FALL 2016
News and Perspectives for Friends of the Arts
4 A RT S
Akemi Maegawa: Dualities
P R O G R A M
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The Art of Design
U N I V E R S IT Y
O F
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M A RYL A N D
Arts Program Out and About: Newark, New Jersey
U N I V E R S IT Y
C O L L E G E
GREETINGS From the President Dear Patrons, I have often said that art feeds the creative spirit that dwells in each of us, fires our imaginations, drives innovation, and enriches our world. At University of Maryland University College (UMUC), our Arts Program accomplishes all of these things, while furthering our mission of bringing education within reach for students across Maryland and around the world. Our collection—which now includes some 2,800 pieces—is marked by its accessibility. It is on regular display, free of charge, in our administrative facilities, in our galleries, and through a variety of public exhibitions. It showcases the work of new and established artists alike, and it serves to introduce their work to broader and more diverse audiences. Our Faculty Arts Invitational 2016 offered a perfect example of how the Arts Program accomplishes its mission, providing artists and their invited guests a showcase for their fine art. At the same time, it reminded us of the importance of art in our communities. No matter which subject they teach, these faculty members share information, perspective, appreciation, history, and criticism with their students. Their students, in turn, share insights and perspective, and the resulting dialogue shapes the future—of the arts and of our nation. To all of you who support the arts and our Arts Program, I say thank you. Because of you, we can continue to showcase inspiring work like that on display in our Faculty Arts Invitational 2016, introducing it to new and more diverse audiences and continuing to enrich the educational experience for our students, faculty, staff, and the local community. Thank you for your commitment, your generosity, your vision, and for all you do on behalf of our university and our Arts Program. Sincerely,
Javier Miyares, President University of Maryland University College
From the Chair Dear Art Patrons,
UMUC ARTS PROGRAM
MISSION STATEMENT With a regional and national focus, the Arts Program is dedicated to the acquisition, preservation, study, exhibition, and interpretation of works of art of the highest quality in a variety of media that represent its constituents and to continuing its historic dedication to Maryland and Asian art.
We are in the midst of an exceptional 2016 season, and we are very enthusiastic about the high quality of the exhibits the UMUC Arts Program continues to provide to our students and the arts community. We just wrapped up a successful run of the exhibition Plurality: The Conceptual Art of Akemi Maegawa, which closed to rave reviews from our visitors and supporters. Through the end of July we featured the extraordinary talent of faculty within the University System of Maryland in our annual Faculty Art Invitational. And a stunning collection of work by several exciting artists—Bill Harris, Maria-Lana Queen, and Sargent-Thamm—titled Convergence: Narrative and Symbols was recently on view at the federal courthouse in Greenbelt. Our Third Biennial Maryland Regional Juried Art Exhibition—one of the Arts Program’s most celebrated events—is now under production. Hundreds of hopeful artists competed for space in this exhibition, which opens in September. Then in October a new and compelling exhibition from our Joseph Sheppard collection, The Horrors of War, will open. We also have received several new artworks for our permanent collection and look forward to a major collection of work by Washington Color School artist Paul Reed. The UMUC Arts Program is committed to providing outstanding exhibits and supporting artists from Maryland and the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. As always, we could never do any of this without your continued support. Please consider donating to the Arts Program to keep these wonderful programs going! Thank you so much for supporting the arts at UMUC. I hope to see you at one of our programs soon. Sincerely,
Anne V. Maher, Esq., Chair, Art Advisory Board University of Maryland University College
CONTENTS
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The Art of Design
Akemi Maegawa: Dualities
ON THE COVER
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Arts Program Out and About: Newark, New Jersey
In Every Issue GREETINGS FROM THE PRESIDENT AND THE CHAIR Akemi Maegawa UMUC showcased the work of Akemi Maegawa in an exhibition earlier this year. Find out more about the artist on p. 4.
Akemi Maegawa, Baby Bottles with Tank, 2006, porcelain, size variable
2 COLLECTION SPOTLIGHT 3 DID YOU KNOW? 18 NEWS AND EVENTS 22 BECOME A FRIEND OF THE ARTS AT UMUC
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Organizing Memories (detail) by Akemi Maegawa;
Veil by UMUC graphic communication program faculty member Ding Ren; At the Center of It All mural by twin brothers Raoul and Davide Perre (known as How and Nosm) on the exterior wall of the Mana Art Center in Jersey City, New Jersey.
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YOSHITOSHI MORI / BY JON WEST-BEY
FALL 2016 Managing Editor Eric Key Editors Sandy Bernstein Beth Butler Nancy Kochuk Barbara Reed Director, Institutional Marketing Cynthia Friedman Graphic Designer Jennifer Norris Project Manager Laurie Bushkoff Arts Program Staff Tawanna Manago Rene Sanjines Jon West-Bey
Thanks to a generous donation from Julian and Patricia Jones, the UMUC Arts Program is pleased to have a drawing by Japanese artist Yoshitoshi Mori to display. Born in Tokyo in 1898, Mori is closely associated with the Mingei folkcraft movement and was influential throughout much of the 20th century as a stencil print artist and a fabric artist. Mori produced a series of stunning textiles early in his career.
The donated drawing, titled The Oni, depicts a man, presumably a samurai, attacking
a demon-like character known as an oni. In Japanese folklore the oni are typically portrayed with unkempt hair, sharp claws, and horns; they may also have an odd number of fingers. The eponymous oni of Mori’s drawing is shown in a contorted stance, under attack by a sword-wielding samurai figure. Because the oni wears a loincloth of tiger skin, a typical symbol of invincibility, the drawing suggests that the samurai figure will attack the oni but not necessarily defeat it. Thus an interpretation of the piece as a representation of the internal human battle against evil seems quite reasonable.
UMUC Art Advisory Board Javier Miyares, UMUC President Anne V. Maher, Esq., Chair Eva J. Allen, PhD, Honorary Member Myrtis Bedolla, Vice Chair Joan Bevelaqua Schroeder Cherry, EdD I-Ling Chow, Honorary Member Nina C. Dwyer Karin Goldstein, Honorary Member Juanita Boyd Hardy, Honorary Member Sharon Smith Holston, Honorary Member Pamela G. Holt Eric Key Thomas Li, Honorary Member David Maril, Honorary Member Terrie S. Rouse Christopher Shields Barbara Stephanic, PhD, Honorary Member Dianne A. Whitfield-Locke, DDS Sharon Wolpoff Elizabeth Zoltan, PhD University of Maryland University College is a constituent institution of the University System of Maryland. Art@umuc is published twice a year by UMUC’s Art Advisory Board. Please send comments to arts@umuc.edu or mail to Magazine Editor Arts Program University of Maryland University College 3501 University Boulevard East Adelphi, MD 20783-8007 Phone 301-985-7937 • Fax 301-985-7865
Donor Julian Jones has been a longtime art collector who worked with Bylee Massey to
develop the Arts Program at UMUC. Yoshitoshi Mori’s work has been shown at the Museum of Modern Art in New York; the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo; the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; and several other museums and galleries internationally. Mori died on May 29, 1992.
ABOVE: Yoshitoshi Mori, The Oni, 1987, watercolor, charcoal, and ink, 14¾ x 16 inches, UMUC Permanent
Collection, Asian Collection, Gift of Julian and Patricia Jones
2 UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND UNIVERSITY COLLEGE
PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS: Cover: John Woo; Inside cover:
Katherine Lambert, Tracey Brown; p. 1 clockwise from top left: John Woo, Ding Ren, Ervin McDaniel, John Woo; pp. 2–5 John Woo; p. 6: Akemi Maegawa; p. 7: John Woo; p. 8: Akemi Maegawa; pp. 9–11: John Woo; p. 16–17 Eric Key; p. 18: clockwise from top left: courtesy of Sarah Wegner, Tracey Brown, John Woo, Tracey Brown; p. 19 art board members, clockwise from top left: Tracey Brown, Tracey Brown, Tracey Brown, Terrie S. Rouse; all others: John Woo; p. 20 top: Tracey Brown; all others: John Woo; p. 21 clockwise from top left: Tracey Brown, John Woo, courtesy of James Phillips, Tracey Brown
DID YOU KNOW? LITTLE-KNOWN FACTS ABOUT ARTISTS AND ARTWORKS IN THE UMUC PERMANENT COLLECTION
By Eric Key
Did you know . . . the late Eugene Leake, a former
D.C. artist Tim Davis, who moved
David Smedley, head of the
Leslie Chin, who works in all
president of the Maryland Institute
to the area after earning an MA
sculpture program for Howard
media, specializes in the ink-resist
College of Art, was an outstanding
from the University of Illinois at
University, produced a bronze
technique, and has exhibited at
landscape artist?
Urbana-Champaign, trained as
bust of Charles H. Wright, the
the Baltimore Museum of Art, was
a sculptor?
namesake for a museum of
born Chung Pao-Hua in China?
African American art in Detroit?
ARTWORK DETAILS ABOVE, LEFT TO RIGHT: Eugene Leake, Hedgerow, 1975, oil on canvas,
UMUC Permanent Collection, Doris Patz Collection of Maryland Artists; Tim Davis, Why You Waiting, 2007, acrylic and photography collage on canvas, UMUC Permanent Collection, International Collection; David Smedley, Homage to Bill Taylor, 2008, cherry wood, UMUC Permanent Collection, Maryland Artist Collection; Leslie Chin, Fisherman’s Wharf, 1970, mixed media on canvas, UMUC Permanent Collection, Doris Patz Collection of Maryland Artists
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Blue Sky Cake (U.S. and Japan) 2014, earthenware and porcelain 4 UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND UNIVERSITY COLLEGE 6 x 9 x 9 inches
AKEMI MAEGAWA
DUALITIES BY BRIAN YOUNG
This article originally appeared in the UMUC exhibition catalog Plurality: The Conceptual Art of Akemi Maegawa and is being reproduced here with minor changes. The exhibition was on display in the UMUC Arts Program Gallery from January 17 through April 17, 2016. An opening reception, including a talk by Maegawa, was held on February 7.
Your Sunny Side Should Be Up Chair, 2006, stoneware, fabric, and foam, 5 x 12 x 12 feet
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art@UMUC
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kemi Maegawa and her work first came
City; the PF Gallery near Detroit; the Irvine Contemporary in
Washington, D.C.; and Area 405 in Baltimore, Maryland.
to my attention in 2006, when she was
completing her MFA at Cranbrook
The Cranbrook Academy of Art prides itself on fluidly
Academy of Art in a suburb of
mixing disciplines. A ceramist like Maegawa could fully
Detroit, Michigan. At that time, I was the curator for the
expect to study and immerse herself in other media, despite
Cranbrook Art Museum and responsible for overseeing
her coveted place in the prestigious ceramics department.
the MFA installation, in which every graduating student is
In fact, my strongest memories of my early encounters with
required to exhibit. Even then, I gave Maegawa a coveted
her work did not focus on ceramics. Perhaps she first came
spot to showcase her work. Over subsequent years, I have
to my attention when I “caught” her wrapping Carl Milles’s
learned a great deal more about Maegawa and her work,
large-scale statue Europa and the Bull, which is permanently
which continues to evolve. She harnesses an intellectual
installed on the Cranbrook campus. Maegawa used a light-
energy that resides in every work, no matter how whimsical
colored, soft fabric and tightly fitted it around the piece as
it may first appear.
she did with Wrapping Project–Studio. To keep the fabric
taut, she sewed all the seams by hand. As Maegawa later
Maegawa was born in Tsu, the capital city of Mie pre-
fecture, Japan, in 1968. In 1995 she moved to Hong Kong,
explained, it seemed that people had stopped noticing the
where she worked in the financial field until 2000. But the
imposing bronze work—despite the sculptor’s fame, the
following year, she enrolled at the Corcoran College of Art
provocative subject, and its prominent location. However, by
and Design, where she earned a BFA. Her education at
covering the work, ironically, Maegawa brought attention back
Cranbrook followed. Maegawa now resides in Bethesda,
to the piece. Visitors seemed to use the transformation as a
Maryland, with her husband Ryszard Pluta, MD, PhD, who
jumping-off point to discuss the role of public sculpture as
enjoyed a celebrated career as a neurosurgeon before
well as Maegawa’s work. Incidentally, Maegawa wrapped this
becoming a medical researcher.
enormous work during a cold Michigan winter. Some people
initially thought she was providing a protective cover.
At Cranbrook, Maegawa studied with the highly esteemed
Wrapping Project–Studio dates from 2008, and it shares
ceramist Tony Hepburn, an artist I had known previously from
my time at the Arkansas Arts Center. Because Cranbrook is so
sensibilities with the Cranbrook piece in which she wrapped
selective—accepting only 15 artists in each of 10 disciplines—
Carl Milles’s Europa and the Bull. In fact, Maegawa said that
my expectations were high for Maegawa and her colleagues.
wrapping the bull came after Wrapping Project–Studio, in
I later found out that she had received no fewer than three
part because after wrapping her studio contents, Maegawa
awards for ceramics while at the Corcoran. And before she
no longer had access to them. The overall effect of this more
graduated from Cranbrook, she received acclaim in numerous
personal work is that it seems to elevate the status of artist.
exhibitions, such as those at the SculptureCenter in New York
The artist’s tools become worthy of special protection and
ABOVE: Carl Milles’s Greek mythical sculpture
Europa and the Bull, 1935, located on the Cranbrook Academy of Art campus; LEFT: Maegawa’s fabric-wrapped version of Milles’s bronze scupture inspired by her Wrapping Project series.
6 UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND UNIVERSITY COLLEGE
WRAPPING PROJECT–STUDIO
The fabric layer that I created can be viewed as a protection or an external skin (like a cocoon). It hides the object and makes it visually inaccessible, but the covering also makes us more aware of the form of the object or the existence of the object by itself. By creating such an external skin and presenting the covered object, I question the meaning of the object and the role of protection and care. AKEMI MAEGAWA
Wrapping Project–Studio, 2008 fabric and objects from studio 62 x 47½ x 40 inches
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8 UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND UNIVERSITY COLLEGE
admiration. The idea of plurality is also demonstrated in a conceptual notion that the tools themselves can become works of art, or at least the soul of the art. The piece also indicates recognition of the work of Christo, but as Maegawa is quick
WRAPPING PROJECT–WISH BALLOON
to point out, there is a difference: Christo aims to obscure the underlying element; Maegawa reinforces it.
For her MFA requirement, Maegawa created a provocative
conceptual piece called Wrapping Project–Wish Balloon. She asked some 50 to 100 people who had influenced her career to blow into a balloon as they made a wish. The balloons were
For Wrapping Project–Wish Balloon, I asked people around me to make a wish while blowing up a balloon. Then
then installed on a wall, where they slowly deflated as if the
I carefully covered each of the wish
wishes themselves had dissipated into the surrounding ether.
balloons with felt by hand stitching.
I bring up these two early works not to reminisce nostalgically about our budding friendship; rather, I want people to under-
Unlike wrapping a solid object, wrapping
stand that even when Maegawa was studying with one of the
a wish balloon demanded extra
most respected ceramists in the United States, she chose to work in fiber, balloons, and above all else, with ideas. In this current exhibition, there is a good deal of work that reflects her mastery of ceramics. There is also an abundance of work in other media, including fiber. But taken as a whole, this body
caution. I did not want to pop or break anybody’s wish existing in the balloon. I had no idea what kind of wishes
of work is really about the manifestation of ideas into concrete
people had made in the balloons, but
form. When approaching Maegawa’s work, I would encourage
I felt a huge responsibility each time I
viewers first to consider the message and then to explore how
held a balloon. While I was sewing and
that message came to be.
wrapping the balloon, I thought about the person the entire time.
LEFT: Wrapping Project–Wish Balloon (inflated, detail), 2007– 2015, balloon, fabric, thread, and Japanese handmade paper; ABOVE: Wrapping Project–Wish Balloon (deflated) 2007–2015, balloon, fabric, thread, and Japanese handmade paper, size variable (approximate floor installation size 5 x 5 feet)
AKEMI MAEGAWA
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Cradle to Grave, 2014, stoneware, silk thread, fabric, and beads, 4 editions, each ceramic piece 7 x 11 x 7 inches, each fabric piece 11 x 11 x 7 inches
One of the principal messages in this exhibition is reflected
in the exhibition’s title, Plurality: The Conceptual Art of Akemi Maegawa. Cradle to Grave, 2014, is a perfect encapsulation of the exhibition. There are eight whimsical and colorful Volk-
CRADLE TO GRAVE
swagen buses that have a reborn, hippie spirit about them. The obvious visual element in these objects is that Maegawa has taken a symbol of American freedom and consumerism
I made Cradle to Grave thinking about
and paired it with another symbol, for example, the symbol
life and death, yin and yang, beginning
representing the opposing forces of yin and yang on the sides of the two red vehicles. On one level, Maegawa is putting on
and end. Cradle to Grave consists of
display a reference to both the East and West as they collide.
four pairs of the iconic Volkswagen
These Volkswagen buses might represent the European and
buses, a symbol of the hippie era
American taste for open roads and bright self-promotion, in contrast to the Eastern belief in cosmology, invisible forces, and an overall sense of balance. While this might be Maegawa’s intention, the viewer has to look a bit deeper. The cloth vehicle in this pair is in actuality a baby toy, while the ceramic one is
when I was born. Each pair consists of a fabric sculpture and a ceramic sculpture. The soft fabric Volkswagen
an urn for one’s ashes. So this really is a work that lives up to
is made like a baby’s toy for a newborn;
its title. On another level, the piece is also personal, reflecting
the ceramic Volkswagen sculpture is
the artist’s interest in both fiber and ceramics and the duality of Maegawa’s background in two cultures. The playful nature of the piece might even be a tongue-in-cheek allusion to stereo-
an actual urn for keeping the ashes of a dead person.
types. These objects also reflect the artist’s focus on handmade objects. The hand-building and hand-stitching methods used in both are intentional. Maegawa does not use high technology, nor does she employ mass production.
10 UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND UNIVERSITY COLLEGE
AKEMI MAEGAWA
Taste, 2011, stoneware, acrylic paint, and straw, 10 x 8 x 9½ inches
Baby Bottles with Tank and Baby Bottles with Gun, both
of contemporary craft is typically more benign (Confrontational
from 2006, portray a different collision of ideas than Cradle to
Clay being one exception). Beginning in the 1950s, Peter
Grave does. There is the obvious, jarring employment of weap-
Voulkos began to make clay objects that shed their utilitarian
onry with items intended for babies. To my eyes, this pairing has
purpose, and later Robert Arneson infused his ceramic pieces
the effect of opposing the presence of tanks and guns. There is
with humor and politics. Maegawa is part of that tradition, but
also another duality here. In most Asian cultures, ceramics are
her works do not venture into the realm of unsettling. Aestheti-
used for utilitarian or ceremonial purposes, the most obvious
cally, they remain bright and balanced.
being for eating and drinking. Here, Maegawa has used a craft
object, instilling it with a political or social statement against
to categorize. Clearly, there is a nod to her husband, a neurosur-
the use of weapons and force. Such statements are rare in the
geon. Yet I am more intrigued by—and admiring of—the idea that
world of contemporary craft. There is precedence, but the field
this work barely climbs into the realm of fine art. Without the
Taste, 2011, is another piece in the exhibition that is difficult
straw, one might imagine that this piece would be awfully close to the anatomical brain models that are used in medical training. And isn’t it curious that the straw is a ready-made item of sorts? But it provides the springboard into making Taste a work of fine art. In the context of a gallery setting, however, the work plays with our senses and with our sensibilities.
Plurality: The Conceptual Art of Akemi Maegawa is an
exhibition that provides a rich glimpse into the art and mind of a gifted ceramist. Each piece leads the viewers into different realms simultaneously.
Brian Young was the senior curator of the Arts Program at UMUC and was instrumental in developing this exhibition. Baby Bottles with Gun, 2006, porcelain, size variable
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BY ERIC KEY
UMUC’s talented graphic design faculty members show that those who teach, can UMUC is proud of its many career-relevant programs designed to build the skills, competencies, and capabilities students need to achieve their professional aspirations. One of these is UMUC’s graphic communication major, which helps students master the skills and technology to compete in today’s rapidly changing visual arts and communication environment. In the graphic communication major, students take courses in graphic art and design, computer graphics, communication, business-oriented writing, and publication—while also receiving professional instruction on topics such as principles of composition, color theory,
layout, and context. A key component of the program is having students create (or update) a portfolio that demonstrates their work to potential employers. With a BA in Graphic Communication from UMUC, graduates are well positioned for careers in a variety of settings. The success and appeal of this popular program rests on the talents of the faculty members—artists in their own right—who take on the essential role of mentoring their students. Among these, most prominent are Richard Vosseller, Ding Ren, and Ryan Hackett, who bring considerable artistic experience, as well as academic credentials, to the classroom.
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2
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The creative process behind Richard Vosseller’s Smoke sculpture:
1 Digital photograph of a puff of smoke 2 Study for Smoke, CAD image from
a three-dimensional laser scan of
the puff of smoke
3 Scale model of Smoke made of
birch wood, glue, and rice paper,
14 x 14 x 32 inches
4 Proposal rendering for a full-scale
installation at the D.C. Commission
for the Arts and Humanities Gallery
5 Draft installation in alternate materials
5
at the Silber Gallery, Goucher College;
Smoke, 2012, galvanized steel wall
framing stud, screws, aluminum cable,
turnbuckles, 12 x 12 x 27 feet
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Ding Ren, Drying Sheet in the Forest, Invisibility Cloaks series, 2015–16, analog photograph, 4 x 6 inches
Richard Vosseller
Ding Ren
Richard Vosseller, who heads up UMUC’s graphic commu-
Adjunct assistant professor Ding Ren, an artist based in Amster-
nication and art programs, is a painter and sculptor who has
dam and Washington, D.C., uses photography to document
exhibited his works throughout the United States. Over the last
cross-cultural patterns through analog photographic practices.
decade, his work has evolved to incorporate principles of paint-
She helps students explore the use of photography as a tool
ing, sculpture, poetry, and commercial construction. Vosseller
of documentation while also teaching them to create stunning
has published art reviews in papers ranging from the Washing-
photos. The online format provides Ren an extra advantage,
ton Post and Montgomery Gazette to the Las Vegas Sun. He
allowing her the time to provide more thoughtful comments
has received a Cirque Du Soleil Grant; a supported residency
to student work and appropriate links.
at the Goldwell Artists Residency in Rhyolite, Nevada; and two
commissions for public works from Arlington County, Virginia.
the world, including those by EVA International (Ireland’s
He has a BFA in general fine arts from the Maryland Institute
biennial exhibition of contemporary art), the Frieze Foundation
College of Art and an MFA in painting from the San Francisco
(London), and the Trawick Prize (Bethesda, Maryland). Her
Art Institute.
works have been exhibited in the Netherlands, the Philippines,
China, Ireland, Iceland, Portugal, and the United Kingdom—as
With a special interest in 3D work, Vosseller teaches such
Ren’s work has been recognized in competitions all over
courses as 3D Design, 2D Design, Painting, Sculpture I, and
well as at UMUC, the Katzen Arts Center (Washington, D.C.),
Color Theory. His students appreciate his perspective and
and Maryland Art Place (Baltimore). Ren received a BA in
expertise. According to one student, Vosseller has “the sharpest
photography from University of Maryland, Baltimore County
eye for art of any teacher I’ve ever had,” while another says
and an MFA in studio art from George Washington University.
simply, “This guy knows his stuff.”
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Ryan Hackett Ryan Hackett, a founding member of the Washington, D.C., gallery Decatur Blue, received Baltimore’s Sondheim Artscape Prize, including a $25,000 fellowship, in 2010. He has exhibited widely, at locations that include the American University Museum and Corcoran Gallery of Art (Washington, D.C.), Queens Museum of Art (New York), Diego Rivera Gallery (San Francisco, California), and Baltimore Museum of Art (Maryland). He received a BA in studio art from University of Maryland, College Park and an MFA from the San Francisco Art Institute. Hackett currently lives in Bethesda, Maryland, and teaches painting and graphic design at UMUC.
Other Teaching Artists The immensely talented faculty who teach in the graphic
The success and appeal of this popular program rests on the talents of the faculty members—artists in their own right—who take on the essential role of mentoring their students.
communication program include Evan Villari, a recognized filmmaker, writer, and educator who has taught and presented lectures nationally, as well as Joseph Kabriel, David Labrozzi, Matthew Smith, Erin Stellmon, Carley Augustine, Colleen Fitzgerald, Josh Yavelberg, Joseph Cassar, Mateo Zachai, and Paul Zdepski. These gifted teaching artists encourage UMUC students to realize their true potential and help them develop the skills that can lead to professional success.
TOP: Ryan Hackett, Hybrid Transmission (Cicada/Surveillance Camera) 1 and 2, 2011, alkyd based oil over digital print on canvas, 72 x 72 inches; BOTTOM: Ryan Hackett, Polar Subwoofer, 2007, synthetic fur, audio equipment, 60 x 17 x 17 inches
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BY ERIC KEY
Newark, New Jersey The Arts Program sponsored its annual bus trip to experience
the arts in another community on June 11. On this year’s trip,
the red carpet for us, we spent the rest of the day visiting the
44 art enthusiasts—including collectors, artists, students, and
studios of Philemona Williamson and Ben Jones and the arts
patrons of the arts—joined the Arts Program staff on a daylong
community at the Mana Contemporary in Jersey City. Philemona
trip to various art venues in Newark and Jersey City, New Jersey.
Williamson’s representative talked about her postmodernist,
figurative works, which are often childlike or depict innocence.
Located next door to Manhattan and its well-known art
After a hearty lunch at Vonda Restaurant, which rolled out
scene, Newark can be overshadowed by the hustle and bustle
Ben Jones gracefully provided a 30-minute talk about his art, his
of New York City. But once we learned that Newark has its
life, and what inspires him and gave everyone an autographed
own vibrant take on the arts and
copy of his catalog.
culture, we decided to see it
for ourselves.
viewed the collection of the Fred-
erick R. Weisman Art Foundation.
The group gathered at the
At Mana Contemporary, we
Leroy Merritt Center for the Art
Weisman was a Los Angeles–
of Joseph Sheppard at 6 a.m. on
based businessman whose pas-
June 11 for a light breakfast and
sion was to collect contemporary
introductions all around before
art. The collection includes works
boarding the lavish charter bus
by such artists as Ed Ruscha,
to New Jersey. After picking up
John Baldessari, and Robert
other group members in Balti-
Irwin. This exhibition allowed us
more, Maryland, we were on our
to enjoy a wide array of art.
way to explore the arts of Newark.
was their first opportunity to tour
The first stop included a pri-
vate tour of the Newark Museum, which featured a sneak preview of the installation of works from
For many in our group, this
the collections we visited. Art Bus trip participants pose in front of Ben Jones’s studio in Jersey City, New Jersey.
the permanent African American
student Tonyia Jackson says she has “a new love for them” and was enthusiastic about the bus
art collection. The museum’s American Art collection—one of the
trip. “The experience is a memorable one and appreciated in all
finest in the country—has more than 12,000 paintings, sculp-
aspects,” she wrote.
tures, and works on paper. Without going into detail about the
wonderful yet surprising traditional and contemporary art collec-
was much more to see and do, everyone wanted to know one
tions, I would simply say that this museum is worth another visit.
thing: where are we going next?
16 UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND UNIVERSITY COLLEGE
When we returned to UMUC at midnight, knowing there
Great Trip
Recently I had the experience of going on an art-related bus trip with staff from UMUC. The trip was filled with great people, and we spent the day visiting museums, meeting artists, and seeing their artworks. The experience was a memorable one and appreciated in all aspects. I’ll explain a few great things in reference to the great adventure. First and foremost, the staff of UMUC and Mr. Eric Key had everything mapped out perfectly. Our trip to the Newark Museum was awesome. The displays and arts were unique and beautiful. I’ve never visited those particular museums before and have a new love for them. We also stopped at several artist studios and were able to talk to the artists while viewing their works of art. All of the different art mediums were beautiful, inspiring, and left a grand impression on my mind. Finally let me not forget about our lunch. All I can say is “awesome.” The hospitality and courtesy of the staff was authentic and great. My bus trip is one to remember, and I thank UMUC and Mr. Eric Key for the experience. I will visit the museums again. The artists and creativity in the arts that were seen are very much appreciated. It was a great trip. Thank you all for the experience.
—Tonyia Jackson, art student
FROM TOP: New Jersey artist Ben Jones talks to bus trip participants visiting his studio; detail from one of
Ben Jones’s works; bus trip participants explore the Mana Contemporary in Jersey City, New Jersey.
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NEWS AND EVENTS The UMUC Arts Program especially enjoys supporting artists who not only share their creativity in the classroom but also are practicing artists themselves.
This year’s Faculty Art Invitational, All That’s
FACULTY ART INVITATIONAL
2016
All That’s Art
Art, featured the works of 31 visual artists in a captivating exhibition. Some 23 of the artists teach art within the University System of Maryland (USM); the others who participated either teach art at a community college in the area or are independent art professionals.
The 59 works in the exhibition represented
various art mediums and styles—from figurative to landscape to abstractions. Each work created a dialogue between the artist and the viewer.
This year’s Invitational was curated by the
talented artist Joan Bevelaqua, an adjunct professor at UMUC who is familiar with the competing demands placed on the artists in this show. She wrote:
This year’s Faculty Art Invitational cele-
brates the recent achievements of artist/
faculty members from Maryland’s public
universities and community colleges by
exhibiting their latest works in the UMUC
Arts Program Gallery. Today’s teaching
artists serve as the first point of contact
for many students who are majoring in art
or graphic communication or who simply
wish to explore their creative talents. As
teachers, these artists give students the
guidance they need to become art prac-
titioners, no matter what the students’
artistic ambitions may be. As artists, they
devote time and energy to their own body
of works. There is often a struggle between
becoming an excellent instructor and devel-
oping an artistic body of work, not only
because of the time needed for both but
also because the demands and challenges
are so different.
The UMUC Arts Program is proud to sup-
port these artist-teachers who are producing
Christopher Harrington, Peter Herzfeld, Bradley
quality, thought-provoking works of art. Many
Hudson, Theodore Johnson, Matt Klos, David
thanks to James Adkins, Joan Bevelaqua, Ed
Labrozzi, Clayton Lang, Lindsay McCulloch,
Brown, Joseph P. Cassar, Matt Smith Chavez,
Anne McLaughlin, Trace Miller, Nare Ratnapala,
Dustin Davis, Jessica C. Davis, Michel S.
Ding Ren, Daniel Riesmeyer, Brooke Rogers,
Demanche, Susan Dodge, Nina Chung Dwyer,
John Ruppert, Stuart Stein, Nora Sturges,
Colleen Fitzgerald, James Fitzsimmons,
Fahimeh Vahdat, and Sarah Wegner.
18 UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND UNIVERSITY COLLEGE
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Pain by Prince George’s
Community College faculty member Sarah Wegner; Clayton Lang, Bowie State University, with his leather and mixed media creation Tale of All Tails; Myth of Possession #1 by UMUC faculty member and guest curator Joan Bevelaqua; UMUC staff and participating art faculty at the opening reception
NEWS AND EVENTS UMUC Welcomes New Art Board Members UMUC Art Advisory Board members, appointed by the university president, help develop and advance UMUC’s Arts Program. They recommend best practices in managing collections, identify and develop potential revenue sources, offer guidance in planning exhibitions and events, and serve as advocates and ambassadors for the Arts Program. UMUC appreciates the service of all board members and welcomes four new faces to the board: Schroeder Cherry, Terrie S. Rouse, Christopher Shields, and Elizabeth Zoltan. She has a BA in intercultural studies from
is an associate at Clear
Trinity College in Connecticut and an MA in
Writing Services and
African history from Columbia University.
of museum studies at Morgan State University in Baltimore. His more than 30 years in the museum field have focused on two key areas: making museum resources accessible to the public and developing grant proposals. He earned a BFA in painting and puppetry from the University of Michigan, a master’s degree in museum education from the George Washington University, and a doctorate in museum education from Columbia University. Terrie S. Rouse, an experienced CEO and
to have some collectible art available for purchase. Below is an example of to the program for the purpose of raising funds to support the arts at UMUC. Artists whose works were donated include Joan Bevelaqua, Alan Binstock,
Christopher Shields,
Patrick Craig, Alonzo Davis, Tim Davis,
a financial market
Richard Franklin, Gladys Goldstein, and
data quality expert,
Raoul Middleman, among others.
has been director of
business operations for
works, please contact Eric Key, Arts
NASDAQ.com since
Program director, at Eric.Key@umuc.edu
1999. In that role, he
for details and special pricing.
If you are interested in any of the
manages the production operations of the website. He earned a BS in art education from the State University of New York College at New Paltz and an MS in information systems management from UMUC. Elizabeth Zoltan, PhD, is senior director for school support services
consultant, has presided
at Connections Educa-
over the opening and
tion, part of the global
operation of various
learning company
cultural institutions.
Pearson. She has
She has worked with
extensive experience in
the National Center for
The Arts Program at UMUC is fortunate
one of the artworks that was donated
Schroeder Cherry, EdD,
an adjunct professor
COLLECTIBLE ART AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE
higher education administration, most recently
Civil and Human Rights in Atlanta, Georgia;
having served as vice president and provost
the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center in Washington,
for Frederick Community College in Frederick,
D.C.; the soon-to-be-opened King Abdulaziz
Maryland. All three of her degrees—a BA in
Center for World Culture in Saudi Arabia;
psychology and an MA and a PhD in engineering
the Atlanta Ballet; and other organizations.
psychology—are from Johns Hopkins University.
Alonzo Davis, Ladder in Blue (detail), 2011, paint, bamboo, and fabric
A Welcome and an Art Walk On Thursday, March 31, Chancellor Robert L. Caret of the University System of Maryland (USM) and his wife Dr. Elizabeth Zoltan hosted a reception at their home, Hidden Waters, in Baltimore County. The event was to welcome the chancellor and his family to the official residence of the USM chancellor and to highlight artworks from UMUC’s art collection. The evening began with a welcome reception, followed by remarks from the chancellor and his wife, as well as UMUC President Javier Miyares. Guests also enjoyed a tour of the artwork in the chancellor’s home, offered by Eric Key, director of UMUC’s Arts Program. The tour featured works by Andy Warhol, Grace Hartigan, Nelson Stevens, Trace Miller, Clifton Santiago, Raoul Middleman, and many others, all of which are in the permanent collection at Grace Hartigan’s beloved artwork Watteau’s Musicians was featured on the art walk.
UMUC. Other works featured on the tour were from the Carets’ private art collection. Several artists represented in UMUC’s collections were in attendance, including Raoul Middleman and Trace Miller.
www.umuc.edu/art
art@UMUC
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NEWS AND EVENTS Courthouse Exhibition Each year the UMUC Arts Program curates a visual art exhibition at the U.S. District Courthouse in Greenbelt, Maryland, by request of art patron Judge Peter Messitte. This joint collaboration, enthusiastically supported by UMUC President Javier Miyares, is designed to reach the wider community through the arts. This year’s exhibition, which ran for two months this summer, examined the works of Bill Harris, Maria-Lana Queen, and Sargent-Thamm in Convergence: Narratives and Symbols. Our sincere thanks go to artist Preston Sampson for curating the summer exhibition.
Both Judge Messitte and President Miyares
spoke at the May 19 opening reception, which drew a record number of community members, including federal judges and courthouse staff. Special thanks to Jon West-Bey, UMUC curator, and Rene Sanjines, UMUC fine arts technician, for their work in retrieving the works and installing the show.
Art adorns the walls of the federal courthouse in Greenbelt, Maryland.
WILLIAM “BILL” HARRIS
MARIA-LANA QUEEN
Bill Harris is a founding faculty member and former art department chair at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, D.C.; a former art faculty member at Howard University; and a past member of the Washington Printmakers. Now retired, he has mastered the art of woodworking. Harris received his BFA in Design and his MFA in Printmaking and Drawing from Howard University.
A Shield for My Daughter, 2013, printed canvas over wood, 45½ x 23½ inches
20 UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND UNIVERSITY COLLEGE
Maria-Lana Queen is a mixed media artist whose works reflect her life and experiences. Painting helped her deal with the loss of her brother in 2003 and gave her the inspiration to create a body of works that has become her voice in the world. Queen holds a BBA in Marketing from the University of the District of Columbia.
SARGENT-THAMM Collaboratively, Patrick Sargent and Erwin (Elmo) Thamm have forged a friendship by creating prints that include both of their artistic voices. Sargent was a political science major when he enrolled in an entry-level printmaking class that became the beginning of an entirely new journey. Sargent is now completing his MFA at George Mason University. Thamm is an artist, printmaker, photographer, and video editor. He has printed with Lily Press and Navigation Press and is the cofounder of the GMU Printmakers Guild.
Homage 1, 2011, acrylic paint and oil stick on canvas, 63½ x 53 inches
Enter the Dragon (Bruce Lee), 2013, woodblock, paint, and screen print on paper, 24 x 24 inches
NEWS AND EVENTS Tour of the UMUC Art Collection In May, UMUC’s Arts Program had the honor of meeting Maryland artist Fran Brady, wife of former Reagan White House press secretary James Brady, and giving her an extensive tour of our art collections. After first meeting with UMUC President Javier Miyares, who had issued the invitation, Brady spent several hours with Art Advisory Board members Anne Maher, chair; Myrtis Bedolla, vice chair; and Elizabeth (Liz) Zoltan, along with Arts Program director Eric Key.
Brady responded enthusiastically to works
from the Doris Patz Collection, the Maryland Artist Collection, the Asian Collection, and more. Her follow-up note summed up her day: “Thank you so much for a wonderful tour of an amazing collection! It really is a collection of collections, and I enjoyed every one of them.”
Upcoming Events BIENNIAL MARYLAND REGIONAL JURIED ART EXHIBITION (BMRE) September 18–December 31, 2016 UMUC Arts Program Gallery, Lower Level College Park Marriott Hotel & Conference Center Opening Reception Sunday, September 18, 2016, 3–5 p.m. UMUC Arts Program Gallery, Lower Level Works by artists from Maryland, Northern Virginia, and Washington, D.C., will be featured as part of the 3rd Biennial Maryland Regional Juried Art Exhibition, known as the BMRE, sponsored by UMUC. UMUC has long showcased art by both emerging and established artists, and this exhibition is another opportunity to shine a well-deserved light on some of the most talented artists in the region. Jurors for the exhibition include Gretchen Schermerhorn, artist and artistic director, Pyramid Atlantic, Silver Spring, Maryland; Vanessa Thaxton-Ward, PhD, curator and interim director, Hampton University Museum, Hampton, Virginia; and Nina Chung Dwyer, adjunct professor of art, Montgomery College, Rockville, Maryland.
We appreciate Brady’s validation of our
hard work in collecting, preserving, and presenting art at UMUC.
JOSEPH SHEPPARD: HORRORS OF WAR October 30, 2016–October 29, 2017 Dorothy L. and Henry A. Rosenberg Jr. Painting Gallery The Leroy Merritt Center for the Art of Joseph Sheppard Opening Reception Saturday, November 5, 2016, 3–5 p.m. This exhibition depicts 10 infamous massacres of World War II. The collection of paintings and drawings premiered in Palazzo Oradour-sur-Glane Moroni in Pietrasanta, Italy, to a crowd who understood and reflected on the horror of war. Joseph Sheppard is a well-known illustrator and realist painter who lives in Baltimore, Maryland, for part of the year and has been working in Pietrasanta for more than 30 years.
Eric Key, UMUC Arts Program director and tour guide, offers insights on Raoul Middleman’s large-scale Portrait of Grace Hartigan.
“IT REALLY IS A COLLECTION OF COLLECTIONS, AND I ENJOYED EVERY ONE OF THEM.” Fran Brady
JAMES PHILLIPS: SWIRLING COMPLEXITY INTO CULTURE January 15–April 16, 2017 UMUC Arts Program Gallery, Lower Level Opening Reception and Artist Talk Sunday, January 22, 2017, 3–5 p.m. Aggression Artist James Phillips has a unique style of painting that incorporates African patterns and designs throughout his compositions. His work has been received with both awe and admiration, for each painting is a veritable kaleidoscope of color.
Get the latest updates on the UMUC Arts Program. Visit www.umuc.edu/art/newsonline Fran Brady admires a work of art in the President’s Office.
www.umuc.edu/art
art@UMUC
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Make an Annual Contribution to the Arts Program Art enthusiasts in the UMUC community help make the university’s visual arts exhibitions, educational lectures, book signings, symposiums, and meet-the-artist receptions possible. Through the Friends of the Arts program, our biggest supporters enjoy a variety of benefits as a thank-you
FRIENDS OF THE ARTS (January 1, 2015–June 15, 2016)
for helping UMUC’s Arts Program become one of the most recognized
Sapphire-Level Friends
in Maryland.
Wolpoff Family Foundation
Simply commit to making an annual contribution at one of the following levels and you can join our growing list of friends.
Associate ($35) Name recognition in the arts newsletter, invitation to exhibit openings
Friend ($50) Above benefits, plus 10 percent discount on specialty items produced by the Arts Program, 10 percent discount on tickets to nonfundraising events, Arts Program lapel pin
Bronze-Level Friend ($100) Above benefits, plus autographed poster from the Arts Program collection
Silver-Level Friend ($250) Above benefits, plus name recognition on the donors' wall in the Arts Program Gallery
Gold-Level Friend ($500) Above benefits, plus full-color art catalog from a major UMUC art exhibition
Platinum-Level Friend ($1,000) Above benefits, plus VIP invitation to dinner with the guest artist and the university president, 10 percent discount at the Common (the restaurant at the College Park Marriott Hotel & Conference Center at UMUC)
Citrine-Level Friend ($2,500) Above benefits, plus corporate name and logo listing on UMUC Arts Program webpage, name and logo listing on all printed materials for exhibitions and public relations materials for the season
Sapphire-Level Friend ($5,000) Above benefits, plus a corporate art exhibition by a local artist coordinated by UMUC (Special requirements apply; see www.umuc.edu/art for details.)
Visit www.umuc.edu/art and click on “Join the Friends of the Arts Program” or call 301-985-7937. Interested in being added to our e-magazine list? Send your e-mail address to arts@umuc.edu. 22 UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND UNIVERSITY COLLEGE
Platinum-Level Friends Joan Burke Bevelaqua Nina Dwyer Michèle E. Jacobs and Joseph V. Bowen Jr. Robert W. Jerome Eric Key Anne V. Maher and Peter V. R. Franchot Michael S. Tenner
Gold-Level Friends Kathryn Bugg Marcia R. Watson
Silver-Level Friends Alvah Beander Myrtis J. Bedolla Lisa Anne Jackson Elmer A. Mendez Raoul Middleman Peter E. Quint Christopher A. Shields
Bronze-Level Friends Harriette E. Chiavacci LaTanya Eggleston
Gift-in-Kind Donors Michael Abrams James A. Adkins Eva J. and Nicholas H. Allen Kwabena Ampofo-Anti Carolyn Aoyama John and Doris Babcock Karin Batten Gwendolyn B. Clark Kevin E. Cole Loring Cornish Sandra Cryder David C. Driskell David R. Durfee Sr. Nina Dwyer Richard Franklin Graham Holding Company William A. Harris Winston Kain Harris Curlee Horton Margo Humphrey Sherry Jackson
Blair and Alice Hayes Sarah Lanning Theresa M. Lesko Julia Lindenmeier Denise Melvin Terrie S. Rouse Jessica Schmidt Lydia Christina Waddler Denise Welch Lesliee S. Whitfield Sharon A. Wolpoff Brian Young
Friends Patricia A. Dubroof Galerie Myrtis Cynthia F. Johnson Anthony Lee Edith Ogella Yoshiko Oishi Weick Mary Ellen Simon
Associates Gregory Branch Elizabeth B. Duncan Flavia Favali James Harrigan Kevin G. Herndon Charlotte E. Pointer Jacqueline K. Randolph
Cynthia F. Johnson Julian S. Jones Eric Key Matthew Klos Philip F. Koch Ulysses Marshall Wanda Spence McDow Anne McLaughlin Arthur Meisnere Trace Miller Tunde Odunlade Kathryn O’Grady Katja Oxman Constance Pitcher Preston W. Sampson Lucy Schoenfeld Joseph Sheppard Stephen Stein Noi Volkov Sharon A. Wolpoff Helen Zughaib