Mcintire Department of Art News Winter 2015/16 from the Chair
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McIntire Department of Art news Winter 2015/16 from the chair he last two years have been ones of transition as we’ve said farewell to one long-time colleague and welcomed new faculty members. This past spring our well-known senior Tcolleague, David Summers, retired after thirty-four years at the University of Virginia, and on April 17, 2015 we held a symposium in his honor, celebrating his scholarship and teaching. We also hired five new colleagues during the last two new to or long absent from our curriculum. More on our academic years. These include three tenure-track new faculty members is available in this newsletter. assistant professors: Fotini Kondyli in Byzantine art and Another major transition occurred in August 2014 as department as they work to implement and support the in conjunction with a practicum course taught by Beth archaeology, Amanda Phillips in Ottoman material a result of Francesca Fiorani’s agreeing to become, for Art Department’s teaching and research missions. on the series, and this opportunity for student research culture studies and Islamic art, and Christa Robbins one year, Interim Associate Dean of Arts and Humanities continues this coming year with the works on view in Contemporary Art and Critical Theory; and two Among many faculty achievements you will find in this in the College and Graduate School of Arts and through May 2016. The goal is a reconstruction of the full-time lecturers—Amy Chan in Drawing and newsletter, I would like to highlight the series of exhibitions Sciences, the position to which Dean Ian Baucom has now-dispersed series. The Art Department views these Anastasia Dakouri-Hild in Aegean Archeology and that faculty curated in The Fralin Art Museum, beginning now appointed her for the next three years. Dean shows and faculty and student engagement with original ancient Near Eastern art. Our new colleagues bring both with my own exhibition in Spring 2013, Traces of the Baucom asked me to serve as Interim Chair of the Art works of art and new research on these objects as the renewed energy to fields we’ve always taught and Hand: Drawings from the Collection of Frederick and Lucy Department last year, and I agreed to stay in that beginning of a new era of serious academic collaboration welcome opportunities for our students in fields either S. Herman. The still-available online exhibition catalogue position for the next two academic years. While I’m with The Fralin Art Museum. for this show incorporates extensive student research and surprised to find myself department chair again, I find writing. Last year we enjoyed Dan Ehnbom’s ravishing This newsletter results from the dedication, hard it an enormous advantage to have a colleague in exhibition, Realms of Earth and Sky: Indian Painting from work, and patience of Laura Mellusi, who supervised the Dean’s Office who knows intimately both the many the Fifteenth to the Nineteenth Century displaying the the production process, Lyons Sanchezconcha, excellent qualities of the Art Department and the cream of the extraordinary collection of Indian paintings and the department staff,Ashley Watkins and Keith challenges we face as my colleagues and I look to that he acquired for the University’s museum over the Robertson, who compiled the data for individual develop and sustain our programs. last twenty years, along with masterpieces lent by entries. Thanks to Paul Barolsky, Tracy Cosgriff, and Yet another transition in 2014 was the hiring of new alumni and faculty. The beautiful exhibition catalogue, Allyson Healey who reviewed the text. Paul’s department staff and the reorganization of staff incorporating the work of Dan’s student Krista thorough editing is as always very much appreciated. duties. Laura Mellusi joined us in May 2014 as the Gulbransen, is available both in hard copy and online. Anne Chesnut is our designer; and numerous student, department’s general administrative supervisor We now have on view through December 20, 2015, faculty, and professional photographers provided our Art overseeing the staff and our fiscal and human resource an exhibition of the work of the noted minimalist and illustrations. If we misspelled, omitted, or otherwise transactions, and Keith Robertson was hired as conceptualist artist Sol Lewitt, curated by our misrepresented anything in your news, please accept administrative coordinator primarily supporting academic photography professor, William Wylie. This show our apologies. We’ll happily make corrections next programs. Our existing administrative staff person, includes in the entry gallery of the Museum a Lewitt year. And please keep us informed of your changes Ashley Watkins was promoted, and moved to Ruffin drawing comprised of 25,000 lines, executed to his of address. Hall to provide administrative support to the Studio instructions by Bill and our Studio Art students and This period of transition in the Art Department has program, as well as manage departmental timekeeping alumni. This exhibition is serving this Fall as one focus presented challenges but also opportunities to move our and student hiring. A space in Ruffin was modified to of Christa Robbins’ seminar on Minimalism and programs to new levels of achievement evident throughout provide an office suitable to her new responsibilities. Conceptualism. Also on view in The Fralin is an exhibition this newsletter. In this time of change and development, Dan Weiss is now the Director of the Visual Resources devoted to the prominent African-American artist, we again thank you for your advice, help, and support. Collection and Victoria Valdes, as Assistant Director, Jacob Lawrence, curated by Professor of Art History Indeed, we’ve met the challenges of recent years in large manages digital production. We also hired a temporary Elizabeth Hutton Turner. This show is devoted to measure through the gifts of our alumni and friends. staff person,Thomas Hartsell, to assist Eric Schmidt, Lawrence’s sequence of thirty pictures titled Struggle: I speak for the entire faculty in expressing appreciation for our studio technician and safety coordinator, in the From the History of the American People, and exhibits your continued support and your continued engagement ever-expanding roster of tasks for which he is responsible. twelve of the paintings assembled by collectors Harvey McIntire Department of McIntire with our programs and students. Our expanded and reorganized staff has already and Harvey-Ann Ross. The works were initially shown proven an invaluable resource to me and to the whole last year at the Phillips Collection in Washington, DC, — Larry Goedde, Chair 2 3 from the director of studio n the last two years, Studio Art has been active in hosting visiting artists, producing exhibitions, expanding our classes, supporting faculty research, and participating in cross-department Iand program collaborations. Working with the Art History department, The Fralin Museum, Off Grounds, the Vice Provost for the Arts, and departments and programs including French, American Studies, Architecture and Drama, we have seen interest in our courses and programs expand. We serve over 70 majors and minors in Studio Art and continue to find space in our classes for large numbers of students from across the university who want to stay connected to the creation of art through a specific practice or craft. Thanks to a significant endowment from the Peter B. the subject of a monograph published by Phaidon and and Adeline W. Ruffin Foundation in 2012 we hosted a documentary on the PBS series art:21. With Dion’s two Ruffin Distinguished Artists in Residence (Cindy tenure, we are changing the structure of this annual Bernard 2013–14 and Claude Wampler 2014–15) and position. We have shortened the stay from a full are busy preparing for Mark Dion’s residency in the academic year to a semester in order to attract a wider spring. Dion lives in New York and has exhibited his range of internationally important artists and focus work, commissions, and projects around the world on collaboration with students in a single intensive (including the most recent Venice Biennale). He is also class. The new configuration brings our visiting artists to Grounds in the fall prior to their spring residency to give an introductory lecture, meet students, and plan their spring course and exhibition. In Ruffin Gallery, the public face for our department, faculty members organize and curate exhibitions of important contemporary art for students to experience. Mark Dion, Department of Marine Animal Identification of the City of San More than a dozen exhibitions in the past two years Francisco (Chinatown Division), 1998/2010. Mixed media, dimensions variable included the tri-annual Big Bang exhibit and related Courtesy of the artist and Tanya Bonakdar Gallery, New York events featuring Natalie Jeremijenko (curated by Art Dean Dass and hosted by the UVA Arts Board), Radio Galaxy (curated by Amy Chan), and Richard Kraft’s Twenty-Five Walkers. In April and May every year, saw the Mark Dion installation). Likewise, the Mountain images together with her poems to explore structures we use the gallery to showcase the final work of our Lake Biological Station continues to offer dynamic of American racism in the new millennium. residencies to our advanced students and selected Distinguished Majors and Fifth Year Fellows. These The Studio Art faculty is always active with their own artists. The Lee Ellen Fleming Painter in Residence rolling weeklong events culminate in packed receptions research and art, and I direct you to the Faculty News Program attracted three outstanding painters—George of family, friends, classmates and the public on every pages for all the details of their accomplishments. floor of Ruffin Hall and include performances, films Nick, Stephen Westfall and Margaret McCann—to and exhibitions of graduating students’ work in every teach and produce their own work in Studio 323.