SPRING 2021 | VOLUME 9 | ISSUE 2
FEATURED EXHIBITION: CONFRONTING GREATNESS PAGE 11
PEOPLE OF MUAM: CHRIS WILLLIAMS PAGE 7
HIESTAND GALLERIES PAGE 14-15
CONTEMPORARY ART FORUM PAGES 16-17
From the Editor Adaptation–something we all experienced together over the past year and something that the Arts as a whole did quite well, in my opinion. One good that came was the decision to always make our exhibitions available online which may sometimes be after they have been open for awhile or even after. We’ve learned that the many benefits include expanding our reach, extending the life of our exhibitions and increasing our works online. Now, as we head into COVID year two, we are faced with more challenges and changes. First, we are in the middle of our reaccreditation with the American Alliance of Museums, an accreditation that we take great pride in maintaining. Equally critical is the search for our new Director. Our leader for the past 20 years, Robert S. Wicks, is preparing for his retirement at the end of this academic year. And as if that weren’t enough, Program Associate Sue Gambrell retired at the end of 2020, with two other senior staff also heading into retirement. Preparator and Building Manager Mark DeGennaro (27 years) retires June 1, followed shortly after by our Curator of Education, Cynthia Collins (17 years), on July 1. As you might imagine this is a bitter-sweet time for us all as we plan for and adjust to these changes on a team that experienced minimal turnover throughout the years. A silver lining, however, is that we welcomed Wendy Owens from Career Services as our new Program Associate. Though bittersweet, we are so very happy that Sue, Mark, Cynthia and Bob have reached this wonderful life milestone and will begin their next chapters. We are sad to see their presence and expertise depart, as each has played critical roles in creating the engaging and impactful museum that we all know and love. Rest assured they will remain active in our museum family as we trek forward. The next chapter for the museum is a post-pandemic one with new members on the team. Take a chance during the Spring semester to say congratulations either virtually or when you come in for a visit. We will be masked up and practicing COVID protocols for everyone’s safety. So be sure to ENJOY the Visual Arts at Miami virtually and in-person, where that is an option, and welcome back to another exciting semester!
Sherri Krazl, Editor
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IN THIS ISSUE From the Director About the Art Museum People of MUAM Collections from Home Collection News: New Acquisitions Featured Docent: Chris Williams McGuffey Moments In Memoriam Fall 2021 Exhibition Preview Exhibition: Confronting Greatness Exhibition: Miserere (Georges Rouault) Exhibition: Sacred Songs Hiestand Happenings: Hiestand Galleries Contemporary Art Lecture Series Exhibitions & Programs at a Glance
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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 digital only format during COVID (Fall 2020 & Spring 2021) Visual Arts at Miami is available digitally through the companion blog at blogs. MiamiOH.edu/VisualArts. Check the back cover for a detailed map, contact information and hours.
On the cover: Gandhara, Buddha Sakyamuni on Inverted Lotus Throne (Detail), 2nd-3rd century CE; Grey schist, Miami University Purchase; 1973.S.1.1.
ART MUSEUM
Visual Arts at Miami
From the Director A New Chapter I have had the extraordinary opportunity to serve as the director of the Miami University Art Museum (MUAM) for the first two decades of the 21st century. During that time the work of the museum was characterized by three recurring themes–advocating for social justice, promoting cultural revitalization efforts among the Myaamia people, and championing under-represented artists, particularly women and artists of color. Over these years, student engagement with the museum increased several fold, through course assignments, research by student interns into the collection, a revamped senior capstone in Art History, the Student Response Exhibition series, and the establishment of the Museums and Society minor. I must also acknowledge the key role played by faculty and docents in introducing the larger Miami and Oxford communities to the resources of the Art Museum. I feel fortunate to have been a part of MUAM when it received its first major gift of nearly a million dollars in 2002, establishing the Norman A. Schoelles Art Museum Fund. This endowment supports MUAM’s everyday operations. I am also grateful that I can now acknowledge the generosity of Jeffrey Horrell ‘75 and Rodney Rose, who endowed and named the position of Art Museum Director. In addition to the named directorship, their foresight in establishing the Jeffrey Horrell and Rodney Rose Art Museum Fund will ensure MUAM’s stability and vitality for generations to come. As an art historian and numismatist I approach the study of art as a way to gain insight into how physical materials and artistic processes come together to form a unique creation. This understanding comes from continued exposure to the works themselves. Close observation and careful analysis of original objects is essential. With today’s “born digital” mindset and “digital native” generation, this emphasis on examining the physical object may appear old fashioned. And yet, as much as one can learn from a scanned image, the insights and even joy that come from being in the presence of a work of art cannot be replicated by any other means.
Bob Wicks among the grasses of Nancy Holt's Star-Crossed in MUAM's Sculpture Park. Portrait by a student in Jon Yamashiro's advanced photography class.
MUAM’s encyclopedic collection of more than 17,000 objects has afforded me continual discovery. My first exploration of the works in the museum began in 1985 when, as a young professor, I was asked to write a catalogue of a group of Gandharan Buddhist sculpture. The centerpiece of that collection is currently on display in MUAM’s galleries (see cover image). Among numerous additions to the museum’s holdings over the years, one of my favorites was a selection of rare mid-nineteenth century photographs of Edo Japan by photographer Felice Beato (1832-1909), acquired in preparation for the Spring 2020 Art History senior capstone exhibition. My cherished experiences with works of art, however, would have meant little without the encouragement and support of the Art Museum’s highly competent and resourceful professional staff. Together we reviewed countless exhibition proposals, planned 41 semesters of exhibitions and public programs, and worked with numerous collectors and donors to strengthen our permanent collection. I want to thank them for sharing their lives and careers with me. Robert S. Wicks, Director
Volume 9, Issue 2 | Spring 2021
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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 (when we reopen)
Museum Staff
Monday–Friday: 10 AM–5 PM with advanced (FREE) ticketing times.
Dr. Robert S. Wicks, Director Cynthia Collins, Curator of Education
Closed: Saturday, Sunday, national holidays, university closures, and during installation (more info on website.) Closed: Monday, May 31 FREE & OPEN TO ALL!
Website MiamiOH.edu/ArtMuseum Location & Contact 801 S. Patterson Ave. Oxford, OH 45056 (513) 529-2232 ArtMuseum@MiamiOH.edu
Mark DeGennaro, Preparator/ Operations Manager Wendy Owens, Program Associate Sherri Krazl, Marketing/Communications
Please note: the Art Museum is offering a series of exhibition-related programs virtually. Visit tinyurl.com/muamevents to learn more.
Jason E. Shaiman, Curator of Exhibitions Laura Stewart, Collections Manager/ Registrar
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Please go to www.MiamiOH.edu/visit [or call (513) 529-2232] BEFORE planning your visit to be sure that we are open and to reserve your timed-entry ticket.
@MIAMIU-ARTMUSEUM ART MUSEUM
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Visual Arts at Miami
Gambrell Retires after 17 years After more than 17 years at MUAM, Sue Gambrell, Program Associate, retired in December. Among a myriad of other tasks, Sue was responsible for managing budgets, recording minutes of staff meetings, ensuring that our computers were up-to-date, and that the supply closet was always properly stocked. Sue welcomed guests to the museum with a warm smile and fielded questions about exhibitions and programs. She also ensured that the McGuffey House and Museum docent program ran smoothly. Thank you for all you did to make MUAM and McGuffey a success. You will be greatly missed!
Welcome Wendy Owens Please join us in welcoming Program Associate, Wendy Owens to the art museum team. Born in Georgia and raised in Hamilton, she and her husband Joe and their daughter Serenity live in Reily Township. Wendy came to the museum from Career Services where she worked for over three years. A world traveler, she has been to nine countries so far with Switzerland being her favorite. Wendy shared, “Through my travels, I have a new respect for the arts and I am excited to be part of the team!” Welcome to the team Wendy, we are glad to have you!
Collections from Home For the past several years, MUAM student interns working with the Collections Manager/Registrar have been busy uploading digital information and images to Omeka.net, an online collections publishing platform. MUAM’s Omeka site houses a searchable database of permanent collection objects as well as several “Exhibits” curated with selected objects from MUAM’s virtual collection. Visitors to the site are encouraged to browse as well as return regularly since new objects and exhibits are added each semester. The Virtual Museum is available from the Collections page of MUAM’s website, www.miamioh.edu/art-museum/collections by clicking on the EXPLORE OUR COLLECTION ONLINE button.
Currently 1,400 objects in the collection are online with more being added each semester.
Explore nine exhibits and seven collections featuring pottery, bronzes, as well as ancient, Native American and African art and artifacts. #MUAMfromHome ART MUSEUM
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COLLECTIONS NEWS
Honoring the Past, Welcoming the Future BY LAURA STEWART , COLLECTIONS MANAGER/REGISTRAR
As the Art Museum staff gears up for 2021, we are bolstered by the knowledge that although last year presented many challenges, the permanent collection continued to develop during 2020. Thanks to the generosity of donors and benefactors, new acquisitions to the collection include the following highlights:
sand painting by the contemporary Navajo artist Peter Ray James (b. 1965), and a poignant monoprint by retiring Department of Art Professor Ellen Price.
To honor Price’s thirty years of teaching at Miami’s Oxford campus, the College of Creative Arts and Art Department purchased Folio, 2008, • Fifteenth century specifically for donation Spanish lusterware to MUAM. Using a paper shallow bowl lithography process, Price created the work from • Nineteenth century an early-20th century 4-panel Japanese photograph of an African painted screen signed American great-uncle, Gyoho, depicting William Price, the younger “Genji in Snow with brother of Ellen Price’s Robert Motherwell (American, 1915-1991) His Retainers” paternal grandfather. Red Samurai (from Three Poems by Octavio Paz ), 1987-88 With this print and others Lithograph, Edition of 50, 1/5 HC; 13 3/4” x 10 3/4” Gift of Carol Kane, 2020.2 • Circa 1907-1908 in the series, Price sought watercolor painting by to “locate my identity Columbus-born artist Alice Schille (1869-1955), between the revealed and the hidden” and to “acknowledge titled Harvest, Brittany the imperceptible pull which the past exerts on the present.” • Lithograph by the renown American abstract expressionist painter Robert Motherwell (1915-1991), titled Red Samurai (from Three Poems by Octavio Paz), 1987-88 • Eight photographs by Donna Ferrato (American, b. 1949) from her watershed “Living with the Enemy” series of domestic abuse images. Other stand-out works which will be available for exhibition and scholarly use include a set of 24 Japanese late Edo-period woodblock actor prints, an acrylic and
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At the time this issue of Visual Arts at Miami is published, the difficult year of 2020 will finally be in the past. Yet the opportunity to ponder the beautiful and often complex histories of objects in MUAM’s permanent collection may help us to reevaluate some of our most demanding experiences as global citizens. We encourage you to engage with the artwork in the exhibitions and collections–either in person or virtually–both now and in the future. And, if there is something currently not on display that you are curious about, please feel free to contact me, Laura Stewart, at stewarle@miamioh.edu for more information.
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FEATURED DOCENT
A Life Long Learner – Williams Retired Managed Care Executive and Miami Alumna, Chris Williams (‘75) and her husband Sterling moved to Oxford in 2015 to be close to family and for the community. Their son, David and his wife Christine are a Miami Merger with two sons, Collin a Senior at Miami and Owen about to graduate from high school. Shortly after settling into Oxford, docents Pris Berry and Sarah Michael invited Chris to attend a docent meeting. She thought it sounded like a great opportunity to learn, meet new friends and be involved. Which proved true, as she joined and has been active ever since. Participating as a docent and attending programs has been such an inspiration, she shared. “You learn so much, it’s almost like a graduate degree in art with the many presentations, programs and exhibitions!’ she added. “My favorite part of being a docent has been the bond formed with my peers, we share our joys and sorrows and support each other.” Some of Chris’s favorite MUAM exhibitions include Telling A People’s Story and Coming to America. She recalled witnessing the awe expressed by several school group children who were simply mesmerized by the dresses flowing– as they hung from the ceiling and the powerful stories the dresses told the older guests who better understood the exhibition. Her favorite artwork is Conservatory (Portrait of Frida Kahlo) by Miriam Shapiro, which is in the current exhibition Confronting Greatness. Beyond her Art Museum experiences, she has taken courses and tapped into her creative interests by way of writing, painting and photography. She enjoys writing mostly memoirs and also started painting with watercolors and acrylics. “When you are painting or writing something it can help you focus on just that and you can shut out the outside world.” She and Sterling enjoy taking trips and drives, exploring, then stopping to take photos. Her interest in photography began when they took a course had them taking photos at the Cincinnati Zoo and the Ohio River. In the early 90s, they started genealogy research and have enjoyed discovering their ancestors.
Volume 9, Issue 2 | Spring 2021
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Above top to bottom: Chris Williams, Roebling Bridge/ Cincinnati from Covington; Barn Owl (Cincinnati Zoo)
Interested in learning more about becoming an MUAM Docent? Contact Cynthia Collins, Curator of Education collinc5@miamioh.edu
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McGuffey Moments
Martha Cochran Beard: More than just a Name STEVE GORDON, ADMINISTRATOR
Past women artists are finally emerging from their male dominated shadows. It is timely this year’s student capstone project, Confronting Greatness: A Celebration of Women Artists is shedding light on this marginalized aspect of art history. When readers think of American women artists, more specifically notable regional artists, luminaries such as Elizabeth Nourse come to mind. Locally, Oxford has produced a surprisingly significant number of capable women artists, including Annette Covington, Caroline Scott Harrison and more recently, Lydia Wiepking. Beyond the accomplishments of these academically trained women artists existed a group of self-taught, avocational women painters who also contributed to the genre. Limited by convention and circumstance from entering most professions other than
teaching and textiles, talented women found painting, wood carving and ceramics conventional places to showcase their skills and accessorize their homes. Cultural norms, at least those largely set by many professional men, allowed some “lady painters” to indulge themselves in noncontroversial, modest forms of expression such as sewing, painting, music and gardening. Linda Nochlin, in her seminal 1971 essay "Why Have There Been No Great Women Artists," recounts how during the 19th century real women’s work was to serve the family, not the artist herself. Along this vein, a male woodcarver wrote in 1897, “The invasion of the crafts by women has been developing for years amid irritation and injury to the workmen.” For most men, women’s work meant serving the family and husband, and remaining outside the workplace.
Martha Cochran Beard (1868-1929) exemplifies those Oxford women who, while certainly not major genre artists, nonetheless left a body of work that warrants greater appreciation and discussion. Martha Cochran was born in Butler County and married William Beard, a noted local stock breeder. The Beards purchased the McGuffey House in 1905 and lived there until the early 1920s. While in residence, Martha Beard painted a generic landscape that passed down through three generations of the Junk-Baer family before returning to the McGuffey House in 2011. There is no mention in the written record of Martha Beard’s artistic endeavors. The 1910 and 1920 censuses list her as having no profession. Still, the painting provides tangible evidence of her self-taught if modest artistic talent.
Martha Cochran Beard, Landscape with Watermill, ca. 1905; oil painting on canvas. Donated by the William Junk and WIlliam Bear families, decendants of the artist.
McGuffey House & Museum Email gordonsc@miamioh.edu to reserve a time for your visit. 401 E. Spring St. Oxford, OH 45056 (513) 529-8380 McGuffeyMuseum@MiamiOH.edu MiamiOH.edu/McGuffey-Museum Visual Arts at Miami
In Memoriam
Larry Beer (1954-2020) The Art Museum staff and friends mourn the loss of dear friend and university co-worker, Larry Beer who passed away in October. Larry Beer ('79) Sign Shop Master Trade Specialist was the man behind the printing and installation of the majority of the Art Museum's signage for the past 30 years. Larry treated each project large or small with great care for quality and perfection. He was a complete joy to work with and he is sorely missed. In a feature article in the Fall 2017 issue of Visual Arts at Miami Larry was quoted saying, "I like when I am able to do a job for somebody and it turns out right and they really like it and appreciate it. And I like going around and meeting with people and helping them solve their signage needs.� Visit www.tinyurl.com/maum-beer1017 to enjoy
the Fall 2017 feature on Larry inside the Visual An artist himself, Larry studied Advertising Graphics at Miami, Arts at Miami magazine. graduating in 1979. Outside of work Larry enjoyed woodworking, drawing, and gardening. Our deepest condolences to his wife of 30 plus years, Sue Ann and their son Jonathan. This Spring the Art Museum will be planting a tree in the Sculpture Park to memorialize Larry and his contributions to the museum.
Philip Morsberger (1933-2021) The Art Museum staff and the arts community also mourn the loss of Philip Morsberger, the well-known artist and past Miami University Professor of Art in the 1960s. Morsberger had a long and impressive national and international career. His art is in many museum collections, including four works in the Miami University Art Museum. He exhibited widely in the United States and Europe. His works have been featured at MUAM in multiple temporary and ongoing exhibitions. During his time at Miami, his art frequently examined racial justice issues by reusing images found in popular media. One of his most well-known works at MUAM is his painting, Missing no. 1 (at left). It features the three men who were brutally murdered by the Ku Klux Klan in Mississippi, following their training at the Western College for Women during the historic 1964 Freedom Summer. Top left: Philip Morsberger portrait by Chris Thelen, The Augusta Chronicle (2004); Bottom left: Missing no. 1, 1964 Oil on Canvas; On loan from the Butler Institute of American Art. Learn more about this piece featured in Art History at Glance in gallery 4 at www.tinyurl.com/pm-missingno1. Volume 9, Issue 2 | Spring 2021
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Aug 24-Dec 11, 2021
Douglass, McKie & Farmer Galleries Current and emeritus faculty of the Department of Art, along with selected alumni, will be reunited again in this exhibition. The body of work presented features a diverse exploration of art forms including sculpture, painting, ceramics, photography, video, printmaking, collage, mixed media works and scholarly publications. FACULTY Stephanie Baer Erin Beckloff Larry Collins Stephanie Danker Susan Ewing* Tracy Featherstone Jeannie Langan Heins* Della Reams Geoffrey Riggle Robert Robbins Dana Saulnier Michael Stilion Todd Stuart Roscoe Wilson Robert Wolfe* Jennifer Yamashiro John Yamashiro *Emeritus
ALUMNI Lorene Anderson Andrea Barone Gary Beeber Jeremy Blair Jan Boone Eric England Katherine Fries Ann Gorbett William Greene
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ALUMNI (continued) Lucille Hautau Tara Hayes Pamela Hignite David Johnson Sarojini Johnson Kirsten Ledbetter Travis Linville Susan Mahan Thomas Maltbie Michael May Kim McAninch Robert Lee Mejer Marjorie Morrow Todd Mosley Tim Parsley Carrie Pate Joseph Paushel Julie Pawlowski Jill Sarver Michael Seeley Billy Simms Allison Smith Sherry Rogers Stoffer Nicole Trimble Jean Brandow Vance Austin Wieland Mark Williams Ben Willis Stephen Wolochowicz
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Visual Arts at Miami
WRITTEN BY ART HISTORY CAPSTONE STUDENTS & DR. ANNIE DELL’ARIA Confronting Greatness celebrates the 50th anniversary of Linda Nochlin’s groundbreaking 1971 essay “Why Have There Been No Great Women Artists?”. The article investigates and strives to dismantle the institutional obstacles faced by women that have prevented their being seen as “great” in the same sense as their male counterparts. This essay will be featured prominently within the exhibition. The exhibition was co-curated by the Miami University Art & Architecture History Capstone class under the direction of Dr. Annie Dell’Aria (Art History) during the Fall 2020 semester. Featured in the exhibition are works by renowned women artists including Kara Walker, Carolee Schneemann, Cindy Sherman, Elizabeth Catlett, Audrey Flack, Miriam Schapiro and Louise Nevelson. All of the featured artists are self-identifying women. Dr. Annie Dell’Aria, the Capstone’s advisor, expects that the exhibition “starts conversations, shakes things up, and foregrounds the diverse methods of women artists. By calling attention to this all-women roster, it will hopefully both prompt viewers to question how we do or do not consider gender when looking at art and impart expectations of inclusion and a diversity of voices.” The majority of the artworks are in the collection, with the exception of pieces graciously loaned from the personal collection of Sara M. and Michelle Vance Waddell. ONLINE EXHIBITION TINYURL.COM/CGACOWA
What is a feminist picture?
TINYURL.COM/ MUAMEVENTS
CARMEN WINANT, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, ROY LICHTENSTEIN CHAIR OF STUDIO ART, THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY WED, FEB 10 | 6-7 PM [Virtual] Revisiting several projects across the last few years, Winant will prompt: what makes an artwork feminist?
Gallery Talk with Capstone Students WED, MAR 10 | 6 PM [Virtual] Join this virtual gallery tour with Art & Architecture Capstone students (ART 498), as they share their curatorial experiences and research related to works on display in this exhibition.
Women Navigating in the Art World A PANEL DISCUSSION THU, MAR 18, 6 PM [Virtual] Artists Joomi Chung and Tracy Featherstone join collector and activist Sara Vance Waddell to discuss women in the professional art world and art market. Dr. Annie Dell’ Aria, Art History, Miami University will moderate the panel discussion. Co-sponsored with the Contemporary Art Forum.
Shifting the Frame: A Screening of Moving Images by Women WED, APR 7 | 6 PM [Virtual] Annie Dell’Aria, Assistant Professor, Art History, will curate a screening of short works of experimental film and video art by women artists in conjunction with the exhibition.
Header featured work: Miriam Schapiro (American, b. Canada, 1923-2015); Conservatory (Portrait of Frida Kahlo) [detail], 1988; Acrylic and mixed media on canvas; Miami University Art Museum purchase funded through the Helen Kingseed Art Acquisition Fund and the Commemorative Acquisition Fund; 1990.113 Volume 9, Issue 2 | Spring 2021
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BY JASON E. SHAIMAN, CURATOR OF EXHIBITIONS The Great War (1914-1918), otherwise known as World War I, prompted many European artists to respond to the horrors of the war. Some artists produced demonstratively emotional and physical anguished imagery to illustrate the true nature of the conflict. For Georges Rouault (French, 1871-1958), the emotional and artistic expression of misery reflected personal meditations, reflections, and religious beliefs. Rouault made his acclaimed series Miserere between 1918 and 1927 based on drawings that he began in 1914 shortly after the outbreak of the Great War. His series of 58 etchings are a dark and personal pronouncement of the artist’s anxiety over the ills of a society inflicted by war.
Envisioning Outrage: Georges Rouault in the Context of Art and War
Rouault developed the series in two parts: Miserere and Guerre. The first, Miserere, includes a final section that turns to salvation through Christ. The second, Guerre (War), is a reflection on the tragic developments and result of World War I.
How do visual artists react to suffering and destruction? The Parisian artist Georges Rouault responded to World War I with a large series of prints that is a dark vision as well as a pious plea for mercy and hope, but he was not alone. The context of the art and religious thought gives us a window to understanding the visual language that artists use to express their outrage at human suffering.
Rouault is best known for representational imagery developed in colorful, yet bold lines reminiscent of stained glass for which he trained in his youth. Miserere, a French term, comes from the Latin misereor meaning to have mercy or pity. In correlation with this theme, Rouault turned to a dark and heavy palette devoid of color to demonstrate his melancholic plea for compassion and a call for humanity to respond to ailments that plague civilization.
DR. EDNA SOUTHARD, EMERITA CURATOR OF COLLECTIONS & ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, MIAMI UNIVERSITY WED, FEB 24 | 6 PM [Virtual] TINYURL.COM/MUAMEVENTS
ONLINE EXHIBITION TINYURL.COM/MUAM-MISERERE
Header image: Georges Rouault (French, 1871-1958); Pl 10: Au Vieux Faubourg des Longues Peines (In the old Suburb of Long Suffering) [detail], 1923, printed 1948; Etching and aquatint from copper plates on paper; Gift of William Murstein in memory of his brothers, Myron Murstein and Ormond Murstein
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Visual Arts at Miami
BY JASON E. SHAIMAN, CURATOR OF EXHIBITIONS Douglass Gallery For more than a thousand years music alongside prayer has played a key role in services among many Christian orders. Prayers were given melodies that led to songs incorporated in daily rituals for clergy. Many people today are familiar with Gregorian Chant, one of the earliest examples introduced in the Medieval period. In time, clergy presented songs to parishioners as a part of mass and other religious festivals. Beginning in the 10th century musical notation was developed into a universal written system to unify liturgy, chants and response songs called antiphons. Creating leafs or pages on which antiphons are written evolved out of illuminated manuscript traditions featuring hand-rendered images and decorative elements. Many antiphonals were made large to provide ease of reading by a choir, while smaller examples were used by a choirmaster or personally owned by wealthy parishioners. Most of the antiphonal leafs featured in Sacred Songs are from the Art Museum’s collections as a result of donations from Orpha Webster, Walter I. Farmer and Frank Jordan. Additional leafs and a bound Book of Hours are generously loaned by the Walter Havighurst Special Collections and University Archives at Miami University. This exhibition is curated with assistance from Curatorial Intern Lydia Jasper who co-majored in Art History and Music.
Visualizing the Unseen: Gregorian Chant and the Arts ROBERT BENSON, EMERITUS PROFESSOR, DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE WED, MAR 24 | 6 PM [Virtual] TINYURL.COM/MUAMEVENTS Although sung music was always important to Christian spirituality in worship and monastic life, in the early middle ages, chant and other music could only be learned by rote. The invention of musical notation made what had only been heard visible and readable. This permitted Gregorian chant to become one of the driving forces in the arts of painting, metalwork, sculpture and architecture where the unseen was also given visual expression.
ONLINE EXHIBITION TINYURL.COM/ MUAM-SACREDSONGS
VIEW EXHIBITIONS FROM HOME AT WWW.MIAMIOH.EDU/ARTMUSEUM OR IN PERSON STARTING JAN 25
Volume 9, Issue 2 | Spring 2021
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HIESTAND HAPPENINGS NORTH GALLERY | SPRING 2021 MFA THESIS EXHIBITIONS MAR 8-16 | HANNAH FOX The first pandemic shutdown of 2020 coincided with the birth of my first son. It brought a wealth of mixed emotions as I was forced to look at my life from only within my home. New relationships built the focus of the images and my eyes were opened to the small interactions unfolding right in front of me. JAN 19–FEB 26 2021 MIAMI UNIVERSITY YOUNG PAINTERS COMPETITION FOR THE $10,000 WILLIAM AND DOROTHY YECK AWARD Through the generous gift from William (MU1936) and Dorothy Yeck of Dayton, Ohio, Miami University has a unique opportunity to provide students and the community at large to develop a critical understanding of painting in the 21st century. The competition winner will be awarded the $10,000 William and Dorothy Yeck Award and the painting will become part of Miami University’s permanent collection. This year’s competition focuses on representational realism painting.
MAR 22-30 | NATALIE MICZIKUS Through disjunctive realities, my work contrasts my lived experiences with the predetermined sociocultural ideations of womanhood and positions identity in constant flux. My art aims to develop discourse that critiques conventional morality and gender norms. [www.nataliemiczikus.com] RECEPTION | MAR 27 | 6-7 PM
FEB 18 | 6 PM VIA ZOOM 2021 JUROR TALK: KELLY BAUM, CYNTHIA HAZEN POLSKY AND LEON POLSKY CURATOR OF CONTEMPORARY ART AT THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART, NEW YORK
APR 19-27 | MAGGIE MYERS I look to the future with a foreshadowing sense of existential angst. Subsequently, I turn to primitive and domestic modes of creation which are ultimately reminiscent of crafting pastimes from my adolescence.
2021 Finalists: Katie Butler, Akron, Ohio; Noor Chadha, Cambridge, Massachusetts; Chao Ding, Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Julia Leggent, Lincoln, Nebraska; Kirk Maynard, Orange, New Jersey; Andrew Stephen Norris, Gainesville, Florida; Cal Rice, Boston, Massachusetts; Rajab Ali Sayed, Hollywood, California; Emily Strong, Fountain Hill, Pennsylvania; and Erin Wright, Los Angeles, California.
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APR 5-13 | KARINA RENDON SOY DE AQUÍ, SOY DE ALLÁ I have been labeled as “The Other” in the US due to my Mexican ethnicity despite living here for most of my life. I explore the process of assemblage and printmaking the experience of displacement between the two countries I call home.
MAY 3-12 | BFA CAPSTONE EXHIBITION Department of Art senior studio majors participating in the semester long Capstone course feature their latest visual investigations. EXHIBITION RECEPTION MAY 6 | 4:30–5:30 PM
HIESTAND GALLERIES
Visual Arts at Miami
WEEKLY HOURS AVAILABLE FOR SCHEDULING: TUE, WED, THU, 9 AM–3 PM OTHER HOURS/DAYS AVAILABLE BY MAKING PRIOR RESERVATIONS/ARRANGEMENTS WITH THE GALLERY DIRECTOR.
ROBERT . E. & MARTHA HULL LEE GALLERY | SPRING 2021 MFA THESIS EXHIBITIONS MAR 15–26 | ERIN MCGUIRE PRECIOUS ARTIFACT These are garments for end times. The bright colors and patterns are inspired by the creatures and organisms of our world today, even if they may be fossilized tomorrow. The fabric is painted with dye, embroidered, and machine stitched to add detail and texture before each piece is turned into a wearable object. RECEPTION | MAR 19, 4:30-5:30 PM
JAN 25–FEB 28 KUDZU GRAVE | TAYLOR LOFTIN Taylor Loftin is the 2020 winner of the Miami University Young Painters Competition $10,000 Yeck Purchase Award. With numerous national exhibitions, Loftin was a 2019 participant in the summer residency program at the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture. Receiving his BFA degree from the Memphis College of Art, Loftin is currently an MFA candidate at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. ARTIST TALK: FEB 4, 6 PM VIA ZOOM
MAR 31–APR 13 | KYLA ROBINSON IN THE GARDEN This exhibit explores the intersections between broad sociocultural issues such as Western Christianity’s “battle for the soul”, the perpetuation of kitsch and symbolic iconography, and pop-culture’s relationship to the collective unconscious through introspective depictions of dreamy narrative imagery. The work utilizes symbolically coded imagery and reference points to address emotional content and anxieties concerning indulgence, sin and the flesh. APR 26-MAY 11 | NATE JEFFERY Using intimate environments as a metaphor for human headspace, with all it’s clutter and competing perspectives, I create compositions that are both literal and figurative; displaying actual spaces where individuals are engaged both with each other and, sometimes, the viewer. The liminal space, areas of obscuration, and pentimenti can be partially seen as aspects of temporality, but they are also a representation of the ineffable complexities and contradictions that each of us carry within. In this way, the visual and pictorial tensions between obscure space and the figure(s) illustrate the complex dichotomies that are inherent in being human.
Hiestand Hall | 401 Maple St., Galleries closed: Feb 17, Mar 9, Mar 25, & May 13-Aug 31. Oxford, OH 45056 All lectures are via ZOOM. Galleries located on 1st level Miamioh.edu/hiestand-galleries Hiestand Galleries encourages all guests to wear masks (513) 529-1883 and practice social distancing in alignment with Miami’s HIESTAND GALLERIES Volume 9, IssueTAULBEE, 2 | Spring 2021 DIRECTOR ANN 15 Healthy Together plan. Scheduling will not allow taulbeae@miamioh.edu more than 5-8 guests per gallery at one time.
CONTEMPORARY ART TINYURL.COM/CAF-SPG21
FEB 4 | TAYLOR LOFTIN: ATMOSPHERES OF NON-LINEAR LOBLOLLY PINES
NOTE: WEDNESDAY FEB 10 | CARMEN WINANT: WHAT IS A FEMINIST PICTURE?
FEB 11 | WALKING QUIETLY: MELANIE YAZZIE, CONTEMPORARY NAVAJO ARTIST
TINYURL.COM/ CAF-LOFTIN-FEB4
TINYURL.COM/CAFWINANT-FEB10
TINYURL.COM/CAFYAZZIE-FEB11
Carmen Winant is Associate Professor, Roy Lichtenstein Chair of Studio Art, The Ohio State University, Columbus Ohio. Revisiting several projects across the last few years, Winant will prompt: what makes an artwork feminist? Can photographs be effective, even radical, political agents? How and when do pictures fail us? And, how do we ethically work within and of communities that are not our own?
As a printmaker, painter, and sculptor, Melanie Yazzie’s work draws upon her rich Diné (Navajo) cultural heritage. Her work follows the Diné dictum “walk in beauty” literally, creating beauty and harmony. As an artist, she works to serve as an agent of change by encouraging others to learn about social, cultural, and political phenomena shaping the contemporary lives of Native peoples in the U.S. and beyond. Her work incorporates both personal experiences as well as the events and symbols from Dine culture.
A painter from Jackson, Mississippi, Taylor received his BFA from Memphis College of Art in 2015 and is a 2019 alum of Skowhegan School of Painting & Drawing. He was the recipient of the 2020 William & Dorothy Yeck Award for Young Painters at Miami University, and is currently pursuing his MFA in Painting at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. He will be discussing the various ways painting has become a tool for his own self-investigation and a way of accessing fleeting familial timelines. 16
T H U R S D AY S 6 P M | V I A Z O O M
Cosponsored by the Miami University Art Museum
COLLEGE OF CREATIVE ARTS
FEB 18 | KELLY BAUM, JUROR, 2021 MIAMI UNIVERSITY YOUNG PAINTERS COMPETITION FOR THE $10,000 YECK PURCHASE AWARD TINYURL.COM/ CAF-BAUM-FEB18 Painting in the 21st Century: Art, Identity, Social Justice. This talk will discuss developments in painting over the last twenty-five years in relationship to artistic, social, and political pressures. Kelly Baum is the Cynthia Hazen Polsky and Leon Polsky Curator of Contemporary Art at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, which she joined in 2015.
Visual Arts at Miami
LECTURE SERIESSpring 2021 ART 281: CONTEMPORARY ART FORUM
MAR 11 | LARRY W. COLLINS: CAPTURED MOMENTS TINYURL.COM/ CAF-COLLINS-MAR11 For more than 40 years, Collins, has enjoyed taking photographs of people, places, and things, during his travels throughout the US, Africa, and Europe. Most of his photos were taken to reference later when creating drawings and paintings. He will talk about how his passion for photography emerged as he began to value the aesthetics of his photographs. An Associate Professor at Miami, Collins received his BFA from Columbus College of Art, and Design, and his MFA from the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore, Maryland. Volume 9, Issue 2 | Spring 2021
MAR 18 | WOMEN NAVIGATING IN THE ART WORLD: A PANEL DISCUSSION TINYURL.COM/CAFWOMENART-MAR18 Artists Joomi Chung and Tracy Featherstone join collector and activist Sara Vance Waddell to discuss women in the professional art world and art market. Examining recent progress as steps ahead, this panel will look at how the contemporary art world has evolved and is still evolving towards gender equity. Dr. Annie Dell’Aria, Art History, Miami University, will moderate the panel discussion. Cosponsored by the Miami University Art Museum
APR 1 | MARISSA SANEHOLTZ : PRACTICE AND PEARLS OF WISDOM TINYURL.COM/CAFSANEHOLTZ-APR1 From gossip to tattoo and the incorporation of found materials to the highly technical process of champlevé enameling, this talk will cover the inspiration behind and more physical aspects of Saneholtz’s studio practice. In addition to a traditional way of making, she is also interested in creating opportunities for other artists as co-founder of a traveling residency program, the Smitten Forum. It’s all about finding a balance of making and other artistic pursuits.
DEPARTMENT OF ART
APR 22 | XIA ZHANG: AN UNLEARNING TINYURL.COM/CAFZHANG-APR22 Zhang’s practice is an unlearning of assimilation and shame. It contemplates how the physical body is seen in the dominant public sphere and privately within itself. Much of her work requires a multilayered system of experimenting, scavenging and a regimented routine, as an intimate performance of invisible labor between her body and materials. Xia Zhang is a multi-disciplinary artist and educator who was born in southern China, grew up in suburban Maryland and came into adulthood in Appalachia. Since 2012, Zhang has exhibited in China, Thailand, and nationally. 17
VISUAL ARTS SPRING 2021 AT A GLANCE JAN JAN 19–FEB 26 2021 Miami University Young Painters Competition for the $10,000 William and Dorothy Yeck Award HIESTAND JAN 25–JUN 11 Sacred Songs: Antiphonals & Illuminations TINYURL.COM/ MUAM-SACREDSONGS ART MUSEUM
FEB FEB 4 | 6 PM Taylor Loftin: Atmospheres of Non-Linear Loblolly Pines TINYURL.COM/ CAF-LOFTIN-FEB4 FEB 10 | 6 PM CARMEN WINANT: WHAT IS A FEMINIST PICTURE? TINYURL.COM/ CAF-WINANT-FEB10 FEB 11 | 6 PM Walking Quietly: Melanie Yazzie, Contemporary Navajo Artist TINYURL.COM/ CAF-YAZZIE-FEB11
JAN 25–JUN 11 Miserere: Rouault’s Plea for Mercy TINYURL.COM/ MUAM-MISERERE ART MUSEUM JAN 25–JUN 11 Confronting Greatness: A Celebration of Women Artists TINYURL.COM/CGACOWA ART MUSEUM JAN 25–FEB 28 MFA Thesis Exhibition Kudzu Grave | Taylor Loftin HIESTAND
FEB 18 | 6 PM Kelly Baum, Juror, 2021 Miami University Young Painters Competition for the $10,000 Yeck Purchase Award TINYURL.COM/ CAF-BAUM-FEB18 FEB 24 | 6 PM [Virtual] Dr. Edna Southard, Envisioning Outrage: Georges Rouault in the Context of Art and War TINYURL.COM/ MUAMEVENTS FEB 25 | 10 AM [Virtual Release] Art Explorers (Ages 3–5) TINYURL.COM/ MUAMEVENTS
MAR MAR 2 | 10 AM [Virtual Release] Art Explorers (Ages 3–5) TINYURL.COM/MUAMEVENTS MAR 8-16 MFA Thesis Exhibition | Hannah Fox HIESTAND MAR 10 | 6 PM [Virtual] Challenging Greatness Gallery Talk with Capstone Students TINYURL.COM/MUAMEVENTS MAR 11 | 6 PM Larry Collins: Captured Moments TINYURL.COM/CAF-COLLINS-MAR11 MAR 15–26 MFA Thesis Exhibition | Erin McGuire: Precious Artifact HIESTAND MAR 18 | 6 PM Women Navigating in the Art World: A Panel Discussion TINYURL.COM/ CAF-WOMENART-MAR18
For more information visit: miamioh.edu/sca/events
Under current COVID Ops - we recommend that you double check each event and exhibition before coming to campus to determine for sure if it is virtual or in person!
MAR 19 | 4:30 PM MFA Exhibition Reception | Erin McGuire HIESTAND MAR 22-30 | MFA Thesis Exhibition | Natalie Miczikus HIESTAND MAR 24 | 6 PM [Virtual] Robert Benson, Visualizing the Unseen: Gregorian Chant and the Arts TINYURL.COM/MUAMEVENTS
APR APR 1 | 6 PM Marissa Saneholtz : Practice and Pearls of Wisdom TINYURL.COM/CAFSANEHOLTZ-APR1 APR 5-13 | MFA Thesis Exhibition | Karina Rendon: Soy de Aquí, Soy de Allá HIESTAND
MAR 27 | 6-7 PM MFA Exhibition Artist Reception | Natalie Miczikus HIESTAND
APR 7 | 6 PM [Virtual] Shifting the Frame: A Screening of Moving Images by Women TINYURL.COM/ MUAMEVENTS
MAR 31–APR 13 MFA Thesis Exhibition | Kyla Robinson: In The Garden HIESTAND
APR 19-27 MFA Thesis Exhibition | Maggie Myers HIESTAND
APR 22 | 10 AM [Virtual Release] Art Explorers (Ages 3–5) TINYURL.COM/ MUAMEVENTS APR 22 | 6 PM Xia Zhang: An Unlearning TINYURL.COM/ CAF-ZHANG-APR22 APR 26-MAY 11 MFA Thesis Exhibition | Nate Jeffery 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
COVID Ops Gallery hours:
COVID Ops Museum hours:
Pre-register online Monday–Friday: 10 AM–5 PM
By appointment only Thursday–Saturday: 1–5 PM
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 (by appointment):
Gallery hours:
Tuesday-Thursday: 9 AM–3 PM
Closed Spring 2021
*in conjunction with Miami University return to face-to-face instruction
