2 Artists to Give Talks

Video artist Peter Sarkisian is seen here installing his exhibition at the Art Museum.

Photo courtesy of the Art Museum

Two renowned artists are at the Art Museum today and tomorrow to finish installing their work and to present public talks. Santa Fe artist Peter Sarkisian creates 3D surfaces on which he projects images that confront the viewer with a conflict of perception! His exhibition, Peter Sarkisian: Video Works, 1996-2008, is a small retrospective that examines his various approaches to video art. Peter will give an Art Talk tonight at 7 pm. On Friday, he will present a Gallery Walk Through at 10:30 am.

James Surls, Black tipped Flowers from the Garden
Photo courtesy of the artist

You might be familiar with James Surls' work already! He has two works currently on the UW campus. In Circle is a stainless steel piece on Prexy's Pasture and is a part of the exhibition, Sculpture: A Wyoming Invitational. Recently, Coe Library installed Rolling Flower in their upstairs atrium. His exhibition, James Surls: Flowers, presents 5 large-scale sculptures that are precursors to the piece in Coe. James will present a Gallery Walk Through on Friday at 4:30 pm.
All events are free and open to the public. There will be an opening reception on Friday evening after James' Gallery Walk Through, beginning at 6 pm. An Awards Ceremony in conjunction with the 35th Annual Juried UW Student Exhibition will begin at 6:30 pm.

We hope to see you at these exciting events! For more information, call the Art Museum at 307.766.6622 or visit the website for additional information on these exhibitions.

New Shelton Studio Classes to Begin Next Week

Students gather with their artwork in the Art Museum lobby after completing a class in the Shelton Studio.

Photo courtesy of the Art Museum

Next week new education classes in the Art Museum's Shelton Studio begin! There are classes for teens and adults, and for children of all ages! Education classes at the Art Museum use art that is on exhibition as primary material for inspiration and learning. See below for class schedules and descriptions, and information on how to register. For more information, or to sign up, call the Museum's Education department at 307.766.3496.

The No-Stress Art Class: Exploring with Watercolor
Teens & Adults - Mon.: 7 p.m. - 9 p.m.
Class Schedule:
Session 1 - Feb. 1, 8, 15, 22, Session 2 - Mar. 1, 8, 22, 29
Session 3 - April 5, 12, 19, 26
$50/each 4-class session - OR - “Drop-In” rate - $15/class
Scholarships are available.

Laramie artist Jeanie Schlump shares her secrets for painting with watercolors. Whether you are a beginning artist or an experienced one, this class is structured to accommodate students’ individual abilities and schedules. Each Monday night session will provide a different painting experience, and students may progress at their own pace. It’s an enjoyable time of learning and experimenting – for adults and teens only! No experience is necessary.

FOR TEACHERS: Professional Development Credit is available

Can I try that?
Pre-school & Kindergarten - Thurs.: Feb. 4, 11, 18, 25
Grades 1, 2 and 3 - Tues.: Feb. 2, 9, 16, 23
3:30 - 4:30 p.m.; $25/4-class session

We’ll look for inspiration in the work on display in the 35th Annual Juried UW Student Exhibition. Each week students will have the chance to consider two different art-making processes and then select the one they want to explore. It could be painting, writing, wood sculpting, mask-making, engraving, and more. This is an excellent class for experimentation.

NEW! Afternoons at the Museum
Ages 6-11 - Mon.: Feb. 15, Apr. 26
1 p.m. - 5 p.m. $20/student - OR - $15/student for families with 3 or more children
Scholarships available – pre-registration encouraged

What do students do when they have a day off from school because it is a Staff Development Day for teachers or a school holiday? Why not spend the afternoon at the Art Museum? Modeled after our art camps, each day will be jam-packed with creative activities, using the most interesting materials! Healthy snacks will be provided.

Mohamed Shata Lecture Time Set

Egyptologist Mohamed Shata will present his lecture, Art in Ancient Egypt, on Tuesday, February 9, at 7 pm at the Art Museum. 

Egyptologist to Lecture on Art in Ancient Egypt

Art in Ancient Egypt

Images of Life in the Afterlife

Lecture by Mohamed A. Shata

Tuesday, February 9, 2010; University of Wyoming Art Museum

The art and history of Ancient Egypt spanned nearly 3 millennia, starting around 3100 BC. Major accomplishments were achieved during 3 periods: the Old, Middle and New Kingdoms which lasted roughly 500 years (2700-2200 BC), 200 years (2000-1800 BC), and 500 years (1600-1100 BC). The ancient Egyptian civilization changed dramatically over these 1600 years, and many of these changes are reflected in the art depicted in wall reliefs found on tomb and temple walls.

The lecture will explore the process, technique and images of the tombs built and decorated for the kings and queens and the nobles of ancient Egypt. The New Kingdom saw perhaps the most glorious tombs. The walls of these tombs, which were very elaborate, deep underground tunnels cut into bedrock, were decorated with scenes of the journey that the king (or queen) would take as they moved from this life to the afterlife. The scenes were highly colored and drawn from vignettes from the book of the dead and depicted the pharaoh in the presence of major deities, making offerings to them.

The tombs of the New Kingdom's noblemen were beautifully decorated with scenes which depicted their daily activities as well as scenes with strong religious overtones. Common people believed the gods would judge them favorably and help them make it safely through the arduous voyage in the nether word to emerge in paradise, where they would enjoy eternal life. These private tombs' decorations were artistically freer, unlike the royal tombs, which were confined to specific norms.

Mohamed A. Shata is an Archaeologist and licensed Egyptologist for the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism. Educated at Cairo University with a degree in Archeology, Shata is a former Inspector of Antiquities at Giza where he worked extensively with Dr. Zahi Hawass, Egypt’s Vice-Minster of Culture and Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities in excavating sites in the vicinity of the Pyramids. He participated for two years in the re-assembly of the Solar Boat, worked on the restoration of the Sphinx, was a member of the excavation team of the worker’s village, and  discovered many tombs of Old Kingdom royal family members at Giza. Shata is in demand as a guest lecturer at many museums and universities in North America and Europe, and was a presenter at the Eighth International Congress of Egyptologists: Damietta as a Gateway to Egypt in Ancient and Modern Times.

Art Museum Store to Reopen

Store manager Rosie Chapp (r) and sales attendant Jennifer

Benkman (l) receive new inventory and prepare for

The Museum Store's reopening next week

With inventory nearing completion and new inventory being received every day, The Museum Store will re-open on Friday, January 29, 2010 to coincide with the opening reception for new exhibitions in the Art Museum. Drop in and see what's new!

Accepted Work for the Annual Juried UW Student Exhibition

Congratulations to the following students whose work has been accepted into the 35th Annual Juried University of Wyoming Student Exhibition. A record number of students (114) submitted 283 works for consideration. Of those, 62 works by 53 students were accepted. It took the juror over 5 hours to make his selection!

As a reminder to students, those of you not participating in the Student Art League's Salon des Refuse, and whose work was not accepted into the exhibition, can pick up your work today and tomorrow at the Art Museum. The opening reception and awards ceremony is next Friday, January 29th, from 6-8 pm, with the awards ceremony beginning at 6:30.


Accepted Work

Madison Becker
Broken

Hannah Benigro
Death of the Clown

Eric Berg
Untitled

Bethany Birkemeyer
Seeds of Fiber

Haylee Bolinger
Strangers

Carmen Clayton
Light and Shadow

Maddie Costigan
Fashioned Phalanges

Jedadiah Cracco
Untitled

Sarah Dahlinger
Birgi Woman

Drew Davis
Memento Mori II

Spencer Duncan
Branch

Alethea R. Durney
Time of Change: Surface and Motion


Jacquie Fankell, Ty Lorenz, and Gary Staebler
Axiom Clothing Store

Allison French
Floating in the Past

Kevin French
Shovel
Self Portrait with Tape

Courtney Googe
Do a Good Deed and Throw it in the Sea

Isaac Grover
Tongue Thieves

Chancelor Havlik
Malus

Hilary Havlik
Superbia

Sarah Hayman
Omnipresent
Essence I

Jennifer Heater
Untitled

Jonathan Hickerson
The Collective Mind Supported by Individuals of Our Age

Bryce Huhtala
Dreams of Consciousness

Michael Hurley
Nature Restricted 1.1

Nyla Hurley
Forgotten
Hatred

Amy Jurekovic
Madame X

Dakotah Konicek
Porifera

Jacquie Lahr
Hot Fudge Sundae

Noel Larsen
Entangled

Andy Lindberg
Whiteout

Linda Lytle
Seeing the Invisible

Evan Major
Melting Flower Pot 3

Sean D. Matoon
Porta Septemtrionalis

Ashley McNew
Self Portrait
Ranae

Conor Mullen
Shiva Shiva Ya
Home on the Range

Nuray Packard
Movement
Non-figure Self Portrait

Andrew Parker
Büyük Cammi

Steven Peck
Geared Economy

Erica Ramsey
A Little Bit Bad, Somedays


Gabrielle Reeves
On Road
4 Doors
The Saddle

Bethany Reisner
Eyes Closed

Katrina Romine
Everywhere

Will Ross
Under Hanhepi-wi

Kimberly J. Shannon
Out of Context Series

Jeminie Shell
Bird in Hand

Magnus Snyder
Social Justice Poster (Impact of the Gay Marriage Ban)

Jessica Tanguay
Nude Study I

Stephanie Ann Thomas
Principle Solo

Dan Toro
November 11th

Angela I. Weber
Buck Rail

Leighton White
Guardian

Angela C. Wolff
Portrait of a Modern Prince, Qajar Dynasty, Persia
Hand-built Vessel

Everett Woodward
Teapot #2

*Please note - if your name or title is misspelled, please email corrections to rmiller@uwyo.edu as this is how they will appear on wall labels.

UPDATED - Meet the Juror

Gary Emrich, Lightning, 2006, photo emulsion on vintage eyeglasses, 6 x 6 inches

Photo courtesy of the artist

The process behind the 35th Annual Juried University of Wyoming Student Exhibition has begun! Last week students dropped off artwork to be considered for the exhibition. A record number of students - 114 - brought in their work. The exhibition in open to any student enrolled at UW during the 2009-2010 academic year, and students were allowed to submit up to three works for consideration.

The next step begins on Tuesday, when this year's juror, Gary Emrich, arrives at the museum and starts sifting through all the art! Gary will be here for two days to select the work to be included in the exhibition, write a juror's statement, and finally he will meet with Art Department faculty and Student Art League members to talk about the exhibition.

Gary is the head of photography and video art at the Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design in Lakewood, CO. He received his BA in Political Science from the University of Colorado at Boulder, and his MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. He also teaches photography at Metropolitan State College and the University of Colorado, Denver. In addition to being a professor, he is also an artist and owns a video production company. Gary's art incorporates found objects and materials with photography. On his website he states, "...I'm interested in why things are saved and the role we play as editors and curators of our history, and how the artifacts, objects, and images we choose to accumulate color and shape the way we see ourselves." His work is in such public collections as the Denver Art Museum and the Art Institute of Chicago.

UPDATE - If you're a student who is interested in talking with Gary, he will be meeting with the Student Art League on Wednesday, January 20, from 5-5:30 at the Art Museum. (the previous blog post stated that he will be meeting with students in the Fine Arts Building, which is INCORRECT)

For more information on Gary's work, please visit his website.

Student Art Drop-off TODAY and TOMORROW

Today and tomorrow between 9 am and 4 pm are the ONLY times that students may drop off their artwork to be considered for the 35th Annual Juried University of Wyoming Student Exhibition. Artwork must be ready to hang and install. If you haven't filled out an entry form yet, there are some at the drop off table.

The exhibition is open to any UW student who is enrolled in the 2009-2010 academic school year. This includes students who graduated in December of 2009. Students from all disciplines are welcome to submit work, and it is open to those at the undergraduate, graduate, and post-baccalaureate level.

The juror for this year's exhibition is Gary Emrich, head of photography and video art at Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design. The exhibition will open on Friday, January 29 with an opening reception from 6-8 pm. The awards ceremony will begin at 6:30 pm with cash and purchase awards being offered.

Call 307-766-6621 or email rmiller@uwyo.edu with questions or for more information.

The Weeks Ahead at the UW Art Museum

There are a lot of things going on at the Art Museum that you should be aware of, whether you're a student returning to campus, a professor, a visitor to Laramie, or a long-time local! Check out the information below to see what's going on this January.

Students
The Art Museum would like to welcome UW students back to the spring semester! Every year we host an Annual Juried University of Wyoming Student Exhibition, which is open to undergrad, graduate and post-bach students from all disciplines at UW. Students can submit up to 3 original works of art for consideration. An outside juror - this year it's Gary Emrich from the Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design - will select work for the exhibition. This is a great opportunity to experience a professional, museum exhibition and to win a cash or purchase award. The dates to submit artwork are this week - Thursday and Friday, January 14th and 15th. Work can be dropped off at the Art Museum (2111 Willett Drive) on those dates ONLY between 9 am and 4 pm. For complete information or to pick up an entry form, stop by the Student Union Information Desk or the Art Department Office.












Around Town
The Art Museum wants to remind visitors, locals, and students that the FREE Cell Phone Audio Tour is still up and running! In conjunction with the exhibition, Sculpture: A Wyoming Invitational, the cell phone audio tour provides information on the featured artists and their work. Large scale sculptures by contemporary artists can be found on the UW campus in Prexy's Pasture, and all around Laramie. This information is easily accessed by dialing a local 307 area code number from your cell phone. The phone number and the prompt number that correlates to each individual sculpture can be found on the metal placards by each sculpture. Have you ever wondered why Charles Parson used a steel beam for his sculpture and placed it right in front of Ross Hall? Than call in and find out!














New Exhibitions
While the Art Museum may be closed for the remainder of January, there are several new and exciting exhibitions to look forward to. During this time period, in addition to the Juried Student Exhibition, we are getting ready to install 3 new exhibitions. They are: American Modernists in Wyoming: George McNeil, Ilya Bolotowsky, and Leon Kelly; James Surls: Flowers; Peter Sarkisian: Video Works, 1996-2008. Pictured above is a painting by abstract expressionist George McNeil (courtesy of ACME Fine Art Gallery), who is one of three American Modernists who was a former art faculty member here at UW and is featured in this new exhibition.













Upcoming Events
Mark your calendar for these upcoming events, starting on January 28th.

Thursday, January 28, 7 pm: Art Talk with Peter Sarkisian
Friday, January 29, 10:30 am: Gallery Walk Through with Peter Sarkisian
Friday, January 29, 4:30 pm: Gallery Walk Through with James Surls
Friday, January 29, 6-8 pm: Spring Opening Reception with the Juried Student Exhibition Awards Ceremony at 6:30 pm
Monday, February 1, 7 pm: Gallery Walk Through with Award Winning Students from the Juried Student Exhibition
Monday, March 1, 7 pm: 20:20 for Students (high school, LCCC and UW are welcome to participate!)

Preparations Underway for New Exhibitions

Every year the UW Art Museum closes in January to get ready for the upcoming year of new exhibitions and programs. The Art Museum galleries are now closed and will reopen on January 29th with the spring opening reception.

This time period allows museum staff members to do things like de-install the current exhibitions, spruce up the galleries with spackle and paint, the custodians polish the floors, and finally, install new exhibitions that open at the end of the month.

Exhibitions that will open on January 29th are: Peter Sarkisian: Video Works, 1996-2008, James Surls: Flowers, American Modernists in Wyoming: George McNeil, Ilya Bolotowsky, and Leon Kelly, and the always popular 35th Annual Juried University of Wyoming Student Exhibition. The opening of these exhibitions will be marked by a reception on January 29th, from 6-8 pm, which is free and open to the public.

Sculpture: A Wyoming Invitational continues on the campus of UW and throughout the city of Laramie. Artists from France: Paintings and Prints from the Art Museum Collection, will continue through December 23, 2010.

Keep checking this blog, our facebook page, and our website, for information about the upcoming exhibitions, classes, and public programs.

If you are a current UW student, you are eligible to participate in the Annual Juried UW Student Exhibition. The dates to submit artwork, brought in person to the Art Museum, are January 14th and 15th. Work will not be accepted before or after these dates. Hard copies of information packets can be found at the Student Union Information Desk, the front desk at the Art Museum, and in the Fine Arts Office. For more information, or questions, please call 307.766.6621.