artPark

UVa Art Museum hires new director

Thirteen months after unceremoniously dismissing its long time director, Jill Hartz, the University of Virginia Art Museum has finally filled the vacant post. Bruce Ambler Boucher left his position as curator of European sculpture at the Art Institute of Chicago and will assume his new job as director of the UVa Art Museum on March 1.

Prior to his time in Chicago, Dr. Boucher taught art history at University College London for 24 years and spent two years as visiting member of the research department of the Victoria and Albert Museum. He earned his bachelor of arts in classics and English (Harvard University), his master’s degrees in English language and literature (Magdalen College, Oxford University), and a doctorate degree with a thesis on the Venetian sculpture of architect Jacopo Sansovino (Courtauld Institute of Art, University of London). Dr. Boucher is widely known as an expert on the 16th-century Italian architect Andrea Palladio, whose work influenced Thomas Jefferson’s designs – i.e. the buildings of UVa.

This should be an interesting fit with the University and the city of Charlottesville.  I'm hoping for progressive exhibition programming, outreach to the community outside of the University, and an aggressive acquisitions program.

Welcome to Charlottesville, Dr. Boucher.

Rose Art Museum follow up

I can't say I would have predicted this - although it doesn't surprise me. Regardless, I'm a little shocked at how quickly Brandeis University's president, Jehuda Reinharz, has changed direction. As reported in the Boston Globe by Geoff Edgers (read it here), now Brandeis is not deaccessioning its Museum's collections to cover a budget short fall. The Museum, however, is still scheduled to close, but the art stays.  Remarkable.

Good to see a little public outcry can actually make a difference in the preservation of historically important artwork. Too bad the institution still gets chopped. In his knee jerk response to the bad press, Reinharz still misses the bigger point: keep the art accessible and do not close the Rose Art Museum.  Maybe tomorrow he'll come to this clearer realization.

For a nicely written perspective on this whole fiasco, read Tyler Green's recent recap here. Tyler has also been kind enough to comment on and post Reinhharz's email in response. Read it here.

 

Rose Art Museum to close and sell collections

John Hechinger of the Wall Street Journal reports today of Brandeis University’s decision to close its Rose Art Museum and sell more than 6,000 artworks from its collection. The University blames its decision on undisclosed endowment losses. A little reading between the lines tells me that some Madoff-related investments has something to do with the immediate crisis. This sucks.

My first job interview after graduation was at the Rose Art Museum. It has one of the top modern art collections and progressive programming in the country - mainly due to the generousity of its insightful and sophisticated donors. Any large museum in the world would covet its Warhols, de Koonings, Johnses, Lichtensteins and Rosenquists. It also has been busy acquiring today’s top artists such as Helen Frankenthaler, Nan Goldin, Alfredo Jaar, Donald Judd, Annette Lemieux, Robert Mangold, Judy Pfaff, Richard Serra, Cindy Sherman and Kiki Smith. [sidenote: I didn’t get the job. Grrrr.]

Apparently, Brandies’ financial struggles have caused its leaders to regroup and narrow the University’s focus to a strictly educational mission. How does axing a university’s art museum help its mission to fully educate its student body? Here is the Rose Art Museum’s mission statement:

Founded in 1961, The Rose Art Museum of Brandeis University is an educational and cultural institution dedicated to collecting, preserving and exhibiting the finest of modern and contemporary art. The programs of the Rose adhere to the overall mission of the University, embracing its values of academic excellence, social justice, and freedom of expression.

An active participant in the academic, cultural, and social life of Brandeis, the Rose seeks to stimulate public awareness and disseminate knowledge of modern and contemporary art to enrich educational, cultural, and artistic communities regionally, nationally, and internationally. The Rose affirms the principle that knowledge of the past informs an understanding of the present and provides the critical foundation for shaping the future. It promotes learning and understanding of the evolving meanings, ideas, and forms of visual art relevant to contemporary society.

To me, this sounds right in line with providing one of the cornerstones of education to any student enrolled there. I’ll chalk it up to just another example of the puny level of importance our educational "system" places on the arts. I predict plenty of lawsuits stemming from this shortsighted decision.

The Dot and The Line - Final Weekend

If you haven’t already, please come by Migration this weekend, before we close our exhibition of drawings by Warren Craghead and Brian Mallman called The Dot and The Line.

This show features the work of two contemporary masters of the pencil. The original pages from Warren's book, How To Be Everywhere, and his story, This is a Ghost, are still available. We also have available a selection of Brian's graphite on board drawings from his continued Meetings series.

Both artists have received numerous national awards and accolades for the unique aesthetic of their drawing skills. To call them "creative" is an understatement. In a word, Warren and Brian are breaking barriers and lifting the skill of drawing to high art. Adding a piece or two will compliment anyone's collection of original artwork.

Laura and I are extremely proud to present Warren's and Brian' work. Don't miss this opportunity to see what we believe is the future direction of contemporary art: beauty, creativity, resonance, simplicity and craftsmanship.

 

(Images include: Top, Warren Craghead, page from This Is A Ghost; Bottom, Brian Mallman, Meetings #22)

Obama's Inauguration

Laura and I made the pilgrimage to DC yesterday and attended Barack Obama’s Inauguration. Simply put, it was an event I have never experienced before.

The ceremony ushered in a sense of change, hope and optimism, and Obama’s speech marked a clear separation from the past eight years.

I took a few pictures while we were on the Mall, but, without a doubt, I can say they do not convey the unity of the crowd’s emotions. Everyone was saturated in hope, happiness and togetherness. Never in my life have I smiled with so many people, shook hands with so many people, or hugged so many people (and when I say people, I mean complete strangers). Despite the miles walked, the long lines, blocked streets, cold weather, and just a massive amount of humanity jammed together, there was never an ill feeling or mean word... only enthusiasm and happiness. My feet may hurt a little, but the smile on my face and warmth in my heart remain.

So much has been said of the historic moment yesterday marked. No doubt. But, for me, I see this as a long overdue time to embrace sensible solutions to challenging realities.

   

   

   

   

And, finally, here is a shot of Bush leaving DC in Marine One following the ceremony.  What is not pictured is the one fingered wave good-bye I am giving him.

 

Andrew Wyeth – RIP

Famed American artist Andrew Wyeth passed away in his sleep today. He was 91. Although the art world will sorely miss him, his paintings portraying the hidden melancholy of the people and landscapes of Pennsylvania's Brandywine Valley and coastal Maine will live on.

Wyeth's artwork has been a personal favorite of mine.  I believe the importance of his oeuvre dives deeply into the history of art.

"I think one's art goes only as far and as deep as your love goes." - Andrew Wyeth

Laura Parsons reviews Craghead and Mallman

Laura Parsons, art editor for The Hook, has written the following review of Migration's current exhibit, The Dot and The Line – drawings by Warren Craghead and Brian Mallman:

It's rare to visit a gallery and receive a parting gift. But as Migration prepares to empty its walls and take flight, it's fitting that artist Warren Craghead, III has created a special book, The Dot and The Line, for the venue's final show of the same name, which features the work of Craghead and Brian Mallman.

Even more fitting is the fact that this tiny 2" x 2.25" souvenir represents something of a post-gallery approach to art. To get the prize, viewers must use a Migration-provided link at Craghead's website (wcraghead.com) to reach a downloadable document, which the recipient then prints, folds, and staples.

The resulting 16-page piece, though minimal, captures Craghead's unique aesthetic of intentional randomness, in which images and words fuse to form visual poetry. I realize that last sentence sounds like pompous art talk, but, trust me, it's literally true.

Among Craghead's works on display at Migration are original drawings for several other books. The 50 pages of How to Be Everywhere - presented in three separate groupings - combine fragments of poet Guillaume Apollinaire's writings with seemingly spontaneous bits of drawings. Varying his lettering and line refinement, and playing with how words and images interact, Craghead invents a visual syntax that treats words as drawings and drawings as words.

Particularly poignant is Craghead's 14-page story, "This is a Ghost," in which Craghead exercises his skill as a cartoonist and illustrator to track the elusive nature of memory. The last page, which features only a small empty palm with the final "t" from the word "ghost" beneath it, is achingly tender.

 

At first pass, Brian Mallman's large graphite and gesso drawings on wood depicting businessmen seem in sharp contrast with Craghead's notebook-like work. But the two artists share an interest in how marks convey information and how fragments prod viewers to fill in the blanks.

Mallman's "Meetings Series" offers caricature-like portraits of balding white men. Their facial features are often a barely-there set of lines emphasizing teeth and eyes (perhaps alluding to the way dogs challenge each other), while their heavy black suits elide with their office chairs to form abstract shapes that the viewer can nevertheless read.

Presenting Mallman and Craghead together is the last hurrah for what Migration brought to the C'ville scene: an innovative approach to contemporary art distinct from that of other local galleries. I will miss the space and am grateful for Craghead's memento.

A big thanks to Laura Parsons for this fresh and insightful review.

To make your own copy of Warren's book, go here and follow the link (the instructions are easy, the result is worth the effort). To buy Warren’s and Brian original artwork, come by Migration or give us a call. The show will close the end of this month.

 

PCA’s Creative Conversations

I just got back from attending the second edition of the Piedmont Council of the Arts' quarterly program called "Creative Conversations" – a forum for idea exchange and collaboration. The topic today was "Marketing Charlottesville as a Creative Community." PCA Executive Director Maggie Guggenheimer led the gathering of the 30+ attendees who represented a wide range of arts related organizations and individual artists from the central Virginia area (mainly Charlottesville).

This two hour round-table session covered questions such as 1) How do the arts and creativity shape our community; 2) What are the benefits of marketing Charlottesville as a creative community; 3) How can we maintain or grow arts audiences during the economic downturn; 4) How can we work together to support and promote the arts in Charlottesville; and 5) What marketing methods and strategies should we use?

I’m not generally into participating in group discussions like these. To me, they always seem to veer off track quickly and little gets done – although a lot gets said. For this, however, I bucked up and not only attended but participated (to a degree). And, as I expected, Maggie did a good job of keeping us all on point.

Early on, I spoke up and questioned whether Charlottesville is actually considered an arts and culture destination (if it's not an "arts town" then we can’t market it as one?). I truly believe the city wants to be, and its citizens think it is "artsie." But, from my experiences, when you mention Charlottesville, most outsiders first think of history, red brick, white columns and Thomas Jefferson. History and culture we have... but the arts?  When Laura and I exhibit at various gallery fairs around the country, people look at our marquee and say, "Charlottesville? I didn’t know there was art in Charlottesville."  'Nuf said.

I do have to say that Charlottesville is definitely a place to be when it comes to music, food and drink. But does this make it artsie? Is this the place you would expect to see creative and beautiful contemporary visual arts?  Is this where an artist wants to live and pursue his/her career?

Despite my opinion, the group decidedly pronounced Charlottesville the arts center of Virginia (note: comparable cities included Lynchburg, Roanoke, Staunton and Danville). So, off we went to the break out sessions and continued the round-table discussions.

The results: It was widely accepted that there needs to be a central, authoritative resource for the posting of events and maps to arts destinations. PCA seemed to be the logical choice to be that clearinghouse of information (although increased funding would help that actually happen).

Personally, I think a central listing is terrific, but I believe to advance and promote Charlottesville as an arts destination there needs to be a broader, deeper and more consistent discussion of the specific events, shows and exhibitions in town. Listing them on a calendar does little to promote Charlottesville as a creative town. Thoughtful and authoritative articles and reports will further enlighten people to not only what is going on, but the quality of what is going on. It's not enough to simply say "see Billy Bob play his trombone at the Performing Arts Center"; we need more information why we should see Billy Bob play (because he's the most innovative yet recluse trombone player in the world, and we are lucky to have him perform in Charlottesville – or something like that). I plan to continue my part in that as I look to review the local visual arts and comment on the arts in general.

All in all, Creative Conversations is an excellent program sponsored by the PCA. I was happy to participate and pleased to see that a large number of the heavy weights in this arts community attended. With more events and open discussions like this, Charlottesville may very well end up as a much larger dot on the arts map.

The Art of Moving Well

Laura writes:

It was a good Sunday. Actually got a chance to read more than the bare minimum of the newspaper (Washington Post, to be specific). Usually, between the two of us, Rob and I just hit Arts, Sports and Outlook. Sometimes I read Metro (makes me feel like I live in a big city with none of the actual subway riding), and Rob does the front section. But today was good. I'm not sure why I am bragging, though. The two articles that inspired us to write were in our regular go-to section, Arts, which the Washington Post now calls Style and Arts. Rob will write his opinion of Paul Richard's wonderful and thought provoking article on Walt Disney later, but I wanted to commend Sarah Kaufman's article on Cary Grant. Read it here.

I grew up an only child who spent a lot of time watching old movies. A lot of time. Seriously. Way too much time. It gave me a bit of a warped view of reality. But hey, whose childhood doesn’t warp them a little?  Anyway... I agree with Sarah's assessment of Cary Grant's magical grace wholeheartedly. Who wouldn't? But what makes the article really interesting is her analysis of the importance of physicality in acting. Cary Grant apparently trained as an acrobat. This athleticism allowed him to totally control his body and use it as a tool to convey more than words could about his characters. I am a big fan of the point where athleticism meets art. But, the body is an important tool even when its owner isn't an athlete. Think of Phillip Seymour Hoffman's slubby characters. The CIA slob in Charlie Wilson's War wouldn't have been nearly as powerful in someone else’s hands. So it goes both ways, and it’s not about being fit. (How having a strong and pain free body helps with creativity is another story. As is the link between sports and art. More on that eventually.)

Okay, you may be thinking "duh" about the link between the body and the art when it is the performing arts. But what about visual art, when we never, or rarely, see the artist in the work? With two caveats – I am not an artist and I do not have good proprioception – I will plunge ahead. I think that an artist's relationship with his or her body can and should show up in the work. Think about the obvious – large scale sculpture generally takes a strong back. But there are other subtle ways the body influences creativity.

How you feel has to influence the type of work you want to make, and how you feel is dependent in part on your body. Your own size and ability influence how you see the world. Thank god art isn't only made by one kind of person in one kind of body, but as a sports fan and an athlete and gallery owner and art buyer, I have seen the benefits of strength and grace on art (art you feel as well as see). The body even influences how a work of art is viewed. If you see a tiny collage piece, you may picture the artist as a small woman. A large abstract must be done by a muscular young guy. The more you control or are at least aware of your body as a tool, the more it can work for you, I would think. You don't have to look or act or make art like Cary Grant to learn from him.

(Above image: Cary Grant in "North by Northwest" - Viking Press/MGM Library Of Filmscripts)

Laurence Downing - our newest acquisition

During our recent holiday travels, Laura and I dropped into one of favorite galleries - Somerhill Gallery.  Somerhill is located in Durham, NC and owned by the venerable Joe Somerhill.  In the past year, the gallery has moved and settled into a gorgeous new space that showcases the its wide ranging collection of art in a vast and elegant setting.

 

As we strolled through new space admiring any number of interesting pieces, Laura and I simultaneously spotted a clay sculpture by North Carolina artist Laurence Downing. It is titled "Black Eye," and it captured us equally. To us, it speaks of how man's spirituality is born from his relationship with Nature.  The decision to buy it was a no-brainer.

 

  

Laurence Downing received his BFA in Sculpture from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.  He has studied with Xavier Toubes and at the Penland School of Craft, the Rhode Island School of Design, and at the Art Institute of Chicago.  Laurence has been widely exhibited and is currently teaching at the Durham Schoolof the Arts and at the Durham Arts Council.

 

About his work, Laurence says this:

 

A Biblical parable cautions the farmer not to build barns and store up wealth for this world. It cautions us not to store up what moth and rust will destroy. Water towers and silos remind me of ways our pasts and stored provisions direct our movement. These towers and silos are repositories for our collected wealth. They are our source for sustenance even if they are misplaced confidence in things and our past gain. We are encouraged also to consider the birds because they do not toil or spin or store up wealth, but depend on God for their provision. The birdhouses and silos point at the dysfunctional irony of birds acting a bit like people. The implied function and loaded imagery are wasted on the birds. They also remind me to focus on more permanent matters.

 

More images of Laurence's work can be found here.

 

Obama portrait by Shepard Fairey

This has been widely reported on over the last couple of days, but it makes me feel so good, I thought I would mention it here too…

The original portrait of Barack Obama by LA graphic design artist Shepard Fairey (also known as a "street artist" out west) will soon hang in the National Portrait Gallery. Super-lobbyists and uber-collectors, Tony and Heather Podesta, purchased the piece and have donated it to the Portrait Gallery. Regarding the donation, Tony says:

It seemed like a historic moment for the country, and a chance to do something for art and Democrats.

Well said, Tony. I especially like the focus on the artistic value of the portrait. We have all seen the realistically painted portraits of the previous presidents all holding a traditional pose. To me Fairey's style marries Obama's message and brings us all forward.

What really cracks me up is that it will initially hang in the "new arrivals" gallery on the first floor of the museum – near the newly unveiled portrait of Laura Bush. That should create quite a contrast, don't you think?

I will try to drop by and see it when Laura and I attend the Inauguration festivities on the 20th.

(Information and quotes for this post were pulled from this Washington Post article by Amy Argetsinger and Roxanne Roberts. Above image of Barack Obama by Shepard Fairey)

Art Beat

I just spent some time reading Art Beat – the arts blog of PBS's Online NewsHour. It was my first time to the site. Check it out here.

Art Beat covers news from the world of visual arts, literature, film, music culture and performing arts. Articles are written by senior correspondent Jeffrey Brown. Give it a read. Of course, the first post was a conversation with Andy Goldsworthy so you know I was hooked.

The Dot and the Line

Migration celebrated its final Charlottesville exhibition with a reception honoring the drawings of Warren Craghead and Brian Mallman.  Despite falling on the evening after New Year's Day, we had a very nice crowd who all seemed to dive into the detail, beauty and resonance of Warren's and Brian's work. 

The original pages from Warren's book, How To Be Everywhere, and his newest story, This Is A Ghost, jumped off the wall.  Brian's newest additions to his Meetings series of drawings on board caused heads to cock while coming to grips with the the unique quizzical facial renderings.  I even caught a few people trying to mimic some of the portraits (although I'm sure they will deny it).

As part of this exhibition - The Dot and The Line - Warren has flexed his illustrated book skills and created an exclusive book of the same title the cover image is pictured above).  It is free and can only be accessed through the Migration website.  Go here and click on the link.  You will then be able to print out the book and make it yourself.  Trust me, it's worth the minimal effort and time.  Plus, it is a unique opportunity to get a free book.  Leave a comment and let me know how you like it.

Finally, for those of you who were not able to make it to the opening (nursing a New Year's Eve hangover, no doubt), I give you a few images of Warren's and Brian's work below.  Of course, this is nothing like seeing the originals.  Drop by the gallery this month.  The show will close January 26.  Or, if you are out of town, contact the gallery and we will provide you with much more information and additional images.  Buying any one of these pieces will get your 2009 off to an excellent start.  I promise you, owning a Mallman or a Craghead will make your 2009 a special year.

  Warren Craghead - sample pages from How To Be Everywhere, graphite on paper.

Warren Craghead - page from This Is A Ghost, graphite on paper.

Warren Craghead - Portrait of Guillaume Apollinaire, collage,12"x12".

Brian Mallman - from the Meetings series, graphite on board, 24"x24".

Brian Mallman - from the Meetings series, graphite on board, 24"x24".

Brian Mallman - from the Meetings series, graphite on board, 24"x24".

Brian Mallman - from the Meetings series, graphite on board, 24"x24".