UIMA Fall 2010

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University of Iowa Museum of Art Temporary offices at Studio Arts Building 1375 Highway 1 West/1840 SA Iowa City, IA 52242vddPhone: (319) 335-1727 E-mail: uima@uiowa.edu uima.uiowa.edu

Visit us at our temporary locations

Iowa Memorial Union, third floor UIMA@IMU (Richey Ballroom) 125 North Madison St., Iowa City (319) 335-1742

Figge Art Museum 225 West Second St. Davenport, IA 52801 (563) 326-7804

Levitt Center for University Advancement One West Park Road, Iowa City (319) 335-3232

An on-campus visual classroom featuring an extensive installation of art from the Museum’s permanent collection.

Gallery space and storage for 11,000 pieces from the UIMA’s permanent collection, located one hour east of Iowa City.

Stanley Gallery with a selection of art from the UIMA’s African art collection.

Free admission

Free admission for University of Iowa students, faculty, and staff with UI ID cards, and UIMA donors with their donor courtesy cards.

Hours: Tuesday through Friday 10 a.m.–5 p.m.

Thursday 10 a.m.–9 p.m.

Saturday and Sunday 12–5 p.m.

Hours: Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m.–5 p.m.

Thursday 10 a.m.–9 p.m.

Sunday 12–5 p.m.

Support www.uifoundation.org/uima Museum Merchandise Shop for UIMA merchandise online at book.uiowa.edu Black Box Theater (319) 335-1742

Find us on Facebook Facebook.com/UIMuseumofArt

On-campus space for UIMA special exhibitions.

Follow us on Twitter Twitter.com/UIMuseumofArt

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Open by appointment only. Call (319) 335-3232 or visit uima. uiowa.edu/book-a-tour for more information.

F R O M T H E I N T E R I M D I R E C TO R It is a great privilege to serve as Interim Director of the UIMA. The UIMA staff and I would like to express our great appreciation to Pamela White for her dedicated service and many accomplishments during extremely difficult times. We are indebted to her.

When I served as vice president of academic affairs and dean of the faculties for the University of Iowa from 1964 to 1969, I had the privilege of participating in the creation of the UIMA, and I greatly admire the collective support from donors and the citizens of Iowa who made this Museum possible and who have generously supported it for over 40 years.

Like you, I am passionate about the UIMA. We are grateful to UI President Sally Mason, who has made it clear that there will be a new Museum and that our extraordinary art collection will forever remain at its home, the University of Iowa. She stands out nationally in her commitment.

We will soon have a new permanent director who will enjoy enormous support from the UIMA’s dedicated Advisory Board, Members Council, staff, and volunteers who have vigorously supported the

Museum through unimaginable circumstances.

Because of your steadfast loyalty and support, the Museum is moving forward. In September, the Museum will open a remarkable exhibition of one of the world’s most impressive collections of ere ibeji, or figures of twins, from the Yoruba culture of Nigeria, which has been generously promised to the Museum by UI professor emeritus J. Richard Simon.

New objects are now on view in the UIMA@IMU visual classroom, lectures will provide new insight on art and education topics, and a fun, new theme for the UIMA’s annual Museum Party! fundraiser will have guests dancing the night away in wigs and burnt ties—inspired by the works of Lil Picard, whose UIMA-organized retrospective comes to the Iowa Memorial Union’s Black Box Theater in Spring 2011.

A building alone does not make a great museum. A museum is a community of people who care about and engage with art. The flood has shown us that our UIMA community is a strong one. Although the immediate future is uncertain, both your and the University of Iowa’s support assure an exciting future for the Museum of Art. Out of epic tragedy comes exceptional opportunity. We can do much in adversity. We did it before, and we will do it again.

Willard (Sandy) Boyd

WELCOME TO THE UIMA, DR. SEAN O’HARROW! On August 9, Sean O’Harrow Ph.D., was announced as the new director of the UIMA. Dr. O’Harrow has served as the executive director at the Figge Art Museum in Davenport since 2007.

“I’m humbled by being offered this position at the UIMA,” he said. “This is a new chapter for the Museum and I am excited to be a part of that.”

When he begins his new duties November 15, O’Harrow will oversee the management and care of UIMA collections as well as its curatorial, educational, and administrative activities. In addition, he will play a leading role in planning and fundraising for a new museum building.

For more information about Sean O’Harrow, please visit uima.uiowa.edu.

For more information about Dr. O’Harrow, please visit uima.uiowa.edu.

Advisory Board Nancy Willis, chair; Ronald Cohen; Gerald Eskin; Robert Fellows; Bruce Gantz; Susann Hamdorf; James Hayes; Myrene Hoover; Ann January; Richard Levitt; James Lindberg; Mary Keough Lyman; Lynette Marshall, ex officio; Linda Paul; Carl Schweser; John Beldon Scott, ex officio 3

CALENDAR

UNIVERSITY OF IOWA MUSEUM OF ART Fall 2010 Calendar EXHIBITIONS September 2–October 17

Ere Ibeji: Yoruba Twin Figures from the Collection of J. Richard Simon Iowa Memorial Union, Black Box Theater

Ongoing

A Legacy for Iowa: Pollock’s Mural and Modern Masterworks from the University of Iowa Museum of Art Figge Art Museum, 225 West Second Street, Davenport, IA

PROGRAMS September 16

Gallery Talk: Christopher Roy, curator of the Ere Ibeji exhibition 7:30–8:30 p.m., Iowa Memorial Union, Black Box Theater

October 8

Symposium: Images of Twins: Ere Ibeji in Yoruba African Culture 2:00–5:00 p.m., Samuel L. Becker Communication Studies Building, Room 101

October 16

The Museum Party!

8:00–11:00 p.m., Coralville Marriott Hotel and Conference Center, 300 E. 9th St., Coralville–call (319) 335-1725 for tickets

October 28

Student Bus Trip to Figge Art Museum’s College Night Leaves from Studio Arts Building at 5:00 p.m.; returns at 9:00 p.m.

November 4

Art and Museum Education Speaker Series: Lori Fogarty, Oakland Museum of California, executive director 7:30 p.m., University Athletic Club

All Donor/Public Reception for the Ere Ibeji exhibition 5:30–7:30 p.m., Iowa Memorial Union, North Room

DONOR/VOLUNTEER EVENTS August 31

All-Volunteer Coffee 10:00–11:30 a.m., University Athletic Club

September 8

Elliott Society Lecture Series 5:00–6:30 p.m., University Athletic Club

September 14

Docent Luncheon 11:30 a.m.–1:00 p.m., University Athletic Club

September 15

Elliott Society Lecture Series 5:00–6:30 p.m., University Athletic Club

The UIMA Magazine is sponsored by Hands Jewelers: William Nusser and Elizabeth Boyd 4

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Written and edited by Claire Lekwa, Meghan Centers, Gail Parson Zlatnik, and Lizzie Ginsberg Designed by Rodrick D. Whetstone

Front image: UIMA@IMU, photo by Steve Erickson

Ere Ibeji

Yoruba Twin Figures from the Collection of J. Richard Simon September 2 – October 17 Iowa Memorial Union, Black Box Theater (third floor)

Ijebu Ode Male–female pair Collection of J. Richard Simon

In the country with the highest rate of twin pregnancies in the world, the Yoruba people perceive twins—ibeji—as spirited, unpredictable, fearless, and agents of good luck. However, there and in the rest of Africa, twins suffer from a high mortality rate. Often fragile, one or both may

fail to survive birth or infancy. In Yoruba culture, when a twin dies, the mother commissions the carving of a six-to-eight-inch wooden figure— called an ere ibeji, or twin soul—to embody the twin’s spirit for the generations to come.

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Simon was “struck by the artistic quality and beauty of the figures. The carving was so fantastic,” he says.

Even more, the unique cultural significance of the ere ibeji intrigued him. In Yoruba families, these figures function as more than art objects: an ere ibeji contains a living spirit and is handled with care to pacify the soul of the deceased twin.

Professor Dick Simon stands with his collection in his Iowa City home. Photos by Steve Erickson

The UIMA’s major new fall exhibition, on view September 2 to October 17 in the Iowa Memorial Union’s Black Box Theater, presents the extraordinary 300-piece ere ibeji collection of University of Iowa Professor Emeritus of Psychology and Industrial Engineering J. Richard Simon. Known to friends and family as Dick, Simon taught at the UI for 42 years and started acquiring his beloved twin figures 25 years ago.

He has promised his collection to the UIMA, known for its preeminent African art collection. The exhibition, curated by UI art history professor and Elizabeth M. Stanley Faculty Fellow of African Art Christopher Roy, will be supplemented by a symposium with guest lectures by world ere ibeji experts. The symposium will be held October 8 from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. in the Samuel L. Becker Communication Studies Building, room 101.

Each set of figures features unique differentiating characteristics.

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With a longtime interest in tribal art, Simon became enthralled by ere ibeji while taking a class on Yoruba art and culture taught by Professor Roy. Visiting the UIMA and seeing the ere ibeji figures in its Stanley Collection,

“After the death of a twin, its ere ibeji figure is offered the same loving care that Yoruba lavish on living infants and especially on surviving twins,” Roy said.

“To honor the spirit of the dead twin, the ere ibeji is given food, clothing, and jewelry, and rubbed with red and blue dye. When the face of the small wooden figure becomes dirty with food it is cleaned with handfuls of fine sand, which softens the facial features over time.”

The owners of the ere ibeji shown here loved and caressed them, providing an emotional aspect to the figures that continues to fascinate Simon, who purchased his first ere ibeji while on sabbatical in London.

During his time in England, Simon also became connected with the world’s major collector of these figures, who owned around 800 of them at the time and provided Simon with key expertise during his early collecting years. Now with a passion for collecting, Simon continued to acquire ere ibeji as often as he could from the London and New York art markets.

“I thought I’d like to have one or two, and then I discovered there were different styles from every village,” he says. “So then I thought I’d like one from all 60 villages. After that, I thought I’d like to have one more than the British Museum’s collection . . . it became an obsession.”

Jeff Martin, UIMA manager of exhibitions and collections, helps photograph figures with Professor Simon in his home.

The breadth of Simon’s collection makes it a valuable educational resource for scholars and students. “Most collections of ere ibeji consist of two or three figures, not anywhere close to 300,” Roy said. “This will be truly important to the University of Iowa.”

As an educator himself, Simon values the UIMA’s commitment to student interaction with his ere ibeji.

The explanatory wall labels for the exhibition were written by UI graduate and undergraduate students during a seminar in spring 2009, and UIMA student employee Megan Otis, curatorial assistant in African art, helped with the major exhibition planning.

“This is meant to be a study collection available to students,” Simon says. “I’m proud of the collection, and I want to share it with as many people as possible.”

Symposium Images of Twins: Ere Ibeji in Yoruba African Culture, October 8, 2:00– 5:00 p.m. Becker Communication Studies Building, Room 101 The symposium held in conjunction with the Ere Ibeji exhibition will feature three of the world’s experts on the twin figures of Nigeria’s Yoruba people.

Marilyn Houlberg, professor emerita at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, received advanced degrees in art history and anthropology from the University of Chicago and the University of London. Since 1967, she has done extensive fieldwork on the art and ritual of the Yoruba ere ibeji and she was in Haiti researching twins at the time of the catastrophic earthquake on Jan. 12, an experience she documented with photographs. Houlberg will speak about the art and ritual surrounding the ere ibeji in her presentation “Divine Double Trouble: Reflections on the Art and Ritual of Twins among the Yoruba in Nigeria.”

John Pemberton III is the Crosby Professor of Religion, emeritus, at Amherst College and serves as the consulting curator for African art at the Smith College Museum of Art in Northampton, Massachusetts. He received his B.A. from Princeton University and his Ph.D. from Duke University.

Pemberton has researched the religion and art of the Yoruba people since 1970, making 14 trips to Nigeria between 1971 and 1992. He has written 31 books and articles, and numerous papers, and has given 30 public lectures on African studies.

George Chemeche is an Israel American artist and author living in New York City and an expert on Yoruba twin figures. He assisted Professor Simon during the formation of his ere ibeji collection and is the author of Ibeji: The Cult of the Yoruba Twins (5 Continents Editions, Milan), and The Horse Rider in African Art (ACC publishers, UK), due out this summer. He has published numerous books and catalogues for his art exhibitions in Europe, Israel, and the United States. At the conference, Chemeche will speak about the artistic merit of the twin figures and will compare the African artist to his Western counterpart.

Related Events Gallery Talk: Christopher Roy, Curator September 16, 7:30–8:30 p.m.

Iowa Memorial Union, Black Box Theater All Donor/Public Reception October 8, 5:30–7:30 p.m.

Iowa Memorial Union, North Room

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Each semester, thousands of students depend on the UIMA as a resource for furthering their education.

Formally the Richey Ballroom in the Iowa Memorial Union, the UIMA@IMU houses a broad, thematic selection of works from the Museum’s permanent collection to be used for classroom instruction and research. Beginning August 24, over 50 objects that have been stored since the flood will be newly installed in the visual classroom including Grant Wood’s Plaid Sweater and Marcel Duchamp’s de ou par Marcel Duchamp ou Rvose Selavy (Bôite-en-valise). A total of over 1,300 works from the UIMA permanent collection will be accessible on campus.

Link to the digital libraries database where you can search for UIMA collections located on campus: uima.uiowa.edu/iowa-gallery. By typing “IMU” into the search field you can see a list of works available for study in the Iowa Memorial Union.

Faculty and students should contact Dale Fisher (dalefisher@uiowa.edu) or Nathan Popp (nathan-popp@ uiowa.edu) to schedule a class visit or appointment.

The UIMA@IMU is open 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday; 10 a.m.–9 p.m. Thursday; and 12–5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

The Tolstoy print will be on view at the UIMA@IMU October 27–31 in conjunction with a public reading of Leo Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina on Iowa City’s pedestrian mall October 27–30.

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1. Grant Wood (American 1892–1942), Plaid Sweater, 1931, oil on masonite, gift of Mel R. and Carole Blumberg and Family, and Edwin B. Green through the University of Iowa Foundation 1984.56 2. Mauricio Lasansky (American, born 1914), Tolstoy, from Great Thinkers, 1986, etching, drypoint, soft ground, scraping and burnishing from 15 plates, gift of the SCI Financial Group, a division of Wells Fargo Bank, LLC 2002.72 3. Maurice de Vlaminck (French, 1876–1958), A Travelers les Artres (Through the Trees), 1911–1912, oil on canvas, gift ´ Elliott 1968.45 of Owen and Leone ´ Victoriano Gonzalez-Perez) ´ ´ 4. Juan Gris (Jose (Spanish, 1887–1927), La Guitare noire (The Black Guitar), 1926, oil on canvas, gift of Owen and Leone Elliott 1968.20 5. Georges Braque (French, 1882–1963), Still Life with Fruit (The Fruit Dish), c. 1920–1922, oil with sand on canvas, gift of Owen and Leone Elliott 1968.2 6. Achille Emile Othon Friesz (French, 1879–1949), L’Automne (Autumn), 1907, oil on canvas, gift of Owen and Leone Elliott 1968.17 7. Raoul Dufy (French, 1877–1953), Le Bassin du Jardin des Plantes (The Pool in the Botanical Gardens, Paris), c. 1910,

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oil on canvas, gift of Owen and Leone Elliott 1968.7 8. Marcel Duchamp (French, 1887–1968), de ou par Marcel Duchamp ou Rvose Selavy (Bôite-en-valise), 1941/1966, replicas and reproductions of 80 works encased in red leather box, Museum purchase with funds from Philip D. Adler Fund 2001.79 a-aa © 2010 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York/ADAGP, Paris/Succession Marcel Duchamp 9. Hiroshi Sugimoto (Japanese, born 1948), Permian Land, 1992, gelatin silver, Museum Purchase, Edwin B. Green Endowment 1996.29 10. United States, Plains region, Sioux, artist unknown, from the “John Frederickson” ledger, page 94, Four women cooking, two children, three tipis, charcoal and natural colors on ledger paper, gift of Gerald and Hope Solomons 2008.56 11. Albrecht Dürer (German, 1471–1528), Temptation of the Idler, c. 1498, engraving, gift of Owen and Leone Elliott 1967.437 12. Giorgio de Chirico (Italian, 1888–1978), Le Muse inquietanti (The Disquieting Muses), 1947, oil on canvas, gift of Owen and Leone Elliott 1968.12

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LECTURES

Art and Museum Education Speaker Series Lecture is free and open to the public

Lori Fogarty, Oakland Museum of California, Executive Director November 4, 7:30 p.m.

University Athletic Club Lori Fogarty has been Executive Director of the Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) since March 2006. She is leading OMCA’s groundbreaking transformation of its art, history, and natural sciences collections and the development of new exhibition and programming strategies to engage visitors in dialogue and discovery. Fogarty also oversees the Museum’s operations, fundraising, and long-range planning.

Fogarty has more than 20 years of experience working in museums. She previously served as Director of the Bay Area Discovery Museum in Sausalito, where she oversaw a successful $19.5

million capital campaign and expansion project. Prior to joining the Discovery Museum, Fogarty served for 12 years at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. During this time, she was Senior Deputy Director, Deputy Director of Curatorial Affairs, and Associate Director of Development.

Fogarty graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Occidental College in Los Angeles in 1984. In addition to her professional background, she has served on the boards of Enterprise for High School Students, the Children’s Day School in San Francisco, and the Association of Children’s Museums.

She is currently on the board of Head-Royce School.

Sponsored by UIMA Volunteer Docents and Mary Westbrook

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Elliott Society Lecture Series What’s new at the UIMA@IMU! For UIMA donors at the Elliott Society level ($150 and above), the UIMA offers this year’s special lecture series, “What’s new at the UIMA@IMU!” At the conclusion of a very successful first year, the new visual classroom, UIMA@IMU, in the Iowa Memorial Union’s Richey Ballroom, will undergo its first reinstallation. The Museum staff are planning to return old favorites to public view, as well as offer new perspectives on the works already on display for educational purposes as well as for public enjoyment.

The fall 2010 series includes a discussion of the selection process for the reinstallation, and another on some of the premier prints in the Museum’s collection.

Both presentations will take place at the University Athletic Club, 1360 Melrose Avenue, Iowa City.

Join us for a brief social time at 5:00 p.m. Lectures will begin at 5:30 p.m. Please reply to attend these events by calling (319) 335-3676. For information on becoming a donor, call the Museum at (319) 3532847 or visit our website at uima.uiowa.edu.

September 8

September 15

“What’s New on View!”

Kathy Edwards

“Dazzling Dürer” Julie Berger Hochstrasser

UIMA Chief Curator Kathy Edwards, who has played a vital role in deciding which works from the UIMA’s permanent collection will be installed in the UIMA@IMU for the coming semester, will share her insider’s knowledge about the selection process.

Kathy has been the chief curator of the UIMA since 2008 and is an adjunct professor in the UI Department of Cinema and Comparative Literature. In 1998 she came to the Museum as the curator of prints, drawings, and photographs, and a few years later “new media” were added to her areas of responsibility. In 2004 she became curator of European and American art. Kathy’s exhibitions have not only addressed the needs of UI faculty and students, through her management of guest-curated and curriculum-focused exhibitions, they have promoted hundreds of new acquisitions. Edwards has curated over 75 exhibitions, among them Lil Picard and Counterculture New York and Acting Out: Invented Melodrama and Contemporary Photography.

Prior to her arrival at the UI Kathy was the executive director of The Print Center in Philadelphia, a nonprofit organization that supports the work of artists using print media. She holds an M.A. in Art Education from the University of the Arts (formerly Philadelphia College of Art), where she was selected to receive the Art Education Award of Excellence, and a B.A. with distinction in the history of art and studio art from Westhampton College, University of Richmond. She currently serves on the governance committee of the Association of Art Museum Curators and is an elected member of The Print Council of America.

Albrecht Dürer was one of the great printmakers of all time, and the UIMA is fortunate to have representative examples of all the media in which he worked: woodcut, engraving, and even one of his rare etchings on iron plate. Associate Professor Julie Hochstrasser of the UI School of Art and Art History will provide a closer look at the role and status of our prints within the larger context of Dürer’s life and art, exploring the nature of their imagery, the secrets of their meaning, and, most of all, the sheer dazzle of their technical virtuosity.

Julie Berger Hochstrasser has been a faculty member since the fall of 1998. She earned her B.A. with distinction in the history of art from Swarthmore College, and at the University of California, Berkeley she completed her M.A. in Renaissance art and her Ph.D. in baroque art, specializing in seventeenth-century Dutch painting. She has received a Fulbright grant to the Netherlands, held a fellowship at the Center for Advanced Studies in the Visual Arts in Washington, D.C., and was a Burkhardt Fellow at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University through the American Council of Learned Societies.

Her teaching addresses the history and techniques of Dutch and Flemish painting, the history of the print, and global issues in visual culture with special regard to Dutch colonial history. She has served on the board of the Historians of Netherlandish Art and serves currently on the board of the American Association of Netherlandic Studies. For her current research project, “The Dutch in the World,” she has circled the globe to investigate art and visual culture in key sites of early modern Dutch trade in Asia, Africa, and the Americas.

The Fall 2010 Elliott Society Lecture Series is sponsored by Rober t A . Rasley.

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Reaching out with art to classrooms

Sande spirit mask from the Mende peoples of Sierra Leone. This mask is part of the UIMA K–12 Outreach Collection and not accessioned into the UIMA collections.

When the 2008 flood devastated the Museum building, UIMA Director of Education Dale Fisher had to think creatively to bring K–12 students and the Museum together in new ways. Student groups could no longer visit the Museum but, thanks to Fisher’s revision of two successful outreach programs, they began to experience art in their local classrooms. “Widen Our World” (“WOW!”) introduced thirdgrade classes to the multicultural approach of the Museum, and “Discover Africa” gave seventhgraders the opportunity to interact with African art objects bought through a grant from the UIMA Education Partners.

During the 2009–10 school year, Fisher and his team of UIMA volunteer docents brought art to 128 classrooms. In the midst of this busy schedule, Fisher still found time to enhance the programs to ensure that the UIMA remains a visible resource to local educators.

During the 2009-10 school year, UIMA Volunteer Docents visited 128 classrooms. We gratefully acknowledge the following UIMA supporters for carrying on the UIMA mission under challenging circumstances. They served with grace and perseverance, above and beyond the call: Katharine Campbell, Elizabeth Clothier, Ann Ford, Judi Gust, Teresa Kelly, Jude Langhurst, Polly Lepic, Winona Lyons, Linda Paul, Sara Wolfson, and Gail Parson Zlatnik.

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Outreach programs continue to grow Over the 2009–10 school year, Fisher altered the “WOW!” and “Discover Africa” programs. Continuing the UIMA’s relationship with the Iowa City Community School District, he made modifications to meet the growing needs of local students.

“Outreach to area schools is something that we should have been doing all along,” Fisher said. “The flood made it absolutely necessary.”

Now, two years after the flood, Fisher can offer educators a versatile range of options. Teachers may choose among three “WOW!” presentations: a multicultural overview of the UIMA collections, a presentation on African art, or a new offering that focuses on American Indian art.

Helping teachers take full advantage of the UIMA collection, Fisher now also offers a new lesson: an illustrated

remain the same. During a visit to Iowa City High School in May, one student tried on a helmet mask from the Senufo culture of western Africa. His classmates laughed at the sight of him wearing the theatrical face-covering from Mali, which is traditionally used in the most advanced and dangerous masked ceremonies of the Poro society, a secret Senufo governing group.

Elementary school students were equally excited to model traditional African-style clothing textiles for their classmates; the chosen model invariably stood a bit taller and more regally, costumed as a ruler.

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“The best part about doing these programs is to see the students interacting with the art,” Fisher says.

“Once we have an established facility, we will continue to offer these handson outreach programs at the new UIMA and outside of the Museum.”

The best part about doing these programs is to see the students interacting with the art. presentation of the Museum’s masterworks, including Jackson Pollock’s Mural and Grant Wood’s Plaid Sweater, helps keep students aware of the Museum, despite the lack of a building on campus.

When Fisher and the UIMA docents first started taking art to area schools, they visited primarily third- and seventh-grade classrooms. Through continuing development, Fisher has modified the outreach programs to fit any grade level. Fisher and the docents have brought the programs to high schools for the first time, and have taught lessons in a range of classes, from art to social studies to journalism.

Though the students’ ages vary, their levels of participation and excitement

The art of travel: safe and secure transportation As the art racked up miles visiting regional schools, three UI students helped the UIMA make sure that bumps in the road would not cause problems for fragile objects. The students, enrolled in the UI’s Advanced Collection Care and Management class taught

by Tiffany Adrain, collection manager of the UI Paleontology Repository, worked with Fisher to create secure traveling cases to protect the objects used in the “WOW!” and “Discover Africa” programs.

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Coming to the UIMA offices twice a week through the spring semester and into the summer, three students, Josh Siefken, Anne Cleavenger, and Molly Moser, undertook the project UIMA Volunteer Docent Jude Langhurst and Tyson Photos contributed by Candace Carmichael 13

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to encase the 52 objects. Over the semester, the students researched proper materials, cut custom foam bases for cushioning, and assembled boxes for the artworks. The project both helped the UIMA and gave the students a perspective on the work behind collection preservation.

“We were dealing with very important art, and it was essential that we were as careful as possible with the objects,” Cleavenger has said. “Every step we took was absolutely necessary, because you can’t cut corners with a task this important.”

Cleavenger and the other students applied concepts from their class to their work with the UIMA. In the course, Adrain teaches about specific types of museum objects and materials and their care and management, but also emphasizes the importance of learning outside of the classroom.

“The students had a great time and learned a lot working with the UIMA,” Adrain said. “It’s very important and valuable for them to get hands-on experience in the field they’re interested in.”

Having the students’ help made a big difference for the UIMA. Time restrictions after the flood dictated that the art be moved in plastic bins rather than custom cases, a risky transportation system for valuable objects.

“Security is the most important part of art conservation,” Fisher says. “A significant portion of our money goes into our objects, so to be able to say that they are now traveling safely is these students’ contribution to the UIMA, and it is a huge one.”

Attention Teachers!

The UIMA’s outreach program visited more than 100 classrooms last year, and we want yours to be next! The Museum offers three different presentations to accommodate your needs and your students’ interests.

UIMA Collections

•This program features an illustrated presentation and posters of some of the Museum’s masterworks, including:

Mural by Jackson Pollock

Plaid Sweater by Grant Wood

A Drop of Dew Falling from the Wing of a Bird Awakens Rosalie Asleep in the Shade of a Cobweb by Joan Miró

In a Village Near Paris (Street in Paris, Pink Sky) by Lyonel Feininger

Blue Interior with Two Girls by Henri Matisse

African Art

•This hands-on experience allows students to interact with functional and ceremonial objects from many African cultures.

•Objects brought to the classroom include initiation ceremonial masks, tools and weapons, beadwork, clothing and textiles, and sculpture.

American Indian Art

•The newest of the UIMA’s education programs brings objects such as ceramics from southwestern pueblos, kachina figures, Zuni and Navajo sculptural fetish figures, woven baskets, blankets, and textiles into the classroom for student interaction.

For more information, contact Dale Fisher, director of education, at (319) 335-1730 or uima-education@uiowa.edu. Learn more by visiting uima.uiowa.edu/school-programs.

Dale Fisher, UIMA director of education, presents African art to a classroom of students at Iowa City High School.

Photos by Meghan Centers

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S P OT L I G H T

Major: B.A. in journalism and mass communication; minor in art history; certificate in entrepreneurial management Graduation date: May 2010

Some new and others recently graduated and on their way out, the UIMA’s student employees gain valuable career experience at the Museum while balancing their college coursework.

Get to know this special group and what they’ve taken away from their time working with the UIMA.

Major: graduate student in graphic design Graduation date: Spring 2012

Post-grad plans: Moving to Chicago for an internship with Ogilvy Public Relations’ 360° Digital Influence Practice

CLAIRE LEKWA, MARKETING AND MEDIA ASSISTANT and MEMBERS COUNCIL ASSISTANT How has your time at the Museum had an impact on your future plans as you finish your college career and start a new journey?

“Employers were extremely impressed with the amount of experience I was able to gain working for the UIMA. During my senior year, the Museum let me turn my internship into my first entry-level position, and I was able to play a key role within the UIMA staff while also keeping up with my academic responsibilities.

All of my work at the UIMA helped me land an exciting internship with Ogilvy Public Relations in Chicago right out of college.

And even more, I know the friendships I’ve made here will last a lifetime—I’m going to miss everyone a lot!”

Post-grad plans: Teach at the collegiate level or run a graphic design firm

RODRICK WHETSTONE, GRAPHIC DESIGNER As a new addition to the UIMA student staff, what do you anticipate your experience will be like?

“As the person responsible for the aesthetics of visual print media, I think it will be fun, yet challenging. I’m hoping it will provide me with an avenue to further explore my creativity and graphic design skills.”

“Throughout its history, UIMA has flourished because of the vitality of its student staff members. They bring to the Museum an ever-changing fresh and insightful ‘eye.’

Their enthusiasm energizes staff, friends and visitors. Student staff are ambassadors to the entire University student body. Our student staff are a UIMA treasure.”

Willard (Sandy) Boyd Interim Director 16

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Major: B.A. in journalism and mass communication, minor in art history Graduation date: Spring 2011

Post-grad plans: Take some time off to travel and then work in a marketing position for an art museum in a big city

MEGHAN CENTERS, MARKETING AND MEDIA ASSISTANT

What are you looking forward to as you move into your new, increased role of overseeing all of the UIMA’s marketing and media efforts?

“I am so grateful to the UIMA staff, especially Claire Lekwa, for helping me transition into my new role. I enter this new position with excitement and many ideas for the future. I am looking forward to working more closely with the other staff members to produce marketing strategies with visible results. I’m thrilled that the experience I will gain in this position will undoubtedly help me in the future.”

Major: UI art student Graduation date: Undetermined Post-grad plans: Pursue a career working in a museum

Major: graduate student in the UI’s School of Library and Information Science, working on her M.A. in library and information science Graduation date: December 2010 Post-grad plans: Obtain a position as a young adult/youth services librarian in a small- to medium-sized public library

MEGAN ENRIGHT, ASSISTANT TO THE REGISTRAR CHRISTOPHER MERKLE-CARRASCO, UIMA@IMU GALLERY ATTENDANT As a gallery attendant, you work directly with those who visit the UIMA’s collection. How does that experience affect your position?

“The UIMA welcomes people of all ages and who have varying knowledge of visual art. As a gallery attendant, I help visitors feel comfortable spending time with the collection and encourage them to ask questions. Also, I inform guests on upcoming exhibitions and events, so they will be eager to return. As an art student at the University of Iowa, I appreciate the behind-the-scenes education that working in the UIMA has provided me. The experience has inspired me to pursue a career working in museums.”

How has working at the Museum enhanced your graduate level education in library and information sciences?

“I worked at a library while I was completing my B.A. studying art and museums, and now that I’m working on my Master’s in library and information science, I’m working in an art museum.

The irony isn’t lost on me. But working at the Museum has actually been really relevant to my MLIS, and I’ve had a chance to put my museum studies education to work.”

Major: B.A. art history; B.F.A. in printmaking Graduation date: Spring 2011 Major: B.A. in art history, B.A. in policy economics Graduation date: Spring 2011

Post-grad plans: Work in a curatorial position while applying to graduate school

Post-grad plans: Taking a short break before graduate school and pursuing a career in the museum world

CALLA NASSIF, MEMBERS COUNCIL ASSISTANT Your majors seem to be pointing you in opposite directions. How have you been able to combine your varied interests as Members Council Assistant?

“This job has been the perfect blend of business and the arts. I have been given the opportunity to gain valuable knowledge about fundraising and development in a museum. While I love arthistorical research, this type of business experience is something that I can only gain in the real world. In such an exciting time for the UIMA, there is a lot of valuable work to be done! I am so happy to be working in a creative, art focused environment, while at the same time, applying business principles.”

MEGAN OTIS, CURATORIAL ASSISTANT IN AFRICAN ART The UIMA is one of three university museums in the country with a reputation for African art; what involvement do you have with this prestigious collection?

“My big project this semester was to catalog and research the South African pieces that were sent in around the time of the flood.

Right now I am working on organizing the symposium for the ere ibeji exhibition in October and supplementing the curatorial files of the major African pieces in the UIMA@IMU with updated information.”

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VOLUNTEERS

Volunteer with the UIMA! Why supporting the Museum of Art makes a difference

A Volunteer-Coordinating Team

Starting to Give Back

Polly Lepic and Teresa Kelly

Anna Moyers Stone

Polly Lepic has been involved with the UIMA since the early 1970s, first as an undergraduate art student at the UI, then as an art teacher in the Iowa City school district, often bringing her students to the Museum on field trips. As the 2009–10 chair of the UIMA’s Volunteer Committee and now the vice president of the Members Council, Lepic enjoys giving back to the Museum and staying involved in the world of art. “With my experiences as a teacher, it seemed natural for me to help organize and partner volunteers with events,” she said. She finds the most satisfaction in teaching and training volunteers, meeting new people, and making good matches between volunteers and their activities. Coming full circle, her work as a docent also takes her back into the classroom, where she can inspire students with the art and the passion she brings to volunteerism.

Anna Moyers Stone once described the art museum as a “fixture on campus.” For the former UI law student, the UIMA and the art library provided quiet places to study and served as iconic buildings for the University and for the community as a whole. Today, Stone is a practicing lawyer in Iowa City and has recently joined the Museum as a newcomer to the Members Council. “As an adult and a young professional, I think it is important for me to give back to a community that has provided so much to me already,” she said. The Iowa City native

Teresa Kelly struggled with losing her identity as a working woman after finishing her career as a dietitian, and she sought another way to make a difference in people’s lives and the community. The Museum of Art drew her in, and since she started volunteering with the UIMA in 2007, she has now become the 2010–11 chair of the Museum’s Volunteer Committee, helping motivate others to become involved. “Not having a formal background in art, I have not only learned a lot from working with the UIMA, but I’ve also made many friendships with Museum staff, docents, and volunteers,” she said. Kelly is proof that all kinds of people are welcome as volunteers at the UIMA—no experience with art required. All that volunteers need is a willingness to learn and support the Museum. “By volunteering at the UIMA, you are engaging your left brain to think creatively, and you are supporting the visual arts,” she said. “It’s a wonderful outlet that increases your happiness and satisfaction—really!”

Sara Wolfson

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is excited to join the UIMA at such a critical time. “I believe that we have the opportunity to make a real difference at this point, and that makes the experience rewarding and challenging,” she said.

Supporting Lifelong Values Sara Wolfson began volunteering as a UIMA docent in 2003, though her time at the UI started long before that. Joining the University faculty in 1971, Sara chaired the home economics department, taught in the College of Education, and served as UI associate vice president for academic affairs. Throughout her time with the University, she realized what a valuable asset the Museum was to the entire community, a belief that stemmed from growing up in a rural area without easy access to a museum. “I believe the Museum fulfills a vital function, therefore it is more important than ever that we remain involved and help the Museum meet its goals and challenges,” she said.

art Experience art

Experience a world of a world of

Visit us at our temporary location, UIMA@IMU. Hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Thursday; 12-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday

FREE admission uima.uiowa.edu Visit usatatour ourtemporary temporary location, UIMA@IMU. Visit us location, UIMA@IMU. Iowa Memorial Union, Richey Ballroom (third floor)

Hours: 10a.m.–5 a.m.-5p.m. p.m.Tuesday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday Hours: 10 Wednesday, Friday andand Sunday 10 a.m.–9 a.m.-9 p.m. p.m.Thursday; Thursday;12–5 12-5p.m. p.m.Saturday Saturday Sunday

FREE admission FREE admission uima.uiowa.edu uima.uiowa.edu

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NEWS

NEWS Picard in NYC

Public Art

Image provided by Grey Art Gallery, New York University, www. nyu.edu/greyart/. © James Prince Photography.

Drostle and a team of artists spent two weeks installing the 500by-10-foot mosaic.

The UIMA opened the first American museum retrospective of artist and critic Lil Picard with the debut exhibition Lil Picard and Counterculture New York at New York University’s Grey Art Gallery. The exhibition brought major exposure to Picard, an important 20th century feminist artist who played varied and vital—yet under-appreciated— roles in the New York art world.

On August 2, the Campus Recreation and Wellness Center opened on the UI campus, and aside from its 20,000 square feet of fitness space, the building also houses the newest display of public art. The Art on Campus Committee commissioned Gary Drostle, a London mosaic artist, to complete his largest floor mosaic to date. Funded by the Art in State Buildings program, River of Life measures 500 feet long and 10 feet wide, and spans the floor inside the main entrance.

On view from April 20 through July 10, the exhibition had over 1,600 visitors and gained tremendous media coverage. The New Yorker described the exhibition as, “Part corrective, part window into how art makes it into the canon,” and ARTnews featured the show in the April 2010 issue.

“The Lil Picard collections at the UI are tremendous resources for faculty and students interested in the history of performance art, feminist art, art criticism, and midtwentieth century New York visual art and culture.” Kathy Edwards, UIMA Chief Curator and curator of the exhibition said. “The exhibition and comprehensive web site are incredible successes, insofar as they reintroduce both the art and writing of Picard, and provide public access to the material”.

Lil Picard and Counterculture New York will open on February 24, 2011 in the Iowa Memorial Union’s Black Box Theater, where it will be on display through May 27. In conjunction with the exhibition, renowned multidisciplinary artist Carolee Schneemann, who worked with Lil Picard, will visit the University of Iowa campus.

For more information visit the exhibition’s website: uima.uiowa.edu/lilpicard.

Sponsors of the exhibition are Doug and Linda Paul, the UIMA Members Special Exhibition Fund, Lil’s List, and the University of Iowa Arts and Humanities Initiative.

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Drostle and a team of artists spent two weeks in Iowa City installing the mosaic which was inspired by Native American textiles in the UI Museum of Natural History and Amish quilting and basket weaving. Drostle’s work is meant to communicate the message of health and wellbeing, he said.

“There are two levels. The first is a depiction of the meandering Iowa River, surrounded by scenery of golden fields,” Drostle said. “The second level represents the ‘river of life.’ Each line in the mosaic represents an individual life—‘life lines.’ The golden section of the mosaic represents well-being and living a healthy life. When a life line strays into the gray section on the outside, it represents a life going out of balance.”

His hopes are that the mosaic will enliven the space of the building. Drostle’s focus on health and the inspiration found in both the landscape of Iowa and the region’s artistic heritage makes this work a site specific piece that adds aesthetic significance to the exciting new facility.

– Calla Nassif

Hip-hop exhibition ignites Iowa City

Graffiti artist Lady Pink visits UI Campus

(Top) Harry Allen talks about his photographs at a special presentation at the Englert Theatre.

(Bottom) An audience fills the Black Box Theater between Harry Allen’s photographs and record covers during a gallery talk.

Consensus was installed in the Iowa Memorial Union’s Black Box Theater as part of the Two Turntables exhibition.

As part of the UIMA’s spring exhibition, Two Turntables and a Microphone: Hip-Hop Contexts, featuring Harry Allen’s “Part of the Permanent Record: Photos from the Previous Century,” members of the seminal hip-hop group Public Enemy, frontman Chuck D. and Hank and Keith Shocklee, visited the UI campus on April 1 for a panel discussion. Moderated by Two Turntables co-curator Kembrew McLeod, students and community members of all ages packed the Englert Theatre to hear Hip-hop activist and Media Assassin Harry Allen along with the PE members talk about their experiences as one of the most controversial groups in hip-hop history. The event, presented by the University Lecture Committee, was a great way to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of their groundbreaking album, Fear of a Black Planet.

At the end of April, Lady Pink, the legendary New York graffiti artist who pioneered the graffiti movement through the 1980s and 1990s, visited the UI campus.

Her collaboration with Two Turntables co-curator and UI assistant professor Deborah Whaley, UIMA Preparator Steve Erickson, and UI art students Eliezer Sotillo, Lauren Nigri, Rachel Buckles, Meg Osterman, Laura Duque, Ryan Bentzinger, and Anthony Carter created Consensus, an 8-by-20-foot graffiti-style mural of Iowa imagery.

Following its completion, Consensus was installed in the Iowa Memorial Union’s Black Box Theater for the duration of the Two Turntables exhibition, where a digital slide show of Lady Pink’s professional work was also on display.

This exhibition was made possible by the generous support of UIMA sponsors: Scheels All Sports, Barbara Kirk, Ida Cordelia Beam Distinguished Visiting Professorships Program, and the University of Iowa Department of Intercollegiate Athletics.

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NEWS

NEWS Our award-winning 40th anniversary book

The UIMA’s anniversary book was awarded a Gold ADDY in the book design category.

The UIMA’s anniversary book, Building a Masterpiece: Legacy of the University of Iowa Museum of Art, was awarded a Gold ADDY in the book design category by the American Advertising Federation: Cedar Rapids–Iowa City at its 42nd annual ADDY Awards on February 20. A Gold ADDY is recognition of the highest level of creative excellence, judged to be superior to all other entries in the competition. The ADDYs, the advertising industry’s largest and most representative competition, recognize and reward excellence in the art of advertising.

Building a Masterpiece was designed by Firefly Communications & Design and printed by Tru Art Color Graphics of Iowa City. Congratulations to everyone who was part of this project!

Illustrated with images from the collection, Building a Masterpiece, written by Abigail Foerstner, tells the story of the UIMA’s founding and the people who made it possible.

The limited edition book is available for $10 online at book. uiowa.edu or by calling 319-335-1725.

The future of the UIMA

Members of the Envisioning Committee met once a month from August 2009 to January 2010. They delivered their report in the spring of 2010.

Within the past several months, there have been new developments that play a vital role in the future of the UIMA. • Envisioning Committee delivers its report The committee appointed by UI President Sally Mason and headed by Carroll Reasoner, UI interim vice president of legal affairs and general counsel, delivered its report over the spring 2010 semester. It concluded that the new museum building must serve multiple purposes: as a classroom, research facility, gathering space, event center, and most important, a place to experience art.

• FEMA denies funds for the UIMA FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) denied a request from the University for funding for a new art museum, the original of which was damaged during 2008 flooding. In a letter dated July 12, Provost Wallace Loh announced the UI’s plans to appeal the decision stating that although damage to the building did not exceed 50% of its value, the amount required for FEMA funding, the Museum’s insurer will not cover the art if it returns to the Riverside Drive location.

• The search for a new director While Museum director candidates visited the UI campus and gave public forums, Willard “Sandy” Boyd was named interim director for the UIMA beginning July 1. On August 9, Wallace Loh, UI executive vice president and provost, announced Dr. Sean O’Harrow of the Figge Art Museum will become the UIMA director beginning November 15.

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New UIMA Website

A screen shot shows the new and improved website for the UIMA.

Visit the UIMA’s new website at uima.uiowa.edu With a new year and a new semester came the UIMA’s newly redesigned website! Launched at the beginning of the spring semester, uima.uiowa.edu makes it easy for the UIMA to keep students, donors, and all interested people informed on the many new and exciting exhibitions, events, and programs that the Museum of Art has planned.

This online home will be the primary destination for all information about the UIMA while the Museum waits for a permanent building.

On the new website you can find:

• Clear, detailed visitor information about the UIMA’s temporary locations

• Multimedia, including exhibition slide shows and video spotlights

• Highlights from the collection

• Press room with links to UIMA news releases

• Event listings, ways to support the Museum, staff contact information, and more

In addition, the UIMA “Art Matters” blog is relocated within the new website at uima.uiowa.edu/blog.

Thank you to the IMU Marketing and Design team for making the new site possible, especially Ben Speare for his stunning design and Ben Lewis for leading the charge into the new technology. We hope you enjoy the new online UIMA experience!

Make sure to stay updated with the UIMA by connecting with us on social media! Follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/UIMuseumofArt and follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/UIMuseumofArt. Start a conversation—we want to hear what you have to say!

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MUSEUM PA R T Y !

The Life of the

Feather boas, wigs, and lollipops! These Party! committee planners from the Members Council Love to dress up and show their enthusiasm for this year’s theme: Lil Picard and Counterculture New York. Front (left to right): Charlie Nusser, Gail Parson Zlatnik, and Scott Finlayson. Back (left to right): Teresa Kelly, Alan Swanson, Kumi Morris, Leslie Hollis, Kristin Summerwill, Mark Seabold, Kristin Hardy, Sugar Mark, and Nick Arnold.

For the 1960s and ’70s artist and critic Lil Picard, art was a party—and the UIMA Members Council thinks so, too! The Members Council’s annual fundraiser for the UIMA, The Museum Party!, will be held on October 16 from 8:00 to 11:00 p.m. at the Coralville Marriott Hotel and Conference Center. The theme of this year’s event is centered on this groundbreaking and eccentric artist, in anticipation of the exhibition Lil Picard and Counterculture New York at the University of Iowa in spring 2011. Come to enjoy music, hors d’oeuvres, and drinks—and, if you’d like, dress in Lil Picard style!

The Museum Party! provides annual private support for the Museum’s exhibitions, programs, and activities through sponsorship opportunities. Guests will learn about the UIMA’s exciting plans for 2011 and can choose one or more projects or artworks to sponsor, either through an outright gift or a pledge paid over the year. Over the past two years, this Members Council event has raised more than $300,000 in support for the UIMA. With your help, this success can continue!

Tickets can be purchased for $100. For reservations, please call (319) 335-1725.

“My hope is that this Party! generates excitement throughout the community and brings more people than ever to the exhibition—and also to our next Party!”

“Picard’s works 9 Wigs and Burned Tie are the inspirations for a photo booth we will have at the event,” said Kristin Hardy, Museum Party! co-chair. “Guests will be able to have their pictures taken dressed as Lil Picard did, using wigs, boas, and sunglasses. We will also have burned ties available for guests to wear. My hope is that this Party! generates excitement throughout the community and brings more people than ever to the exhibition—and also to our next Party!”

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To learn more about this year’s sponsorship opportunities, please contact Pat Hanick, associate director of development for the UIMA, who will be delighted to help you review options with accompanying donor-recognition courtesies (e-mail pat-hanick@uiowa.edu or phone (319) 335-3305).

Learn more about Lil Picard and her artwork by visiting www.lilpicard.org.

“Art is a Party; the New Party is Art!” -Lil Picard, 1975

The University of Iowa Museum of Art Members Council invites you to celebrate

Saturday, October 16, 2010, 8:00-11:00 p.m.

Coralville Marriott Hotel & Conference Center 300 E. 9th St., Coralville

Tickets are available by calling 335-1725.

Honorary Chairs: Willard L. and Susan Boyd Thank you to our

Thank you to our

Sponsor:

Hosts: Alan and Liz Swanson

James P. Hayes

Gerald and Leesa Elseman Gerry Ambrose and Kristin Hardy H. Dee and Myrene Hoover Lowell Doud Kristin Summerwill Margaret C. Clancy Mary Westbrook Neumann Munson Architects Oaknoll Retirement Residence Phelan, Tucker, Mullen, Walker, Tucker, & Gelman, L.L.P. Pleasant Valley Flower Shoppe

Lil Picard, 9 Wigs, c. 1970, nine gelatin silver photographs taped together, © Estate of Lil Picard, University of Iowa Museum of Art

Rob and Paulina Muzzin Rohrbach Associates P.C. Architects Burned Tie, 1968, burned silk ties, © Estate of Lil Picard, University of Iowa Museum of Art

Sandy and Susan Boyd Shive-Hattery, Architecture-Engineering Whitedog Imported Auto Repair and Sales

Love, 1958–59, oil and collage on wood, © Estate of Lil Picard, University of Iowa Museum of Art

With each reservation or donation of $100 to The Museum Party! you will be entered in a drawing for a two-night stay for two at the Riverside Casino & Golf Resort, $50 for dining at Ruthie’s Steak & Seafood, and 18 holes of golf for two at the Blue Top Ridge Golf Course.

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MEMBERS COUNCIL

Spotlight: Kumi Morris, Members Council President

what changes have you seen over the years?

Costumed as a nun at UIMA’s “Art after Hours” Halloween party, Kumi Morris first became involved with the Museum five years ago. When her son’s fourthgrade class took a field trip to the Museum soon after the party, Morris’s interest in volunteering was sparked. The mother of two, who grew up in Karlsruhe, Germany, has dedicated much of her time since then to serving the UIMA in various ways, including planning events, packing art before the flood, and serving on the Members Council. In July, Morris, the architectural services coordinator for Iowa City, entered her one-year term as the Members Council president, bringing valuable knowledge of the Museum’s past and exciting goals for its future.

UIMA: You first became involved with the Museum five years ago;

Morris: The most fundamental changes are in how the flood has affected the UIMA staff and their operations. They still maintain all the programming, exhibitions, and fundraising—and are doing all this remotely, without a museum building. The staff is really stretched, but they are an amazing group, devoted to the UIMA and its mission. I do, however, see this as a really exciting time for the Museum. The prospect of a new director with the leadership to guide the community to a new museum of art is just fantastic.

UIMA: During your time on the Members Council, you worked with several different council presidents; how do you see your role?

Morris: My role is to guide the Members Council in their mission of increasing museum membership broadly in the community and helping the overextended staff with our fundraising goals. I really would like to see a diverse group of members become involved in the UIMA, especially a new generation of donors and volunteers. Information from the UI Foundation tells us that our donors have changed over the years, and we’d like to broaden the numbers of young adult donors.

UIMA: With your knowledge of the Museum’s history and with a new director starting soon, what are your goals as president of the Members Council?

Morris: I’d like to work with the staff and curators to educate the Members Council. Because of the board’s term limits, we now have several new council members who have joined since the flood.

Helping them learn about the fabulous and extensive Museum art collection, the traveling and visiting exhibits, and all of the educational programs is really crucial for their being great advocates.

The more the council knows about our art and resources, the better they are at sharing the Museum with the public and future members. We hope to include a new director in this process in the next year. We’d like to be a conduit for the voice of the new director.

Another goal is having a fantastic fundraiser. I want to plug The Museum Party!, our annual fundraiser on October 16 at the Coralville Marriott Hotel and Conference Center. Our co-chairs, Kristin Hardy and Kaitlynn Griffith, are coming up with some fun ideas—we are tying the Party!’s theme to the UIMA’s upcoming exhibition Lil Picard and Counterculture New York, opening at the Black Box Theater in the spring.

Members Council Kumi Morris, president Polly Lepic, vice president Kristin Summerwill, past president Kristin Hardy, chair, Events Committee Teresa Kelly, chair, Volunteer Committee Steve Atkins Nick Arnold Jeanette Bauer Ruth Bentler David Bright

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Catherine Champion R. Scott Finlayson Kaitlynn Griffith Leslie Hollis Sugar Mark Monica Moen Carrie Norton Charlie Nusser Mark Seabold Anna Moyers Stone Alan Swanson Pope Yamada Gail Parson Zlatnik

Welcome to our new

and thank you

MC members . . .

to our outgoing

Nick Arnold

members!

Scott Finlayson

Pat Hobson

Kaitlynn Griffith

Nick Hotek

Leslie Hollis

Amy Nicknish

Charlie Nusser

Jack Piper

Pope Yamada

Drew Schiller

DEVELOPMENT

Showing th a t a rt ma t t e rs . . .

As the University of Iowa Museum of Art finds its “new normal” following the 2008 flood, I’m delighted to remind you of the many remarkable achievements that have been accomplished because of our patrons’ private philanthropy.

Because you believe art matters and have financially supported the Museum: • The UIMA was able to present four significant exhibitions: - Lil Picard and Counterculture New York - In the Footsteps of Masters: The Evolution of the Reproductive Print - A Legacy for Iowa: Pollock’s Mural and Modern Masterworks from

the University of Iowa Museum of Art - Two Turntables and a Microphone: Hip-Hop Contexts featuring Harry

Allen’s “Part of the Permanent Record: Photos from the Previous Century” • The art education program brought the experience of art to 128 classrooms of school children across southeastern Iowa.

• The Museum completed the first major conservation project for its world-renowned collection of African art.

• The Elliott Society Lecture Series funded three guest speakers who addressed art conservation and preservation—topics of particular relevance following the 2008 flood.

• The Word Painters program funded accomplished writers from the UI Nonfiction Writing Program to create scholarly works related to the UIMA and its collection.

In addition to this impressive list of accomplishments, and thanks to the hard work of dedicated volunteers, the Museum has made substantial progress in planning its future: • The Search Committee did an outstanding job in identifying highly qualified finalists for the UIMA director’s position. We are eager to work with this dynamic new leader who will have a profound impact on our institution for decades to come.

• UI President Sally Mason has accepted the recommendations of the UIMA Envisioning Committee, which will serve as a guide when charting the course for the new museum.

• In May 2010, President Mason announced that she will designate the location of the new UIMA within one year.

By pausing to reflect on these noteworthy events over the past year, we can recognize the power of private involvement in stabilizing the UIMA. Without doubt, the collective commitment of our patrons is not only sustaining the Museum during these turbulent times, but also advancing it to greater heights. Whether you choose to provide financial support, serve as a docent, help organize The Museum Party!, or serve on an advisory committee, you are the lifeblood of the Museum. For all that our patrons have done and continue to do for the UIMA, we are truly grateful. Please renew—or better yet, increase—your support for the Museum by volunteering your time and expertise (uima.uiowa.edu/volunteer) and/or by making a contribution (www.givetoiowa.org/uima). You may also contact me if you wish to learn more about creating an endowment or bequest for the UIMA. Whatever form your support may take, it is greatly appreciated—and we hope you will remain actively engaged with the Museum and vigorously advocate for its brilliant future.

Thank you for supporting the UI Museum of Art.

Pat Hanick Associate Director of Development The University of Iowa Foundation tel: (319) 335-3305/(800) 648-6973 e-mail: pat-hanick@uiowa.edu web: www.uiowafoundation.org

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1375 Highway 1 West/1840 Studio Arts Iowa City, Iowa 52242-1789 (319) 335-1727 uima.uiowa.edu

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You’re in good Hands.

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