Tobias Layman will present his Master of Fine Arts Thesis Exhibition, Out of Order, at the Dinah Washington Cultural Arts Center in the Arts Council Gallery March 12-30, 2018. A reception for the artist will be held Thursday, March 22 from 5-8 pm. The Arts Council Gallery, located at 620 Greensboro Avenue in Tuscaloosa, is open weekdays 9 a.m.-noon and 1-4 p.m. with free admission. Layman works in kinetic sculpture created from wood, metal and found objects. Shaped like gears and other moving parts, Layman's works present a sensory experience of sound, sight, texture, as well as an experience of the art works’ imperfections. “The gears are not cast from a mold or cut with state-of-the-art technology," Layman explains, "They are created by hand. Over and over. The gears do not align perfectly and they do not spin effortlessly.” In fact, Layman says, their flaws transform them beyond the realm of machines. “The imperfections warrant a sense of mortality. Their life span is unknown, and that unpredictability helps augment them and give them life.” See videos of Tobias Layman's kinetic sculptures here. Tobias Layman is a graduate student in sculpture, with an assistantship teaching courses in Ceramics I, Drawing I and 3D Design. Layman received the BFA, cum laude, in ceramics, from Jacksonville State University in 2014. He presented his MA exhibition, Grinding Away, in February 2017 at the Sella-Granata Art Gallery on UA campus. He has exhibited in national and regional exhibitions including 35 Live: CoCA Member’s Show, Center on Contemporary Art, Seattle, WA; DAMNED IX, Detroit, MI; A Different Vision, Plymouth, MA; The Big Dance Exhibit, a juried exhibition in Des Moines, IA; and Abstracts Art Exhibition, Light Space & Time Online Art Gallery, where he received an honorable mention. In 2017, he took third place at the KAO International Kinetic Art Competition in Boynton Beach, Florida. Layman has been a studio assistant for the Department of Art at Jacksonville State University, an assistant instructor at John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, NC, and an instructor and ceramic technician at Earthworks Pottery Studio in Rome, GA. He is a recipient of the Thames Endowed Scholarship and the Joseph and Allen Sella Endowed Scholarship at UA. This exhibition is in partial fulfillment of the Master of Fine Arts degree in the Department of Art and Art History at The University of Alabama. For more information on the graduate programs of the UA department of art and art history, visit this link: http://art.ua.edu/academics/graduate-programs/art-requirements/. The Arts Council Gallery is open weekdays 9 a.m.-noon and 1-4 p.m. with free admission. The Dinah Washington Cultural Arts Center is located at 620 Greensboro Avenue in Downtown Tuscaloosa. For more information about the CAC, The Arts Council or Bama Theatre, patrons should LIKE the Facebook page “The Arts Council – Bama Theatre – Cultural Arts Center” and follow tuscarts on Twitter. Call 205-758-5195 or visit tuscarts.org for further information.
UA Students Create Fictional Reality in Photo Course
Associate Professor of Photography Christopher Jordan reported on some intriguing photo projects his students have been working on this past school year. "Over the past several semesters," he said, "in my intermediate and advanced photo classes (ART 318 and 418), my students and I have been staging production photographs around campus. You might recall the images from the Gorgas House, on Woods Quad, at the Museum of Natural History and now this semester, the 'little round house' (officially known as the Guard House, built in 1862)." After they obtained permission to use the space, the photo shoot of the Guard House took place early evening on April 18, 2016. Professor Jordan said that the image is made in a “directorial mode,” similar to the style of contemporary photographer Gregory Crewdson, in which a fictional reality is established. "In this image, a solitary dancer occupies the space lit in a way to create a dreamlike atmosphere. In one of the images, a passerby takes a closer look at the unusual event unfolding. The photo production employed various lighting strategies to support the illusion, including shooting at dusk with lights hidden strategically inside the little round house, just outside the frame." The students were Faith Barringer, Sydney Black, Morgan Hufnagel and Pierson Scarborough. The model was Olivia Zimmerman. Here are some of the photographs of students working on the production and and then photos taken by the students. Click on the thumbnails for larger versions. If you'd like to read more about the history of the Civil War-era Guard House, read Robert O. Mellown's The University of Alabama - A Guide to the Campus and Its Architecture (2013) or read this blog post from our friends at Alabama Heritage magazine.
Student Researches Slave Architecture on UA Campus
Junior art history major Nadia DelMedico presented her original research into extant slave dwellings on the antebellum UA campus at the new undergraduate poster session during the 22nd Annual Graduate Student Symposium in Art History, at UA's Bryant Conference Center in March, and at the recent URCA conference. DelMedico and Sommer Hallquist were awarded Harrison Prizes for Excellence in Undergraduate Research at the symposium. DelMedico's poster titled, “Too Close to Home: The History of Slavery on the University of Alabama Campus,” was selected as the third place winner in the Arts & Humanities category of the URCA poster sessions. DelMedico’s poster won second place in the Harrison Awards.
Screening on the Green
On Thursday evening, April 27, digital media students in Assistant Professor Jane Cassidy's ART 408/326 will screen several works they created over the semester, on Woods Quad. The screening will take place from 8 to 10 pm and the public is invited and encouraged to bring a blanket or folding chair to watch the "movies"!
UA Students Give Rare Tour of Historic Home
Sunday, April 30, UA art history students will give special public tours of Lyon Hall, a historic Greek Revival home in Demopolis, Alabama. Talks on the historic architecture, art and decorative arts in the home will begin at 2:00 pm and occur every twenty minutes until 5:00 pm. Under the direction of UA assistant professor Dr. Rachel Stephens, five art history students have engaged in a semester-long study of Lyon Hall, built in 1852. To research the home, they were given access to the Lyon family archives, which have remained largely untouched since the mid-nineteenth century. The tours and talks are the culmination of research by student guides Laura Wymer, Olivia Turner, Amy Smoot, Jamie Reschke and Lauren Eich. Lyon Hall, owned by the Marengo County Historical Society, is not usually open to the public, so this will be a rare opportunity to view this historic home and learn about its inhabitants. Refreshments will be provided. The event is free and open to the public. Any donations received will benefit the preservation of this historic landmark through the Marengo County Historical Society. For more information about art history and other degree programs in the UA Department of Art and Art History, go to our website.
Art and Art History Students Present Research at URCA
FLIGHT SIMULATION Senior BFA major Kalypso Homan made a head-spinning presentation at the recent Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity Conference held at UA. Art history majors Nadia DelMedico, Sommer Hallquist and art history minor Reed O’Mara presented their research in posters during a session held in the Heritage Ballroom at Ferguson Student Center on UA campus. Homan explained how her dizzying idea was brought to life: “The aim of this project is to use a HTC Vive headset to bring the viewer on a 3D time-based immersive virtual reality experience. With our research we are exploring the possibility for a realistic flight simulation from the point of view of a bird. This simulation takes the form of a predatory chase. The player will enter the role of the prey fleeing a supernatural force, the goal being to add a sense of speed, urgency and fear to the simulation. The entire experience should be so intense that the player might suspend disbelief for long enough to believe that they are flying, or even flying for their life.” ART HISTORY RESEARCH POSTERS Junior art history major Nadia DelMedico presented original research into extant slave dwellings on the antebellum UA campus. Her poster titled, “Too Close to Home: The History of Slavery on the University of Alabama Campus,” was selected as the third place winner in the Arts & Humanities category of the URCA poster sessions. DelMedico’s poster also won second place in the Harrison Awards for Excellence in Research at the Undergraduate Poster Presentation during the 22nd Annual Graduate Student Symposium in Art History at UA’s Bryant Conference Center. Other presenters at the URCA poster session included senior double major in art history and anthropology Sommer Hallquist. Hallquist's poster was titled "Images of Antichrist within Bible moralisée Codex Vindobonensis 2554, Vienna, Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek." Economics and German major Reed O'Mara presented her art history research poster, "Getting Ahead: The Roles of Headless Saints in the Contest for Coronation Site."
Art Students Explore Ideas of Nature and Femininity in “Out of Eden”
APR 24-27 Out of Eden, Sella-Granata Art Gallery APR 24 Opening Reception, 5-8 pm Out of Eden showcases the work of five graduating senior printmakers and painters in the Sella-Granata Art Gallery April 24-27, 2017. Artists Erika Busse, Sarah Johns, Rachel Jones, Emily Pickert and Ivey Scott exhibit paintings and prints that explore the overlapping themes of femininity and nature. The show represents the culmination of their time as student artists and each one has a particular point of view on the show's themes. The public is invited to an opening reception to meet the artists Monday, April 24, 5-8 pm. After seeing the students' work, Associate Professor Sky Shineman suggested that the students create the exhibition, the first time they have worked together. "The themes and materials shared by these women reveal a sophistication and curiosity about the world in which they live. Mythology, appreciation of natural beauty, craft and the powerful agency of art-making are a shared language among these works.” Shineman said that this exhibition highlights the way art-making can create relevance and meaning when combined with other departments at UA. "It is really exciting to see these engaged and enlightened artists from a variety of areas of study bring their voices together.” Erika Busse is a double major in studio art and general business with a minor in art history. Busse says she is inspired by nature and believes it is the purest form of beauty. "I want everyone to want to be in it as much as possible to draw inspiration in their own lives." She explains, "I am outside all of the time and try to bring the beauty of nature into the printmaking studio and my paintings. I use natural objects in my processes. I want my work to bring people the peace that I find in nature and remind them of its simple beauty." Sarah Johns is a senior in New College. Her depth study is titled Creativity and Mental Health, which combines art, psychology and social work. Johns says her work in this exhibition explores femininity and the fragility of the body. "I have paintings of bruises that range from abstractions to more realistic interpretations, and a few prints that depict women as the subject matter." After graduation, Johns plans to spend a year serving as a fellow at The Road in Atlanta, part of the Episcopal Service Corps, a nonprofit that advocates for social change. Rachel Jones is a BFA major with a concentration in printmaking and a minor in the Blount Scholars Program. "My work finds inspiration in the narratives of Classical mythology and traditional fairytales. By bringing physicality to their gaze, I hope to upend the expected representation of feminine characters, and to explore their stories through a modern feminist perspective that gives them agency over their own myth and environment." Emily Pickert is a senior in Interdisciplinary Studies with a focus on Arts Management. "My work is about women’s experiences in this world and the vulnerability we face." Pickert points out that all the work in the show "forms a cohesive language of art and its story without sacrificing personal identity. Every piece from one artist adds depth to another’s in a way that would not be possible in a single-person show." Currently an intern at Kentuck Art Center, Pickert plans to take a year off before returning to graduate school to continue her studies in Arts Management. Ivey Scott, whose BFA concentration is in painting, noted that all the art works and the ideas are related by the subjects of nature, feminine exploration and by the techniques the artists used. Scott presents a series of landscape scenes in oil paintings and relief prints in which she creates certain moods. She hopes to share her love of the outdoors by taking the viewer into the picture. Go to our website for more information about the Department of Art and Art History’s degree programs. 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. Information about visitor parking is available here: http://bamaparking.ua.edu/visitor-information/. Parking is free on campus in a legal space after business hours. Contact the gallery at (205) 348-2783 or go to http://art.ua.edu/gallery/sgg/.
UA Student Wins Competitive Museum Internship
Rising senior Sommer Hallquist, a double major in art history and anthropology with a minor in French, has been setting goals and making plans for an exciting and challenging summer. "One large goal of mine has been to receive an internship position in a museum to gain more practical experience in the field," Hallquist explained. She recently checked that goal off her list when she was offered one of eight highly competitive summer internships at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Cloisters Museum in New York. Dr. Jennifer M. Feltman, Assistant Professor of Medieval Art and Architecture said, "This is such great news for her professional development and future in museum studies and art history. She will be also a wonderful ambassador for our department, college and UA." Hallquist has netted several awards and honors lately. She received an Honorable Mention for her poster research project at UA's Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (URCA) Conference in April. Titled “Images of Antichrist within Bible moralisée Codex Vindo bonensis 2554, Vienna, Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek,” the poster outlining her research on apocalyptic imagery in a 13th-century illuminated Bible was also recognized in March at the new Undergraduate Poster Session at the 22nd Annual Graduate Student Symposium in Art History where she won third place for the Harrison Award for Excellence in Research. These awards, as well as her recent study abroad experiences, have come about in part because of the goals Hallquist has set for herself. "I have most definitely been setting goals to accumulate experiences that will be useful to me both in graduate school and hopefully within my career." Last summer Hallquist went on two big adventures. First, she studied at the National University of Ireland, Galway, on the west coast. She took courses in Late Bronze Age and Early Medieval Irish art and in Archaeology in Ireland. “We visited numerous sites on the Burren in County Clare that included wedge and chambered tombs that had been excavated by the professor himself!” Hallquist was also invited, along with two other UA students, to accompany Professor Ian Brown of UA’s anthropology department to participate in excavations in Greece. The program is part of the College of Arts and Sciences' Alabama-Greece Initiative, in which UA professors and students collaborate with their peers at Aristotle University in Thessaloniki, Greece. Hallquist had worked with Dr. Brown on gravestone iconography in 2015 through UA’s Emerging Scholars Program. That year, she and fellow anthropology major Madeline Anscombe won second place for their gravestone iconography research project in the Emerging Scholars Division of Fine Arts and Humanities at the URCA Conference. Also last summer, Hallquist spent two weeks working on excavations in Vergina, Greece, known for the tomb of Philip II, father of Alexander the Great. Hallquist elaborated, "The goal of our project was to learn more about the city’s layout, daily life in the time period and the role of the people who lived within the city and used this sanctuary." Hallquist’s days were divided between fieldwork in the morning and early afternoon and laboratory work and scholarly lectures in the evening. Lectures were by the project archaeologists, including one who had been on the original excavations of Philip II’s tomb in the 1970s. As part of her goal of gathering more archaeological experience, Hallquist also has a job as a lab assistant at PanAmerican Consultants in Tuscaloosa, where she is able to work with Woodland, Mississippian and historic period artifacts. Looking ahead to her summer of medieval art at the Met Cloisters in New York, Hallquist is enthusiastic. "I am beyond excited for this incredible experience. I will have the opportunity to conduct my own research project and public presentation incorporating materials from the museum's collections and in conjunction with the museum professionals at the Cloisters." As for the future, Hallquist wants to continue her studies in Early Medieval art, specifically in illuminated manuscripts and so will apply to graduate schools in art history this fall. "I am very drawn to Insular art, so I may focus my attention there, but have yet to set that in stone." Go to our website for more information about UA's Department of Art and Art History's art history and other degree programs. ###
Exhibitors Announced for BFA Juried Exhibition
2017 Annual BFA Juried Exhibition, April 17-30 Harrison Galleries, 2315 University Boulevard, Tuscaloosa Opening Reception: Friday, April 21, 6-9 p.m. The University of Alabama Department of Art and Art History is pleased announce the student exhibitors who have been selected for the 2017 Annual BFA Juried Exhibition at Harrison Galleries in Tuscaloosa, April 17-30. Julia Courtney, Margaret Alice Ermert, Jennifer Gault, Jordan Hadley, Kalypso Homan, Rachel Jones, Samantha Joslin, Jonathan Lanier, Margie Powers, Richard Oliver Reed, Jamie Reschke, Caroline Rothschild, Ivey Scott and Dana Tokarzewski will all have art works on display at the downtown gallery. The public is invited to attend the reception for the artists, Friday, April 21, 6-9 pm. Check out photos of the exhibition on Flickr and on Facebook. Assistant Professor Pete Schulte, who coordinates the annual exhibition, describes the range of work that will be on display: “From works on paper and canvas to experiments in digital animation, sculpture, printmaking and ceramics, the 2017 Annual BFA Juried Exhibition represents a broad cross-section of creative production from students in the BFA program at The University of Alabama. This annual event provides the viewing public with a unique opportunity to see firsthand a variety of contemporary art practices, as well as the work of some most dynamic and creative students the university has to offer.” The exhibition, which runs from April 17-30, features Bachelor of Fine Arts candidates whose work has been selected by UA studio faculty jurors. All UA undergraduate art majors who passed the review for the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree were eligible to enter the competition. 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 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.