek and Moral Philosophy at the University of Virginia. Just a few years earlier in Oxford, circa 1835, McGuffey and his wife Harriet had their portraits painted by Horace Harding. At that time, photography was unknown. In 1839, Louis Daguerre took one of the first outdoor photographs – a city scene in Paris – and the first to capture a human being. The following decade witnessed an explosion of the daguerreotype silver plate process, especially for portraits. The first photographic image of Abraham Lincoln was taken in 1846 or 1847. Locally, in 1848 Fontayne and Porter took what is the most famous panoramic daguerreotype view of the Cincinnati waterfront. Research suggests there were no daguerreotype photographers working in Oxford. The fact that McGuffey, his wife Harriet and their son Charles sat for Volume 8, Issue 1 | Fall 2019
individual photographs is significant. It is possible McGuffey’s image represents the earliest photograph of a Miami professor [McGuffey taught at Miami from 1825-1836]. McGuffey House and Museum is fortunate to have the four daguerreotypes in its collection. The cases carry the label “W.A. Retzer, Daguerreotypist, Charlottesville.” Retzer first appears in Philadelphia in 1844 and 1845 as a “photographist.” By the late 1840s he had relocated to Charlottesville. Retzer does not appear in the 1850 population census for Albemarle County, VA. There are no known daguerreotype images of daughters Mary and Henrietta. Perhaps they have been lost or remain unidentified. The photo of Harriet portrays a stoic woman standing frontal view with her hand on a book and an object in her hand. The photo of Charles reveals a handsome, well-dressed young man. Sadly, both Harriet and Charles were gone by 1850, victims of cholera and tuberculosis. The image of an elderly Alexander “Sandy” McGuffey (17671855) was either taken or encased by Henry H. Potter, a Cincinnati daguerreotypist ca. 1850. MCGUFFEY MUSEUM
Today, selfies and digital photos are ubiquitous. Little time is devoted to staging and posing. Dress is informal, the background often distracting. There is something amateurish about contemporary images, passing thought is given to posterity. Perhaps this is why early photography captures our imagination. There is a timeless quality about the black and white images that gaze directly at us. Given the significance of the McGuffey daguerreotypes, attention has been given toward their care and conservation. Recently, Miami’s photographic services staff has produced professional quality reproductions of the daguerreotypes. Miami’s Special Collections Conservation staff is available to offer advice on proper techniques for conserving old photographs.
McGuffey House & Museum Open Thu–Sat: 1–5 PM 401 E. Spring St. Oxford, OH 45056 (513) 529-8380 McGuffeyMuseum@MiamiOH.edu MiamiOH.edu/McGuffey-Museum
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Fall 2019 VISUAL ARTS AT A GLANCE AUG AUG 27–DEC 14 Cutting the Grain: Nuances of Wood Relief Prints ART MUSEUM
SEP SEPT 4–OCT 7 Timothy McDowell: In Our Time HIESTAND SEP 4–OCT 10 2019 Miami University Young Sculptors Competition for the $10,000 William and Dorothy Yeck Award HIESTAND SEP 5 | 5:50–8 PM Art Department Open House! ART 100 SEP 11 | 3 PM Curator Talk | Jason Shaiman: Cutting the Grain ART MUSEUM SEP 11 | 10 AM–5 PM New Exhibitions Open House ART MUSEUM SEP 12 | 5:50–7:05 PM Migiwa Orimo: Gap + Slippage + A Realm Of Disjunction ART 100
AUG 27–DEC 14 Illuminating the Past: Utilitarian Ceramics of the Ancient World ART MUSEUM AUG 27–DEC 14 Life Cycles: Death ART MUSEUM
SEP 19 | 4–5 PM Artist Reception — Timothy McDowell HIESTAND SEP 19 | 5:50–7:05 PM Timothy McDowell: In Our Time ART 100 SEP 22–OCT 12 London 2019: Energy Efficiency By Design CAGE SEP 26 | 10 AM–12 PM Art Explorers (Ages 3–5) ART MUSEUM SEP 26 | 5:50–7:05 PM Don Desmett: Blind Curves on a Straight Line ART 100 SEP 27 | 4:30–5:30 PM Miami University Young Sculptors Competition Artists Awards and Reception HIESTAND
OCT OCT 3 | 5:50–7:05 PM Michael Coppage: Recent Work ART 100 OCT 9 | 4:30 PM Exhibition Talk: Steve Tuck | Lamps and Leadpipes: Identifying Makers and Locating Roman Lamp Factories ART MUSEUM OCT 10 | 5:50–7:05 PM Joomi Chung: Image–Space / Memory–Space ART 100 OCT 13–NOV 2 Guido Hartray Marvel Architects | “Building in the City–City in the Building” CAGE OCT 15 | 6 PM Lecture & Reception: Imix Hernandez De la Rosa | Day of the Dead ART MUSEUM OCT 17 | 4–5 PM Artist Reception — Amy Schissel HIESTAND Oct 17 | 5:50–7:05 PM Amy Schissel: Hyper–Atlas ART 100
For more information visit: miamioh.edu/sca/events
NOV Nov 7 | 5:50–7:05 PM Mary Ellen Goeke: Archetype: Cindy Sherman; FotoFocus: Auto/Update ART 100
OCT 17–NOV 15 Amy Schissel | Hyper–Atlas HIESTAND
NOV 21 | 10 AM–12 PM Art Explorers (Ages 3–5) ART MUSEUM
OCT 23 | 1:15 PM Exhibition Talk: Robert S. Wicks | William Niven’s Mexico (1890– 1910): Photograph as Document and Memorial ART MUSEUM
Nov 21 | 5:50–7:05 PM Billy Simms: Craftowne: Comics as installation art ART 100
OCT 23–NOV 21 Larry W. Collins | They That Matter HIESTAND OCT 24 | 10 AM–12 PM Art Explorers (Ages 3–5) ART MUSEUM OCT 24 | 4:30–5:30 PM Artist Reception — Larry W. Collins HIESTAND
DEC DEC 3 | 4–7 PM Artist Reception — Baimei Tang HIESTAND
Oct 24 | 5:50–7:05 PM Sarah Rose Sharp: Finding Evidence – The Art of Detection in an Interdisciplinary Practice ART 100
SEP 11 10 AM–5 PM
NOV 21 | 7 PM Film: The Seventh Seal (1958) ART MUSEUM NOV 21–DEC 11 Baimei Tang | MFA Thesis Exhibition, Metals | Spring Begins HIESTAND
MUSEUM & GALLERY INFO Miami University Art Museum
McGuffey House & Museum
801 S. Patterson Ave., Oxford, OH 45056 (513) 529-2232 ArtMuseum@MiamiOH.edu MiamiOH.edu/ArtMuseum
401 E. Spring St., Oxford, OH 45056 (513) 529-8380 McGuffeyMuseum@MiamiOH.edu MiamiOH.edu/McGuffey-Museum
Gallery hours:
Museum hours:
Tuesday–Friday: 10 AM–5 P.M. Saturday: 12–5 P.M.
Thursday–Saturday: 1–5 P.M.
Hiestand Galleries
Cage Gallery
401 Maple St., Oxford, OH 45056 (513) 529-1883 sfagallery@MiamiOH.edu MiamiOH.edu/HiestandGalleries
101 Alumni Hall, Oxford, OH 45056 (513) 529-7210 archid@MiamiOH.edu Arts.MiamiOH.edu/architecture-interior-design
Gallery hours:
Gallery hours:
Monday–Friday: 9 AM–4:30 P.M.
Monday–Friday: 9 AM–5 P.M.