January 20, 2011

Museum plans wide variety of exhibits for spring

by Andrea Hahn

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- The spring 2011 exhibit schedule at the University Museum at Southern Illinois University Carbondale features an eclectic mix of new acquisitions and catalogued items from the museum archives as well as some temporary exhibits on loan to the museum.

The North Hall Gala Reception, 4-7 p.m. on Jan. 28, celebrates the opening of three exhibits. There is no charge for the reception and it is open to the public.

• Burghilde Gruber: Full Circle, Jan. 18-April 2

Grubers’s colorful, meticulously detailed work is the result of 45 years of creating art in oils, acrylics and watercolors, and the influence of extensive and prolonged travel in Europe and Asia. Gruber, a native of Austria, is a two-degree graduate from SIUC’s School of Art and Design. Besides studying at SIUC, Gruber worked and studied in Mexico, Iraq and Japan, and her solo and group exhibitions include venues in Japan, Austria and Turkey as well as the United States. This exhibit serves as a casual retrospective of Gruber’s work.

• Frederick Hart: Sculpture, Jan. 28-March 5

Frederick Hart (1943-1999), master sculptor, is known to be innovative in his materials, but traditional in the realistic way he represents the human figure. He worked in dark and light -- in bronze sculptures and clear acrylics. His public monuments are among the most famous in recent American art, including the “Three Soldiers” bronze monument that is part of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, and the “Creation Sculptures” that grace the west façade of the Washington National Cathedral. The works in the SIUC exhibit are on loan from College of Science Dean Jay Means and his wife, Teresa. The couple became friends of the sculptor, and over the years acquired a number of his pieces, including a copy of Hart’s innovative Cross of the Millennium, presented to Pope John Paul II. Hart’s breathtakingly realistic work serves as a beautiful counterpoint to some of the abstract modern art in recent museum exhibits.

• Sun and Raven Totem Pole

Graduate student David Gugerty curates this single-piece exhibit, a 13-foot totem pole crafted more than 60 years ago by native Tlingit people in Alaska. Gugerty made it his mission to discover the totem pole’s history and to find a way to erect it for a long-term display. He found that the Sun and Raven totem pole tells a traditional story and that its makers fashioned it after a much older original. The pole comes from the Saxman Totem Pole Park via a private owner who displayed it on the shores of Lake Michigan -- accounting for much of the weathering and wear on the pole. The totem pole will be a long-term exhibit.

The South Hall Gala Reception, 4-7 p.m. on Feb. 4, celebrates the opening of four exhibits, including the long-anticipated Andy Warhol exhibit. Like all museum receptions, it is free and open to the public.

• Andy Warhol: Little Presents, Feb. 4-March 11

Andy Warhol (1928-1987) didn’t so much take notes as he took photographs -- lots and lots of photographs. The University Museum received 156 prints and Polaroids from the Andy Warhol Foundation in 2008. This exhibit presents 110 of them. Some of the photos were obscure notes, while others clearly were precursors for more famous works. The University Museum collection includes several photographs of celebrities, Warhol hangers-on and fellow artists. Jordy Jones, a former faculty member in the cinema and photography program at SIUC, curates the exhibit.

• Pop Art, Feb. 4-Sept. 23

Bob DeHoet, director of art education for the University Museum, curates this selection of “Pop Artists” from the museum’s print collection. Many of these prints are shown at the museum for the first time. The collection includes well-known and lesser-known artists.

• Katherine Kuh: Creating a Legacy of Art for SIUC, Feb. 4-May 2012

Katherine Kuh (1904-1994), well-known proponent of modern art, art critic for the “Saturday Review,” and a curator for the Art Institute of Chicago, worked closely with Delyte Morris, former president of SIU, to beautify both the Edwardsville and Carbondale campuses. This exhibit highlights some of the art Kuh brought to campus. Dona Bachman, museum director, curates.

• African-American Artists in the Museum’s Collection, Feb. 4-March 11

This exhibit features some of the best art in the museum archives created by black American artists from the Harlem Renaissance to the present, including pieces by artists such as Frederick J. Brown and Preston Jackson. Nate Steinbrink, curator of exhibits, arranged this exhibit.

Other exhibits and receptions come to the museum in mid-March. There is no admission charge for entry into the museum, though donations are welcome. The museum is open during the spring semester 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, and 1-4 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, and is closed Monday. The museum is also closed during spring break. For a full schedule and other information about the University Museum, visit www.museum.siu.edu.