newsletter Volume 13, Number I Spring ]988 1988 annual meeting convocation School of Architecture, University of Houston Phyllis Pray Bober. CAA President and Paul B. Arnold, CAA Past President CAAAWARDS assembled CAA members and friends were transcend what has been possible for him officially "greeted" by University of Houston before ... He gives to students a love which is Awards for excellence in scholarship, teach­ President, Richard L. Van Hom and by Peter serious, generous and totally concentrated on iug, criticism and studio work were presented Marzio, Director of the Museum afFine Arts, the mutual goal of painting better ... " at the Convocation ceremonies of the 76th Houston and Local Host for the 1988 Annual The Charles Rufus Morey Book Award was CAA Annual Meeting, held on Friday eve­ Meeting. given to Jack Flam for his 1986 book, Ma­ ning, February 12, in the atrium of the School tisse: The Man and His Art, 1869-1918, pro­ of Architecture, University of Houston, Hou­ The Presentation of Awards was followed by viding a meticulous triangulation of biog­ ston, Texas. the Convocation Address by Walter Hopps, raphy, criticism, and psychology that maps Director of the Menil Collection: "Quarrels out an oeuvre in which the varying topog­ This "oh wow" space, designed by Philip with Museums Facing the Millenium." raphy can be seen as both revelatory auto­ Johnson, was the perfect setting for the biography and successful visual metaphor. presentation of these prestigious awards as Awards were presented to nine individuals: The Alfred H. Barr, Jr. Award was pre­ well as an ideal spot to inaugurate the CAA's The Distinguished Teaching of Art History sented to Linda Schele and Mary Ellen two new awards to distinguished artists. The Award was presented to Pamela Askew, Pro­ Miller for their catalogue, The Blood of master of ceremonies was our much-beloved fessor emerita at Vassar College. Students Kings: Dynasty and Rz~ual in Maya Art, out going president, Paul Arnold who, at the describe her lectures as a benchmark against which provides a concise and up-to-date close of the ceremonies "passed the baton" to which to measure their own performances review of scholarship for experts in the field, Phyllis Pray Bober. Bober, a distinguished art and as "precise, informative, sophisticated, making this complex and enigmatic Maya historian and long-time CAA member, de­ filled with marvelous observations, and culture accessible to a general audience. clared that her first act as president would be sparked with rapier wit." The Frank Jewett Mather Award for dis­ to formally establish an office of "past pres· The Distinguished Teaching Award went tinction in art or architectural criticism went ident," so that we would not lose Paul Arnold. to Wilber Niewald, Senior Professor of to Germano eelant. As critic, curator, editor Arnold, an artist, who was elected to the Painting at the Kansas City Art Institute. One and lecturer, he has been a vivid force on the board in 1979 is eager to return to his studio, fanner student speaks of the teacher as paint­ international scene, an effective and admit­ but with his customary good nature and dedi· er and the examples set by this "honest, ted advocate who writes with great under- cation agreed to stay involved. searching artist who knows himself, his pas­ Following Arnold's opening welcome, the sions, his problems, and seeks over and over to Continued on p. 2, col. 1 ICAAawards standing and commitment to the artists of his ignited by your erudition and verve, have doing-it's possible to say, I think, that we know not what we do. The truth of this was generation. gone on themselves to make fine contribu­ point and commitment to the primacy of figures in the 1970s. They included: Michel­ year 1986 to Jack Flam for his Matisse: The brought home to me, in quite another sense, The Arthur Kingsley Porter Prize for the tions as teachers and curators. Your students perception, he supported his faculty and angelo Pistoletto, Mario Merz, Richard Man and His Art, 1869-1918, the first of a by this award. best article in The Art Bulletin by a scholar at describe your lectures as a benchmark against adhered to strongly felt principles of aca­ Longo, Joseph Beuys, Jan Dibbetts, Eva projected two-volume study. We recognize the beginning of his or her scholarly career in which to measure their own performances I'm sure everyone in this room knows what demic freedom. Believing that the study of art Hesse, Robert Smithson and others. the book for its ambitious exposure and abun­ the year 1987 was awarded to John Malcolm and as "precise, infonnative, sophisticated, the root of the verb "to teach" is, when the should be provocative and enlightening, he Germano Celant has gone on to write dantly documented exploration of the theo­ Russell for his article, "Bull's for the Palace filled with marvelous observations, and word entered the English language, and what encouraged and initiated many discussions several books and curate numerous inter­ retical polarities and paradoxes that obsessed and Order in the Empire: The Sculptural sparked with rapier wit." You are described as it means. But I didn't, and so have been hap­ ... even arguments ... concerning painting national exhibitions of contemporary art, and nourished Matisse's art. Rejecting a read­ Program of Sennacherib's Court VI at exacting and challenging by one and by py to find it particularly appropriate to art issues. Graduates bear witness to his tenacity, among them: The Book as Artwork, (1972), ing of the artist purely as compass needle Nineveh" in Volume LXIX, No.4, December another who says, "She demanded hard work history. It is from the Anglo-Saxon seigen­ referring to his "straightforward, unswerving Piero Manzonz" (1973), Space as Support always pointing to an aesthetic north, the 1987 issue. from her students but she also devoted more to show- to show, to point out, present, or dedication to the task of instilling a sense of (1979), Indentite ltalienne (1981), The Euro­ author provides a meticulous triangulation of This year marked the beginning of two new attention to that work than any teacher I have offer to view, to show by way of instruction. personal search in his students." Another pean Iceberg-Creativity in Germany & Italy biography, criticism, and psychology that awards for living artists who are citizens or ever had as an undergraduate or graduate Chaucer used the word in The Canterbury speaks of the teacher as painter and the exam­ Todoy (1985). maps out an oeuvre in which the varying permanent residents of the U.S. The first, student. I learned more about the English Tales; I will simply paraphrase his words and pIe set by this "honest, searching artist who As critic, curator, editor and lecturer, Ger­ topography can be seen as both revelatory Artist Award for A Distinguished Body of language from her than anyone else in my life say that I have as gladly learnt as I have gladly knows himself, his passions, his problems, mano Celant has been a vivid force on the autobiography and successful visual meta­ Work is for an outstanding exhibition from as a student." Others write of your treatment taught. and seeks over and over to transcend what has international scene, an effective and admit­ phor. the preceding year. The second, is a Dis­ of them as peers, of your tact and patience, So I simply want to thank my students, col­ been possible for him before ... He gives to ted advocate who writes with great under­ tinguished Artist Award for Lifetime and of your "mind that loves ideas, is flexible leagues, members of the Committee, and this students a love which is serious, generous and standing and commitment to the artists of his Committee: Alessandra Comini, Chair; Achievement. and lively, and, at the same time, is bothsym­ Association - all those who have made this totally concentrated on the mutual goal of generation. Svetlana Alpers; Charles Parkhurst. The Artist Award for A Distinguished Body pathetic and highly critical." They express award possible. Thank you. painting better. Very early in his career, Celant tenned of Work went to Jacob Lawrence. The exhi­ gratitude for your continuing interest in their He has answered invitations to teach in the objectivity a "false consciousness" and even bition, Jacob Lawrence, American Painter, careers and for the time you have generously summer program of Yale, Boston University described his own writing as a "precarious which originated at the Seattle Art Museum given them on manuscripts in post-Vassar and the Studio School in both Paris and New and contingent document." surveys the life work of an extraordinary art­ years. One image a colleague retains of you is York, among others. He teaches what he Celant has reminded himself and others ist. The aspirations of Black Americans, the that of seeing you help a student in the library knows; he grapples with issues and does not that much of our published work deals with loaD OF Kl dignity of labor and vitality of the American with Latin translations at 11 o'clock in the resort to formulations ... he presents a con­ "infonnation already old." The vivid, cour­ scene are all embodied and distilled by Law­ evening, and an alumnus writes, "She was cept of teaching and painting which whole­ ageous, impassioned character of his work OFM} rence's unique vision. enonnously intelligent and knowledgeable; in heartedly seeks the realization of perception. continues to challenge us to look, to travel The Distinguished Artist Award for Life­ the classroom she seemed seven feet tall, and He has exhibited extensively, in recent and to read more widely.