A Big Day for the Arts!

All Things Seen Naked, a diptych by Wyoming artist Neltje.

It was a day of exciting arts related announcements and progress on the UW campus today. Today was the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Fine Arts building, to be built over the course of the next 18 months at 22nd and Willett, adjacent to the Art Museum. This new building will hold all of the visual arts classrooms, studios, and a new gallery. The building, situated closely to the Art Museum, will mean even greater collaboration between the museum and the department.

Also announced today was an unprecedented gift from Wyoming abstract expressionist, Neltje. You can read more about all the details in this UW press release. Neltje's generous gift exemplifies her philanthropic spirit and her continued support of the arts in the state. Her gift changes the role of the university in the arts within Wyoming and across the nation. The Art Museum thanks Neltje for her generosity and is excited to see all of the possibilities emerge!

Final Days to See Neltje Exhibition

Neltje's large-scale mixed media work, PAT - Paroxysmal Atrial Tachycardia, features found objects, paper, and paint.

Only a few days remain to see the exhibition, Neltje, a solo exhibition by Wyoming abstract painter Neltje. The exhibition highlights her creative process, her approach to gesture and mark-making, and her most recent explorations with collage. Also featured is a large-scale Abstract Expressionist diptych and a series of collages.

A free cell phone audio tour accompanies Neltje and has been newly formatted. The audio tour offers an opportunity to delve deeper into the expressive work of this Wyoming artist. The final day to see the exhibition is Saturday, August 28. Be sure to stop by this week to see the work and use the audio tour. Your feedback on the features of the audio tour are a crucial element in how the Art Museum implements programming and education.

For more information on this or any exhibitions, call the Art Museum at 307.766.6622 or visit the website.

Neltje Video Interview Available Online

The latest in the series of artist interviews by UWTV is now available on the UW homepage (you may have to click the reload button until you see the above image). The video interview with Wyoming artist Neltje is also be available on the Art Museum's YouTube page.

Neltje was at the UW Art Museum in June to open her solo exhibition, Neltje, which is on view through August 28. While she was here, UWTV producer and director Ali Grossman filmed an interview with Neltje in front of her work. Neltje discusses things like her inspiration, working in Wyoming, and her creative process.

Be sure to check out the interview online, and the exhibition at the Art Museum, to learn more about this Wyoming abstract expressionist painter!

Neltje Cell Phone Audio Tour Now Available

The cell phone audio tour for the exhibition Neltje is now available! The audio tour, which the Art Museum implemented a year and a half ago, is a free service that enables museum visitors to access additional information about exhibitions through their cell phones. A local phone number - 307.200.0040 - leads visitors to a welcome message with options such as instructions, museum information, or exhibition information. Each exhibition that has an accompanying audio tour then has specific prompt numbers that visitors can enter to hear more information.

The audio tour for Neltje is set up a bit differently than many of the previous audio tours. In the past, the tour has provided information like biographies of artists, or information on a specific art technique or movement. The Neltje audio tour is set up to lead visitors from one artwork to the next to point out similarities and key components of her work. Throughout the tour, several questions are posed that allow the visitor to examine the works closely, and to investigate their own reaction to the work.

As with all of the cell phone audio tours, there is a feedback feature that works a lot like leaving a voicemail message. It can be accessed by dialing the general phone number - 307.200.0040 - and then pressing 0, followed by the pound key (#). With this new format, the Art Museum encourages its visitors to try the audio tour and leave your feedback, whether it's positive or negative! Comments can also be posted here on the blog by clicking on the comments link, or on the Art Museum's facebook page.

Neltje in the Shelton Studio

Artist Neltje has been busy this week in the Shelton Studio! As artist in residence she has been working with students between the ages of 4 and 11 during Paint Pony Express, the Education Department's annual series of free art classes. She also works on her own art projects; and museum visitors are encouraged to stop by to watch her creative process and ask questions. An exhibition of Neltje's work is currently on view, so now is your chance to see the artwork and talk directly to the artist!

In the photo above, Neltje works with some Teen Apprentices in the Shelton Studio. For more information on the Teen Apprentice Program, Paint Pony Express, or any of the other classes offered through the Education Department, contact them at 307.766.3496.

WY Artist Neltje to be Artist in Residence

Neltje (American, b. 1943), PAT - Paroxysmal Atrial Tachycardia, 2007, acrylic on canvas, 72 x 144 inches, lent by the artist.

Week one of Paint Pony Express kicks off on Tuesday, July 5th at the UW Art Museum. Paint Pony Express is a three week program of FREE art activities for students between the ages of 4 and 11. Each day of Paint Pony Express is designed for a different age group. Ages 4-5 will meet on Tuesdays (July 6, 13, 20), ages 6-8 will meet on Wednesdays (July 7, 14, 21), and ages 9-11 will meet on Thursdays (July 8, 15, 22). Classes are from 1 - 3 pm each day. Please wear clothes that you can create in! Parents are asked to stay with children under 5 years of age.

Under the guidance of visiting artists and museum teachers, students will explore an array of artwork, including paintings, textiles, collages, and more. They will create their own artwork using writing, movement, and visual arts materials.

Each week, the focus will be on a different exhibition. Week one will focus on the work of Wyoming Abstract Expressionist artist Neltje. Neltje will work with students and explore concepts of painting and collage. In addition to working with students, Neltje will be an artist in residence in the Shelton Studio working on her own artwork. Museum visitors are encouraged to stop by to watch her process and ask questions.

Pre-registration for Paint Pony Express is recommended. For more information, please contact Master Teacher Heather Bender at 307.766.3515 or hbender1@uwyo.edu.

This Week at the Art Museum

Raoul Dufy (French, 1877-1953), Fleurs et feuillages (Flowers and Foliage), c. 1915-1925, gouache, 37.5 x 37.2 inches, image courtesy of The Humanities Exchange

There are many new and exciting things going on this week at the UW Art Museum. Two new summer exhibitions, Neltje and Dufy by Design: The Fabric Designs of Raoul Dufy will open this Friday evening, June 4th, with an opening reception from 6-8 pm.

The Art Museum will also be hosting several public programs to coincide with these exhibitions. On Thursday, June 3, there will be "An Evening with Dufy." The curator of Dufy by Design, Shirley Howarth, will present an Art Talk at 6:30 pm. The title of her talk is "Raoul Dufy and the Transformation of Fabric Design." She will discuss the impact that Raoul Dufy had on the fashion world and on fabric design of the 20th century. This will be followed by an Art Conversation at 7:15 pm with UW faculty Donna Brown, Sonya Meyer, Lee Hodgson, and Ellen Jaegersen. The title of their talk is "Fashion Evolutions in the Period of Dufy." They will present dresses and images that provide historical context for the time period in which Dufy was working.

On Friday, June 4th at 10:30 am, Shirley Howarth will give a Gallery Walk Through of the exhibition, Dufy by Design. Wyoming artist Neltje will present a Gallery Walk Through of her solo exhibition at 4:30 pm, with the opening reception immediately following.

Programs will wrap up on Saturday, June 5th when Neltje presents an Art Talk at 1:30 pm. She will show images of earlier work, to provide a comparison to the more recent work that is in her solo exhibition at the Art Museum.

All events are being held at the Art Museum and are free and open to the public. For more information on any exhibitions or programs, please call 307.766.6622 or visit the Art Museum website.

Neltje - exhibition opens on Saturday

Neltje, Clear and Silent Light IV, mixed media, acrylic on canvas, 24 x 24 inches

Image courtesy of the artist

An exhibition featuring eminent Wyoming artist Neltje (American, b. 1934) will open on Saturday, May 22 at the UW Art Museum. Neltje highlights recent paintings, including new works that incorporate paper, text, and found objects.

Neltje’s work is rooted in movement and gesture. Her early works, in the form of sumi-e, a characteristically Asian style of brush painting similar to calligraphy, allowed her the freedom to experiment with line and motion. As her work evolved, she found inspiration in the work of other abstract artists like Jon Schueler and Joan Mitchell. Their bold approach to color and making distinctive marks on the canvas influenced Neltje’s own creative process.

Neltje will be in Laramie June 3-5, and will provide a Gallery Walk Through on Friday, June 4 at 10:30 am. She will give an Art Talk on Saturday, June 5 at 1:30 pm. An opening reception for all summer exhibitions will be held on Friday, June 4 at 6 pm. All events are free and open to the public.

For more information about programs and exhibitions, please call the Art Museum at 307.766.6622, or visit the website. For more information on Neltje's work, please visit the artist's website.