University of Alabama students under the direction of Assistant Professor Wendy Castenell have curated an exhibition for the Paul R. Jones Museum titled Color by Color, opening May 4 with a First Friday reception in the downtown museum from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm. The exhibition runs through June 29. In the exhibition text greeting visitors to the Jones Museum, the curators ask, “How many black artists can you name? How many did you study?” The aim of this new exhibit, curated by students in Dr. Castenell’s African American Art (ARH 388), is to showcase the talent of artists whose skin color was the reason they could not show their artwork. The project also gave the students a chance to learn more about these artists collected by the late Paul R. Jones. In addition, Color by Color focuses on the subject matter of artists of different cultures. According to the curators, “Color becomes a reflection of love, life and the generation of a people who’ve overcome a life of discrimination and prejudice to embrace their cultures through their art. With this theme, we see different interpretations of daily life, culture, emotions and a history of African Americans not seen before.” The students conclude, “While we are not able to change past prejudices that prevented black artists from exhibiting their work, we can now move forward to deliberately showcase their incredible skills and understand their experiences. We hope that by visiting this exhibition you will have learned a bit more about these underappreciated artists and fully experience Color by Color.” Josh Allen, Robby Bradford, Hannah Christopher, Elizabeth Essary, Megan Foster, Katie Freeman, Melissa Givens, Clay Hodge, Rachel Irvin, Jasmine James, Kailey Ketter, Alexandra Laroche, Sarah Lipshy, Lydia Mccollum, Marie Owens, Chelsea Parrish, Victoria Sadler, Rebecca Skipper, Hannah Weeks and Alex Willis are the participating student-curators. For more information about The University of Alabama’s programs in studio art and art history, go here: https://art.ua.edu/academics/graduate-programs/art-requirements/. The Paul R. Jones Museum is located at 2308 6th St. in downtown Tuscaloosa. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and the first Friday of every month from noon to 8 p.m. The Paul R. Jones Collection of American Art is part of UA’s College of Arts and Sciences, the University’s largest division and the largest liberal arts college in the state. Students from the College have won numerous national awards including Rhodes Scholarships, Goldwater Scholarships and memberships on the USA Today Academic All American Team.
“Utterly Useless” Digital Media Art Exhibition
You're invited to enjoy some "utterly useless" creative digital media explorations from the Department of Art and Art History! On Tuesday evening, April 24, from 7:30 to 9:00 pm, digital media students in Assistant Professor Jane Cassidy’s Digital Art Seminar, will screen several fascinating works of digital art. Dubbing themselves at semester's end, "The Utterly Useless," the students will present an interactive game and perform a live VJ set in Woods Quad. Bring a blanket or folding chair and some snacks and come watch the “movies!” Digital Media is a studio concentration in the undergraduate program of The University of Alabama’s Department of Art and Art History that focuses on new media and digital art. Courses explore digital media as the primary tool, medium and an environment for art and design. For more information, go to http://art.ua.edu/academics/undergraduate-programs/digital-media/. Woods Quad is located in the historic heart of The University of Alabama campus. It is a five-minute walk from the Campus Drive Parking Deck and Bus Hub on Hackberry Lane. Information about visitor parking is available here: http://bamaparking.ua.edu/visitor-information/.
Senior Painting Show Features ‘Canorous’ Art
Tuscaloosa, Ala. – The Painting area of the UA Department of Art and Art History presents an exhibition of work, Canorous, by four graduating seniors, April 16-19, 2018, in the Sella-Granata Art Gallery. The public is invited to a reception Monday, April 16, at 6 p.m. In their statement for the exhibition, artists Candace Von Hoffman, Ellen Hart, Megan Goldman and Alana Cammack said, “through our approaches to material as a means to an end, our separate voices rise in harmony to create a ‘canorous’ or resonant gathering of artworks.” “These four artists share a heightened sense of curiosity and material exploration,” said Sky Shineman, associate professor and coordinator of the exhibition. “Their conversations in the painting studio can been seen through the dialogue of their work in the gallery. Really excited to see them show together.” Candace von Hoffman is a senior BFA student concentrating in painting and photography. She combines the two respective processes to create mixed media pieces as a means to explore forms of nature, architecture and the body in reference to effeminate experiences. Ellen Hart explores materials, texture, and process to produce off-kilter compositions in her paintings. She states, “I do not strive to create perfectly balanced and executed pieces, but rather interesting explorations of layering.” She is a senior BFA student concentrating in painting and ceramics. Megan Goldman is a senior BFA student concentrating in painting and drawing. Goldman says she uses material and color “to investigate shape, form, and the interplay of light and shade. I draw inspiration from a physical piece of crumpled paper in her paintings, and a nontangible shadow in her drawings.” Alana Cammack, a senior majoring in advertising and painting, explores the boundaries between art, craft, and femininity through weaving and embroidery. Her use of fiber is deeply connected to the human desire to feel, both physically and emotionally. Image credits: top left: painting by Candace von Hoffman; top right: painting by Megan Goldman; bottom left: weaving by Alana Cammack; bottom right: mixed media work by Ellen Hart. Facebook event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/907802376046950/ For more information about the degree programs in the Department of Art and Art History, go to http://art.ua.edu/academics/undergraduate-programs/babfa-in-studio-art/ or contact the department at (205) 348-5967. Funding support for the Sella-Granata Art Gallery comes from the UA Department of Art and Art History. Admission to the gallery is free. The gallery is located at 109 Woods Hall in the heart of the UA campus on Woods Quad. Hours are Monday through Thursday 10:00 – 4:00 p.m. Contact the gallery at (205) 348-2783 or go to http://art.ua.edu/gallery/sgg/. Woods Quad and Woods Hall are a five-minute walk from the Campus Drive Parking Deck and Bus Hub on Hackberry Lane. Information about visitor parking is available here: http://bamaparking.ua.edu/visitor-information/.
Exhibitors Announced for 2018 BFA Juried Exhibition
2018 Annual BFA Juried Exhibition, April 20-28 Harrison Galleries, 2315 University Boulevard, Tuscaloosa Opening Reception: Friday, April 20, 6-9 p.m. Tuscaloosa. — The University of Alabama Department of Art and Art History is pleased announce the student exhibitors who have been selected for the 2018 Annual BFA Juried Exhibition at Harrison Galleries in Tuscaloosa, April 20-28. Bachelor of fine arts majors selected to exhibit in the show are Natalie Cox, Alice Ermert, Megan Goldman, Jordan Hadley, Caroline Japal, Jonathan Lanier, Samantha Joslin, Susannah “Ringo” Lisko, Ashley Livingston, Aislynn Lupien, Margie Powers, Caroline Rothschild, Madison Smith and Candace von Hoffman. The public is invited to attend the reception for the artists, Friday, April 20, 6-9 pm, in Harrison Galleries. The exhibition features bachelor of fine arts candidates whose work has been selected by faculty jurors. All UA undergraduate art majors who passed the review for the BFA degree are eligible to enter the competition, juried by a committee of UA studio faculty. Coordinator for the event, Associate Professor Pete Schulte, said, “The diverse body of work presented in the 2018 edition of the Annual BFA Juried Exhibition represents the most ambitious and informed work being created by undergraduates working toward to a professional arts degree (BFA) in the studio program at UA. The exhibition features a diverse array of works from students across media areas and provides the audience with the unique opportunity to take the pulse of a variety of contemporary art practices – from traditional to rigorously experimental – as well as that of some most creative students at The University of Alabama.” The Bachelor of Fine Arts degree is the professional degree for the artist and the foundation for the masters program in studio art at UA. The annual juried event seeks to give BFA students the chance to compete and exhibit their work while still in school, rather than at the end of their tenure, providing art students more opportunities to exhibit and participate in art events before graduation. For more information about all our 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. It is open Monday through Friday, 12 noon to 5:00 pm, and by appointment. Call (205) 464-0054 for more information.
Senior Art History Major Receives Randall Research Award
Senior art history major Nadia DelMedico received the Randall Outstanding Undergraduate Research Award from President Bell during ceremonies April 4, 2018, on UA campus. DelMedico received the award as the result of her work, mentored by Dr. Rachel Stephens, on the history of slavery on the UA campus. In the spring of 2017, DelMedico, who is enrolled in UA’s Randall Research Scholars Program, presented her preliminary research on slave dwellings on the antebellum campus of The University of Alabama at the undergraduate poster session during the 22nd Annual Graduate Student Symposium in Art History and at the Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity Conference (URCA) at UA. In October 2017, Dr. Stephens, and DelMedico presented their research during a symposium, “Universities, Slavery, Public Memory, and the Built Landscape,” sponsored by the University of Virginia and the Slave Dwelling Project. DelMedico’s and Stephens’ paper, “Slavery and its Built Environment at The University of Alabama as Revealed in the Basil Manly Diaries,” discusses typical activities of the University administrators, faculty and students as seen through the daily writings of the second president of UA. For more about the research findings, go here.
Senior Studio Students Showcase Art Work
Tuscaloosa. — The University of Alabama Department of Art and Art History is pleased to present EXIT 2018, our annual senior exhibition for BA majors. The exhibition in the Sella-Granata Art Gallery runs April 5 through April 12, with an opening reception for the exhibitors, Thursday, April 5, 4:00-6:00 p.m. Join us for Art Night on Woods Quad with this reception and a second in our Sarah Moody Gallery of Art from 5:00-7:00 p.m. UPDATE: Students whose work will be included in the exhibition are Lisa Meister, Emma Heussner, Elizabeth Coleman, Rebecca Skipper, Chelsea Parrish, Nicole Mendez, Ari Barley, Alana Cammack, Drew Kemmerly, Macgill Webb, Rebecca Powell, Zack Dailey, Brianna Bolton, Mei Ray and Megan Fletcher. The exhibition will showcase graduating seniors' work in ceramics, digital media, drawing, painting, photography, printmaking, sculpture, and mixed media. Assistant Professor Bryce Speed, coordinator for the show, explains, “The BA EXIT exhibition showcases the talent and creative output of art majors that are graduating seniors. The works covers a broad range of approaches and materials ranging from traditional applications to experimental pieces. Each year the show evolves and expands from the prior year, it’s interesting to see the diversity of work created in the department.” For more information about the Bachelor of Arts degree in studio art and our other degree programs in the Department of Art and Art History, go to http://art.ua.edu/academics/undergraduate-programs/babfa-in-studio-art/ or contact the department at (205) 348-5967. Funding support for the Sella-Granata Art Gallery comes from the UA Department of Art and Art History. Admission to the gallery is free. The gallery is located at 109 Woods Hall in the heart of the UA campus on Woods Quad. Hours are Monday through Thursday 10:00 – 4:00 p.m. Contact the gallery at (205) 348-2783 or go to http://art.ua.edu/gallery/sgg/. Woods Quad and Woods Hall are a five-minute walk from the Campus Drive Parking Deck and Bus Hub on Hackberry Lane. Information about visitor parking is available here: http://bamaparking.ua.edu/visitor-information/.
Refocused: Patrick Hoban Master of Arts Exhibition
Tuscaloosa. -- The University of Alabama Department of Art and Art History is pleased to present Refocused, the master of arts exhibition of Patrick Hoban, April 16-20, 2018, in the Arts Construction Building on 16th Street, one block east of Queen City Avenue, in Tuscaloosa. The public is invited to a reception for the exhibition Thursday, April 19, 5-7 pm in the ACB. Growing up with anxiety and ADHD has not been easy for graduate student Patrick Hoban. In the studio graduate program at UA, he has turned his struggles into the foundation of his art practice, using the natural qualities of clay to bring meaning to his work. “Having mental disorders like anxiety and ADHD have been a constant battle for me to complete tasks in a timely manner,” he writes. “I decided to work repetitively, in a structured and focused practice that in turn eases the anxiety within myself.” The repetitive practice becomes a meditative process that Hoban says he uses “to reveal my mental struggles. By stacking, balancing and forming processed installation sculptures made of Alabama clay, I bring an energy reflective of natural phenomena through the evolving creative and drying process of each piece. By using a versatile material that can crack and break, I leave opportunity for unexpected results and consistently keep the work evolving.” Patrick Hoban is a graduate student in ceramics with an assistantship teaching ceramics and 3D design. Hoban received the BFA in sculpture from Pennsylvania State University. He was juried into the 19th Annual National K-12 Ceramic Exhibition in Kansas City, Mo. He was the recipient of a full scholarship to ceramic summer class at Penn Valley School with the renowned artist, Chris Staley, and a recipient of the Emerging Artist Award at Malvern Preparatory School. A thesis exhibition is one of the requirements for the successful completion of the Master of Arts program in the UA Department of Art and Art History. For more information about our graduate programs, visit this page: http://art.ua.edu/academics/graduate-programs/. The Arts Construction Building is at 1708 16th Street, one block east of Queen City Avenue, south of 15th Street.
Richard Oliver Reed Exhibits at Harrison Galleries
Tuscaloosa. — UA student Richard Oliver Reed will present his bachelor of fine arts final exhibition, Best Forms Available, at Harrison Galleries, April 6-14, 2018. A reception for the artist will be held on Friday, April 6, from 6 to 9 p.m. In his artist statement, Reed writes, “I feel that our world is characterized by opposition and anxiety.” His current work “focuses on repetition and multiplicity, attempting to find a unity or holism within those separate but same parts.” By bringing together separate sculptural forms he creates through molds and from templates, he hopes “to draw attention to the underlying cohesion that I find to be the actuality of our existence.” Recently, we sat down with Reed to talk about his experiences since he has been in school. Before he decided to work towards the BFA, which is the professional artist's degree, Reed was a double major in history and studio art. But, after a hectic year working full-time in a restaurant while taking three studio courses and an art history course, he changed his mind. He decided he wanted to focus on making art. Reed said, “I’ve always liked the tactile, kinetic aspect [of art].” His preference for being actively engaged with the physical world is part of what led him to 3-dimensional media, and to a concentration in sculpture and ceramics. Reed explained his work process for the pieces in this exhibition. To create the forms for his sculptures, he poured liquid clay into an egg-shaped plaster mold in a process called ceramic slip casting. Reed smiles and adds, “Last year after Easter, I found a bunch of plastic eggs on sale.” After the clay dried, he refined the surface by sanding it. Then he bisque-fired the pieces to completely dry them out and took them through another round of smoothing. Recently, his process has changed. In earlier works, he joined the spherical pieces that he described as “at odds with each other” with epoxy, “forcing them together,” in their bisque state and then glazed, hiding the joint and thus smoothing over any signs of struggle. Now, he’s decided to reveal more of his work process by allowing the joined areas to show the epoxy. After firing and glazing, the final stages of construction involve gluing the ceramic pieces and mounting them on found objects such as pieces of brick and metal rods. The final product, Reed hopes, will convey that “underlying cohesion” of life. What helped Reed decide to focus on studio art was the physical, hands-on aspect in his studio practice, which counterbalances the intellectual part of the process. Reed excels at both. Except for the semesters he worked full-time and slipped down to a 3.5 GPA, Reed has maintained a 4.0 throughout his college years. He also has been awarded a number of scholarships, which have allowed him to work fewer hours at his restaurant job. Among those are the Farley Moody Galbraith Endowed Scholarship, the Julie Peak Holaday Memorial Endowed Scholarship, the Elizabeth Bashinsky Endowed Art Scholarship and the Angelo Granata Endowed Scholarship. In the spring of 2017, he was awarded Outstanding Academic Achievement in Studio Art. In addition, Reed served in the Peer Mentor Program for the department of history from 2015 through 2017 and as an Art Ambassador for art and art history since 2017. One of Reed's ceramic works has just been accepted into a group exhibition in Philadelphia at the Clay Studio, Small Favors, his first juried show. “I applied on a whim and got in!” he said, obviously excited. His work will be shown with professional artists who have many more years' experience than he does. “That made me feel great,” Reed said. We expect to see and hear more about Richard Oliver Reed's successes after his graduation in May. This exhibition is part of the bachelor of fine arts degree program in the Department of Art and Art History at The University of Alabama. For more information about all our programs, visit this link: https://art.ua.edu/academics/. Harrison Galleries, LLC, is located at 2315 University Boulevard in downtown Tuscaloosa. It is open Monday through Friday, 12 noon to 5:00 pm, and by appointment. Call (205) 464-0054 for more information.
BFA Juried Exhibition To Showcase Professional Degree Students
Exhibition: 2018 Annual BFA Juried Exhibition Dates: April 20-28, 2018 Where: Harrison Galleries, 2315 University Blvd., Tuscaloosa Reception: Friday, April 20, 6-9 p.m. The University of Alabama Department of Art and Art History is pleased to announce the 2018 Annual BFA Juried Exhibition, April 20-28, in Harrison Galleries, in downtown Tuscaloosa. The public is cordially invited to an opening reception for the artists on Friday, April 20, 6-9 p.m. The exhibition features bachelor of fine arts candidates whose work has been selected by faculty jurors. All UA undergraduate art majors who passed the review for the BFA degree are eligible to enter the competition, juried by a committee of UA studio faculty. Coordinator for the event, Associate Professor Pete Schulte, said, "The diverse body of work presented in the 2018 edition of the Annual BFA Juried Exhibition represents the most ambitious and informed work being created by undergraduates working toward to a professional arts degree (BFA) in the studio program at UA. The exhibition features a diverse array of works from students across media areas and provides the audience with the unique opportunity to take the pulse of a variety of contemporary art practices - from traditional to rigorously experimental - as well as that of some most creative students at The University of Alabama." UPDATE! BFA majors selected to exhibit in the show are Natalie Cox, Alice Ermert, Megan Goldman, Jordan Hadley, Caroline Japal, Jonathan Lanier, Samantha Joslin, Susannah “Ringo” Lisko, Ashley Livingston, Aislynn Lupien, Margie Powers, Caroline Rothschild, Madison Smith and Candace von Hoffman. Harrison Galleries is located at 2315 University Boulevard in downtown Tuscaloosa and is open Monday through Friday, 12 noon to 5:00 pm, and by appointment: (205) 464-0054. The Bachelor of Fine Arts degree is the professional degree for the artist; it is also the foundation for the masters program in studio art at UA. The annual juried event seeks to give BFA students the chance to compete and exhibit their work while still in school, rather than at the end of their tenure, providing art students more opportunities to exhibit and participate in art events before graduation. For more information about the BFA degree and our other degree programs in the Department of Art and Art History, go to http://art.ua.edu/academics/undergraduate-programs/babfa-in-studio-art/ or contact the department at (205) 348-5967.