Nasrin Iravani: Master of Fine Arts Thesis Exhibition April 16 – May 14, 2020 Opening reception, Thursday, April 16, 5-7 pm Nasrin Iravani is a candidate for the Master of Fine Arts degree in the department of art and art history at UA. She is completing her graduate studies in ceramics and serves as a graduate teaching assistant. Iravani presented her Master of Arts exhibition at UA with the April 2019 exhibition entitled I’m a Woman Here Standing in the Mist! and previously received the MA in Handicrafts (ceramics) from Tehran University of Art. Her work is inspired by figurative forms in Persian art. She presents a critical view of ethical and cultural issues in her art, including women’s rights and concerns. Iravani has participated in ceramics exhibitions internationally (Milan, Italy; Madrid, Spain and Tehran, Iran), and in the United States. Recent exhibitions include The Millennial Show Juried Exhibition, Dayton (Ohio), Clay: A Southern Consensus, New Orleans; 33rd Annual Alabama Clay Conference, The Ritual Table (Corning, New York), and Vitreous, New Orleans. Sarah Moody Gallery of Art is supported by the College of Arts and Sciences and the department of art and art history. For further information, contact the gallery at 348-1891 or check our main webpage: https://art.ua.edu/gallery/smga/.
Harrison Galleries Hosts Four Sculptors in July
Jennifer Gault, Sam Joslin, Jonathan Lanier and Ringo Lisko will showcase recent work in an exhibition, Intersection, at Harrison Galleries in downtown Tuscaloosa from July 3-17, with a reception for the artists on Friday, July 12, 6-9 pm. Jennifer Gault will present three new works that have never been exhibited, as well as one from her 2018 BFA show, Raw & Unfinished Business. Gault received her BFA with a concentration in sculpture and ceramics from UA in 2018. Her work in cast bronze is included in the Monster Takeover public sculpture exhibition throughout downtown Tuscaloosa, and the Literary Capital Sculpture Trail throughout downtown Monroeville, Ala. Sam Joslin received her BFA with a concentration in sculpture and ceramics in 2019. Joslin has won numerous scholarships and awards, including a UA Undergraduate Research & Creative Activity (URCA) grant in the spring of 2019 . She held a solo exhibition at Harrison Galleries in April. Jonathan Lanier received his BFA with a concentration in sculpture and ceramics in 2019. Since 2016, Lanier has won several scholarship awards including the Farley Moody Galbraith Scholarship, Windgate Charitable Fund – Studio Arts, and the Paul R. Jones Endowed Scholarship. He held a solo exhibition of his work at Harrison Galleries in Tuscaloosa in May. BFA major Ringo Lisko's current public art project is the McMahon-Pleiad Public Art Trail initiative, a collaborative project between UA, UAB and UAH, for which she is designing and creating the first of UA's sculptural contributions. With studio art major Amber Daum, Lisko created the public steel and aluminum 12-foot high sculpture Amaryllis installed at Monnish Park on 15th Street. Lisko's work in cast bronze is included in the Monster Takeover public sculpture exhibition throughout downtown Tuscaloosa, and the Literary Capital Sculpture Trail throughout downtown Monroeville, Ala. For more information about the UA Department of Art and Art History and its programs, visit this link: https://art.ua.edu/academics/or contact the department at (205) 348-5967. Harrison Galleries, LLC, is located at 2315 University Boulevard in downtown Tuscaloosa. Hours are Monday through Friday, 12:00 noon to 5:00 p.m., by appointment, and First Fridays of the month, 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. For more information call (205) 464-0054 or visit the website: http://www.firstfridaytuscaloosa.com/art-galleries/harrison-galleries-llc.
UA Students Meet, Photograph Black Belt Artists
Tuscaloosa. -- The month of May was one exciting experience after another for UA photography students. They signed on to Associate Professor Chris Jordan's Black Belt Artist Project (BBAP) during Interim at UA, and spent the week in and around Wilcox County, interviewing and photographing artists. The first week of Interim, the students practiced their photo skills in Tuscaloosa. The second week they traveled to Camden, Ala., where they lived while making day trips around the region to interview and photograph artists. The BBAP team's first official day with artists was a trip to Gee's Bend, Ala. They met and photographed five quilters who are part of the Gee's Bend Quilt Collective, and recorded their stories. Psychology major and studio art minor Kasandra Boor sent back a report on what it was like meeting the artists: "Our first quilter was the amazing Mary Margaret Pettway who has been quilting since she was about 5 years old. She loves to work with traditional patterns and neutral color palettes. Next, we had a quick portrait session with Mary Lee Bendolph, who just retired from quilting a week ago. The third artist was Doris Pettway Mosely who has also been quilting since she was young. Her passion is sewing and she loves bright colors like red and yellow, as well as smaller projects like quilted potholders. Fourth was also a quick portrait session with Mary Ann Pettway, who was about to leave for a trip to showcase her quilts. Finally, we talked to Betty Kennedy who started quilting later in life. She loves working with traditional fabric and quilt patterns, but she also likes to come up with her own designs." That evening, Boor reported, the students shared their experiences about getting to know the quilters. "While it was a long day, it was very rewarding and an honor to meet all of these amazing artists," she said. Their second day turned out to be a busy one for the BBAP team with three separate locations to visit three artists who show their work at Black Belt Treasures Cultural Arts Center in Camden. Black Belt Treasures, along with Canon Solutions America, are collaborators in the Black Belt Artist Project. In Selma, the team got to meet the renowned Charlie Lucas, also known as “Tin Man,” who is internationally recognized for his sculpture and paintings. The students all expressed how honored they felt to be welcomed into his studio. Also in Selma, the students' second subject was Betty Bain, a basket weaver with over thirty years of experience, who BFA major in photography Sam MacDonald interviewed on Ms. Bain's porch, while studio art major Aleiah Briggs took photos. MacDonald reported that Bain told her, "She loves what she does and loves to spread her knowledge through education, going as far as Canada to teach basket weaving!" The BBAP team's last stop was at Spencer Farms in Marion Junction to talk with sustainable farmer Laura Spencer. Boor said, "It was amazing to interview her because there is so much she is involved with, like her soap and candle making, farming, and education. She is very passionate about everything she does, but she especially enjoys being around her goats and being a part of World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF)." The Black Belt Artist Project is a collaborative initiative between the UA department of art and art history, the non-profit Black Belt Treasures Cultural Arts Center and Canon Solutions America. A book, exhibition and archive of the materials will be produced from the oral histories recorded and portraits created by the students. To read more about the project, go to https://art.ua.edu/tag/black-belt/. For more information about the Black Belt Artist Project, contact Associate Professor Chris Jordan at (205) 348-1217 or Rachel Dobson, communications specialist, at (205) 348-1893. For information about the UA Department of Art and Art History and its programs, visit our website: https://art.ua.edu/academics/or contact the department at (205) 348-5967.
Casting Alabama’s Literary History
Cast bronze sculptures by students of Professor Craig Wedderspoon were unveiled in downtown Monroeville, Ala., in April, as part of the Literary Capital Sculpture Trail. Monroeville, the birthplace of author Harper Lee, and the home of the Alabama Writers Symposium for the past two decades, has been designated the Literary Capital of Alabama. The sculpture trail, made up of 14 cast bronze works, celebrates ten writers who have put Monroeville on the literary map, including Harper Lee, Truman Capote, journalist Cynthia Tucker, and novelist Mark Childress. Although not an official Bicentennial event, the sculpture trail and its unveiling was planned to coincide with the 200th anniversary celebrations. The artists were studio art major Hunter Abdo, senior anthropology major Alysa Boyd, sophomore studio art major Zane Boyd, senior BFA major in sculpture and anthropology major Amber Daum, graduate student in creative writing and geography Josh Dugat, Jenn Gault (BFA 2018), special student Jim Harrison III, senior art history major and studio art minor Morgan Harrison, Pat Hoban (MFA 2019), senior studio art major Jonathan Lanier, senior studio art major Hannah Lincoln, BFA major in sculpture Ringo Lisko and senior studio art major Alyson Smith. For a slideshow of all the sculptures, click on this page: http://monroevillemainstreet.com/Literary-Capital-Bronze-Sculpture-Trail For more information about the UA Department of Art and Art History and its programs, visit our website: https://art.ua.edu/academics/or contact the department at (205) 348-5967.
Not the Usual Lecture Hall: Spain is the Art Students’ Classroom
For the first time in recent memory, students in The University of Alabama’s art and art history department are studying abroad in Spain. For two weeks in May, 20 students will travel throughout the country, from Madrid to Barcelona, touring the famous art collections, sculptures, museums, architecture and buildings of Spain as they’re taught its art style and history by Jason Guynes, chair of the department of art and art history and professor of art and painting, and Tanja Jones, associate professor of art history. The program is worth six credit hours. “Most of our study abroad programs were in Italy,” Guynes said. “This year we chose Spain for a lot of reasons. It has some of the best collections of artwork in the world, its history and culture have important implications globally, and it’s an opportunity to study Islamic influences in art and architecture without leaving Europe. “In their national museums, they have tremendous work. Among my favorites is an important collection in Madrid called Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection. It’s one of the best painting collections in the world.” Guynes said last year the art department reinvented its study abroad program. Instead of sending students to study with external companies, they now do short-term trips led by art faculty who have expertise in the art of the country they’re leading students through. Jones is an expert on Italy, which is where the program went last year, and Guynes is an expert on Spain. “Instead of meeting in the classroom on campus, we’re meeting in Spain,” he said. “And rather than just looking at pictures of Spain and talking about it, we’re actually going to see things in context.” While in Spain, students will collect information, do historical research, sketch, photograph, search sites, draw and create canvas paintings. When they return to the U.S. they’ll complete more in-depth studies on what they researched, complete papers and work on photographs and paintings to create more complex works. “We will be based in Toledo, a UNESCO world heritage site and a beautiful medieval city famous for three religions living peacefully together,” Guynes said. “You can still see the influence of those cultures in the city. We can just step outside and draw or conduct research.” One feature that Guynes is particularly excited about showing the art students is a type of architecture that’s unique to that country. Spain was once controlled by the Moors, a group of Muslim people who had their own type of architecture called Mudejar, which is characterized by the use of pattern, tile and abstract design. Guynes said it’s like nothing else in the world, and though it can still be seen in other parts of the Arab world, Spain is perhaps the most accessible place to view it. “There’s nothing like studying abroad to open the eyes of students to take all the theory they’ve learned in the classroom and put it into practice–to give them a more complete picture,” he said “A transformation happens when students study abroad. They’re able to see the world in new ways, and the work that they start producing afterwards is always remarkable.” Thanks to the UA College of Arts and Sciences for the story. For more information about The University of Alabama’s programs in studio art and art history, go here: https://art.ua.edu/academics/.
Black Belt Artist Project Daily Photos
Here are photos taken by Chris Jordan's photo students who have been photographing the artists and interviewing them during their Interim course in the Black Belt of Alabama, the Black Belt Artist Project. We'll be adding to them each day of their trip. Follow them on Instagram @ua_blackbeltproject or #blackbeltartistsproject. DAY ONE Students practice portrait photos on Dr. Lucy Curzon in her Garland Hall office. Students practice portrait photos on Associate Professor Bill Dooley in his Woods Hall studio. Associate Professor Chris Jordan and students load photographic equipment into the car before their trip to their home base in Wilcox County, Ala. Black Belt Artist Project members are ready to roll. From left to right is: Gordon MacNeil, Maddy O’Connor, Sam MacDonald, Aleiah Briggs, Kasandra Boor, and Chris Jordan. Not pictured, Sarah Cheshire. DAY TWO After settling into their home away from home in Possum Bend, photography students Sam MacDonald, Aleiah Briggs, Maddy O’Connor, Kasandra Boor and Gordon MacNeil along with Professor Chris Jordan go straight to work. With the help of artist Daniel Warren, they were able to learn how to conduct interviews from in front of and behind the camera before they begin official work for the Black Belt Project tomorrow. Black Belt Artist Project members practice interviewing Daniel Warren in Camden, Ala. (left-right) Sam MacDonald, Aleiah Briggs, Maddy O’Connor, Kasandra Boor, and Chris Jordan. Photo by: Gordon MacNeil. Black Belt Artist Project member Sam MacDonald (left) practices interviewing Daniel Warren in Camden, Ala. Aleiah Briggs (right) is on camera. Photo by: Kasandra Boor, @kasandra_b Black Belt Artist Project member Sam MacDonald (left) and her practice interviewee, Daniel Warren, in Camden, Ala. Photo by: Kasandra Boor, @kasandra_b DAY THREE The real work begins, with interviews in Gee's Bend, Alabama. The first official day of the Black Belt Artist Project took the team to Gee's Bend to photograph five amazing quilters and record their stories. The students photographed and interviewed Mary Margaret Pettway, Mary Lee Bendolph, Doris Pettway, Mary Ann Pettway, and Betty Kennedy. Shown here are Aleiah Briggs, Maddy O’Connor, Gordon MacNeil, and Sam MacDonald photographing one of the artists. Photo by Kasandra Boor. DAY FOUR Thursday, the Black Belt Artist Project members traveled to three different locations to photograph and interview artists. Day two of photographing took Black Belt Artist Project members first to visit Charlie “Tin Man” Lucas in his studio in Selma, Ala. Pictured: Kasandra Boor, Charlie Lucas, Sarah Cheshire, Aleiah Briggs, Sam MacDonald, Chris Jordan, and Maddy O’Connor. Photo by Gordon MacNeil. On day two of photographing, Black Belt Artist Project members visited Betty Bain, a basket weaver in Selma who has been working for thirty years. Pictured l.-r.: Betty Bain, Sam MacDonald, and Aleiah Briggs. Photo by: Chris Jordan. BBAP members' last stop on day two was to the Spencer Farms in Marion Junction, to talk with co-owner Laura Spencer, a sustainable farmer who also makes soap and candles. L.-r.: Chris Jordan, Sam MacDonald, Laura Spencer, Gordon MacNeil, Aleiah Briggs, and Sarah Cheshire. Photo by: Kasandra Boor. For more information about the UA Department of Art and Art History and its programs, visit our website: https://art.ua.edu/academics/or contact the department at (205) 348-5967.
UA Students Tune Photo Skills, Learn History, to Prepare for Black Belt Artist Trip
"Before we started, I knew next to nothing about the Black Belt region," admitted Kasandra Boor, a psych major and studio art minor. Boor, with five other students and associate professor of photography Chris Jordan, has been preparing this week for a research trip to Camden, Ala., where the group will photograph and interview artists who live in the Black Belt. The class has spent this week training and studying in preparation for work in the field next week, where they will take portrait photographs of artists, many of whom grew up in the region. The students will also interview and taking oral histories of the artists. Students have been reviewing photography basics and learning techniques of studio lighting and other skills they will put into practice next week. They have practiced by taking portrait photos of two art faculty members, learning to set up lighting equipment, build a photo and use artificial and natural light. They've also been learning more about the Black Belt region itself, reading about some of its history, as well as researching the artists they will be photographing and interviewing. "What I enjoyed most about this week is our discussions about how to respect cultural differences and agency. Basically, it is how to best tell accurate stories and respect how you are presenting information about others. I am very excited to keep learning throughout the next two weeks!” said Boor. This is the second group of students Jordan has brought to the area this year. These students range in experience from experienced photographers to novices, and not all are art majors. “I’m thrilled to be working with a group of students with a wide range of backgrounds,” Jordan said. The students are Kasandra Boor, psychology major, studio art minor; Aleiah Briggs, studio art major; Sarah Cheshire, MFA student in creative writing; Sam MacDonald, BFA major in photography and digital media; Gordon MacNeil, retired UA professor of social work; and Maddy O’Connor, studio art major. Maddy O'Connor, who lives in Florida, said she is looking forward to the adventure. "I have learned so much over this past week, and I feel prepared for the week to come. I have never visited the Black Belt region before, and I’ve always wanted to explore it. I feel like this will be such a positive learning experience for me, and I can’t wait to meet all of the local artists." Follow the Black Belt Artist Project on Instagram or Facebook and check out our growing photo page: https://art.ua.edu/news/black-belt-artist-project-daily-photos/ The Black Belt Artist Project is a collaborative initiative between the UA department of art and art history, the non-profit Black Belt Treasures Cultural Arts Center and Canon Solutions America. A book, exhibition and archive of the materials will be produced from the oral histories recorded and portraits created by the students. Photo captions and credits: (top) Students practice portrait photos on Dr. Lucy Curzon in her Garland Hall office. [1-LUCY-CURZON.jpg] (middle) Students practice portrait photos on Associate Professor Bill Dooley in his Woods Hall studio. [2-BILL-DOOLEY.jpg] (bottom) Associate Professor Chris Jordan and students load photographic equipment into the car before their trip to Wilcox County, Ala. [4-1MonLOADING.jpeg] For more information about the Black Belt Artist Project, contact Associate Professor Chris Jordan at (205) 348-1217 or Rachel Dobson, communications specialist, at (205) 348-1893. For information about the UA Department of Art and Art History and its programs, visit our website: https://art.ua.edu/academics/or contact the department at (205) 348-5967.
UA Students Document Artists in the Black Belt of Alabama
If you’ve heard of the Gee’s Bend Quilters or Charlie "Tin Man" Lucas, then you know there are some uniquely creative artists in the Black Belt of Alabama. Associate Professor Chris Jordan’s photography students got to spend quality time this semester with some of them — artist and civil rights veteran Betty Anderson of Camden, potters Eric Miller and Allen Ham of Brent, painter Stephen R. James and potter Sam Williams of Monroe County, as well as quilters Tinnie and Minnie Pettway — photographing the artists and interviewing them. Working with a variety of Canon cameras, undergraduates Savanna Biggert, Arielle Gray, Jasmine James, Kayla Lawson, Holly Ray, Kassidy Stewart and graduate student Amber Quinn and recent graduate Candace VonHoffman took field trips to Camden in Wilcox County this spring, to practice their skills in portrait photography while documenting these culturally important artists. Junior studio art major Kassidy Stewart said “I have enjoyed the entire experience, from learning from my fellow photographers to hearing all the stories from the artists.” Stewart described a big turning point for her when the students used studio lighting outdoors. “That moment taught me that my passion is shooting with studio lighting and that I can shoot with lights inside and outside. That there is nothing limiting me when I create, I just have to learn to work with what I have to make some magic happen.” The Black Belt Artist Project is a collaborative initiative between the UA department of art and art history, the non-profit Black Belt Treasures Cultural Arts Center and Canon Solutions America. Jordan said that another student group will continue the project in May as part of an interim semester course. A book, exhibition and archive of the materials will be produced from the oral histories recorded and portraits created by the students. Photo captions and credits: top right: Graduate student Amber Quinn captures undergrads taking photos of artist Stephen R. James in Monroe County. Photo courtesy of Amber Quinn. above left: Gee’s Bend quilters Tinnie and Minnie Pettway sit for their portraits in their living room at home with Chris Jordan and his students. Photo courtesy of Kristin Law. For more information about the Black Belt Artist Project, contact Associate Professor Chris Jordan at (205) 348-1217 or Rachel Dobson, communications specialist, at (205) 348-1893. For information about the UA Department of Art and Art History and its programs, visit our website: https://art.ua.edu/academics/or contact the department at (205) 348-5967.
Art & Art History Scholarship Awards Presented at Honors Day
During Honors Day ceremonies in the Sarah Moody Gallery of Art, April 1, 2019, twenty undergraduates in studio art and art history were awarded $81,000 in scholarships for the coming year. To qualify, studio art students submitted portfolios and exhibited their best work in the Advanced Scholarship Exhibition in February and art history students submitted essays on historical works. Emily Bookmiller – Bradley Endowed Scholarship in Art Charlie Cruz – Bradley Endowed Scholarship in Art Noah Dasinger – Bradley Endowed Scholarship in Art Amber Daum – Carol B. Merkle Endowed Scholarship Arielle Gray – Bradley Endowed Scholarship in Art Kaylee Hammer – Carol B. Merkle Endowed Scholarship Maggie Hocutt – Bradley Endowed Scholarship in Art Jasmine James – Paul R. Jones Endowed Scholarship Susannah Ringo Lisko – Windgate Charitable Foundation Endowed Studio Arts Scholarship Ashley Livingston – Windgate Charitable Foundation Endowed Studio Arts Scholarship Ashleigh McCool – Russell J. Drake Endowed Scholarship Alisa Mills – Bradley Endowed Scholarship in Art Anna Pitts – Carol B. Merkle Endowed Scholarship Brittany Pitts – Bradley Endowed Scholarship in Art Anna Pollard – Bradley Endowed Scholarship in Art Alyssa Faye B. Rapadas – Carol B. Merkle Endowed Scholarship Anna Kathryn Sella – Carol B. Merkle Endowed Scholarship Kassidy Stewart – Bradley Endowed Scholarship in Art Ally Thomasson – Windgate Charitable Foundation Endowed Studio Arts Scholarship A’Neshia Turner – Bradley Endowed Scholarship in Art As part of the process, the department was able to award more than $30,000 in scholarship funds to students who have faced hardships in their personal lives or who may be unable to attend college without such support. In 2008 Mrs. Farley Moody Galbraith established the Farley Moody Galbraith Scholarship to support talented students of the department who demonstrate financial or personal need. For more information about the UA Department of Art and Art History and its programs, visit our website: https://art.ua.edu/academics/or contact the department at (205) 348-5967.