SMART MUSEUM of ART the UNIVERSITY of CHICAGO BULLETIN 2012–2013 WELCOME the Smart Museum of Art at the University of Chicago Opens the World Through Art and Ideas
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SMARTSMART MUSEUM OF ART THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO BULLETIN 2012–2013 WELCOME The Smart Museum of Art at the University of Chicago opens the world through art and ideas. EXPLORE Our new interactive online In May 2013, we adopted the above mission statement to of University graduate students. Stimulating connections Bulletin format allows you to easily view original content better capture the Smart Museum’s bold and welcoming spirit. were made and existing ones deepened with partners on on our Vimeo channel, It will guide us as we look forward to the Museum’s fortieth campus and around the world. Inspiring works of art entered slideshows on Flickr, and anniversary in 2014—an opportunity to celebrate four decades the collection, and many of them are already on view. And, other great resources. Hyperlinks throughout this of uniquely “Smart” achievements while experimenting with demonstrating a continuing commitment to excellent volunteer document are indicated by innovative ways to grow in the decades ahead. This exciting leadership, our Board of Governors welcomed the expertise bold blue text. You can also year of exhibitions, programs, and events will secure our and energy of three outstanding new members. skip from section to section using the buttons at the reputation as a pioneering model of what a 21st century As always, this institution’s accomplishments are made bottom of the page. Enjoy university art museum can be: a visionary, creative force, possible by our generous supporters. To you, we offer particular exploring! inspiring visitors of all ages to experience the dynamic role of thanks on behalf of our board, staff, and the diverse audiences the visual arts in our world. we serve each year. Your remarkable enthusiasm for and CONNECT As you can see from the following pages, we have a dedication to the Smart Museum ensures its many successes. Friend us on Facebook remarkably strong and vital foundation on which to build. Follow us on Twitter The past year saw an array of compelling exhibitions, the Pamela Hoehn-Saric, Chair Watch us on Vimeo addition of several distinctive public programming series, and Smart Museum Board of Governors enhanced online content. We expanded our indispensable multi-visit programs for local schoolchildren, and improved Anthony Hirschel our evaluation methods for those programs with the help Dana Feitler Director 1 SMART MUSEUM OF ART 2012-2013 BULLETIN EXHIBITIONS & SPECIAL PROJECTS PROGRAMMING COLLECTION SUPPORT STAFF & LEADERSHIP OPERATIONS SMART BY THE NUMBERS WE OFFERED OUR AUDIENCES: 12,800+ 3 Object-based workshops for the University community objects IN THE collection 70,183 4 Smart Partners events VISITORS OVER 8 Chicago Public Schools teacher workshops ONLINE COLLECTION DATABASE 356 days OPEN 12 Family-oriented public programs 12 Adult-oriented programs WEBSITE: 10,832 UNIQUE VISITORS 13 University student-oriented programs 115,395 21 Exhibition-related public programs UNIQUE VISITORS 5,022 FACEBOOK FANS 18 EXHIBITIONS PRESENTED EXHIBITION INTERPRETATION VIDEOS PRODUCED 32,830Families UNIQ atUE the VISITORSSmart 18 2commissioned 2,263 COLLECTION GALLERY 58 artworks TWITTER FOLLOWERS ROTATIONS NEW acQUISITIONS to 57 OBJECTS WERE LOANED TO THE collection 14 EXHIBITIONS IN 4 STATES AND 4 COUNTRIES IN ONE YEAR, OUR docents LED 204 tours OF THE GALLERIES for 3,414 PEOPLE WE Provided Paid student emPloyment OPPortunities for: n 61 Attendants n 9 Curatorial Interns n 3 Registration Interns n 2 Education Interns n 52 Docents n 9 Student Program Assistants n 2 Development Interns n 1 Andrew W, Mellon Foundation Curatorial Intern n 15 Café Attendants n 4 Business Office Interns n 2 Communication Interns 2,605 450 359 K-12 students adult visitors college students 2 SMART MUSEUM OF ART 2012-2013 BULLETIN EXHIBITIONS & SPECIAL PROJECTS PROGRAMMING COLLECTION SUPPORT STAFF & LEADERSHIP OPERATIONS EXHIBITIONS & SPECIAL PROJECTS 3 SMART MUSEUM OF ART 2012-2013 BULLETIN EXHIBITIONS & SPECIAL PROJECTS PROGRAMMING COLLECTION SUPPORT STAFF & LEADERSHIP OPERATIONS EXHIBITIONS From the Land of the Morning Calm: Traditions of Korean Art July 5–September 9, 2012 The summer show series (which launched in 2009) gives our visitors an opportunity to dig deeply into a facet of our collection. 10,346 From the Land of the Morning Calm focused on our Korean holdings, which senior curator Richard A. Born declared had “reached IN ATTENDANCE critical mass” after steadily growing for the past decade. For the first time, visitors were introduced to nearly fifty works of ceramics, DURING EXHIBITION sculptures, paintings, calligraphy, prints and drawings, and metalwork dating from the late Bronze Age to the present day. Within a gallery elegantly outfitted with low platforms, serene lighting, and blond wood to evoke traditional Hanok-style architecture, these diverse objects illustrated the ways that Korea’s visual culture has influenced—and been influenced by—centuries of intense 520 exchanges with China, Japan, and, more recently, the West. Indeed, Newcity reviewer Chris Miller called the stunning exhibition “a RELATED PROGRAM very good opportunity to contemplate just what is specifically Korean in a culture that owes so much to China and gave so much ATTENDANCE to Japan.” To share these artworks even more widely, we featured approximately forty images from the exhibition on Tumblr, where they were enthusiastically liked and reblogged. 4 SMART MUSEUM OF ART 2012-2013 BULLETIN EXHIBITIONS & SPECIAL PROJECTS PROGRAMMING COLLECTION SUPPORT STAFF & LEADERSHIP OPERATIONS EXHIBITIONS From the Land of the Morning Calm SPOTLIGHT From the Land of the Morning Calm reminded me of how inspirational an exhibition can be. When I fortuitously saw the 1996 traveling exhibition The Fragrance of Ink: Korean Literati Paintings of the Choson Dynasty (1392-1910) from Korea University Museum, organized by the Smart, it was my first time seeing Korean paintings and it spurred my curiosity to learn more. Over a decade later—now as a doctoral student of Korean and Chinese art history at UChicago—I was thrilled to learn that the Smart was planning another Korean art exhibition and I jumped at the chance to serve as a research assistant for the project. Working with curator Richard Born, I examined a number of paintings and provided information about artist biographies and their oeuvres, translated colophons and inscriptions, and deciphered seals. As part of the exhibition’s public programming, I also gave a gallery talk about Korean ink painting and calligraphy, since I am particularly interested in the relationship between text and image. The Smart’s collection of Korean paintings contains particularly wonderful examples that elucidate the complex links Eleanor Hyun and guests discussing the works on view in From the Land of the between text, image, and the body. Morning Calm. But From the Land of the Morning Calm didn’t just showcase the Smart’s wonderful collection of Korean art. It was also the inspiration to bring together students and scholars to discuss current research trends in Korean visual culture. I and the exhibition’s two other graduate-student researchers organized a two-day symposium that was the first event of its kind in Chicago for well over a decade. Held at the UChicago in October 2012, “Korea Imagined: Korean Visual Culture in Chicago” covered topics ranging from medieval Buddhist art to contemporary cinema, and attracted scholars from across campus as well as from the University of Texas at Austin, the University of Southern California, Princeton University, New York University, UC Berkeley, UC Riverside, and Kalamazoo College. For me, being part of From the Land of the Morning Calm conjured the same enthusiasm that I felt during my first encounter with Korean art, when I learned the importance of thinking about objects outside the classroom—and I wouldn’t be surprised if it inspired another first-time viewer as well. Eleanor S. Hyun, University of Chicago PhD candidate and researcher for the exhibition 5 SMART MUSEUM OF ART 2012-2013 BULLETIN EXHIBITIONS & SPECIAL PROJECTS PROGRAMMING COLLECTION SUPPORT STAFF & LEADERSHIP OPERATIONS EXHIBITIONS From the Land of the Morning Calm RELATED PROGRAMMING Gallery Talk and Tea: Cultural Cross- currents in Korean Literati Painting Gallery July 19, 2012 Richard and Mary L. Gray Gallery Artist, critic, curator, and UChicago PhD candidate Phil Lee led two in- CuratorS gallery discussions on the Richard A. Born, Smart Museum Senior Curator in collaboration transmission of culture and ideas with exhibition researchers Eleanor S. Hyun and Nancy Lin, Ph.D in Korean art. candidates, Art History, The University of Chicago; Sun-ah Choi, Ph.D. (2012), Art History, The University of Chicago; Catherine Stuer, Ph.D. Celebrate Korean Art at the Smart Workshop: The Calligrapher’s Kite Curator Tour candidate, Art History, The University of Chicago; and volunteer Rhea July 14, 2012 July 28, 2012 September 9, 2012 Eunjoo In. Participants enjoyed the festive sights Guests built their own Bangpai Guests explored the rich and complex and thunderous sounds of traditional Yeon—a traditional Korean kite history of Korean art during this CREDITS Korean dance and music. This free inscribed with messages and flown insightful closing-day tour led by Lead funding for this exhibition was generously provided by the Smart afternoon also included a gallery to invite good fortune. Led by Richard A. Born. Family Foundation. Major funding was provided by Gay-Young tour by Eleanor S. Hyun and Korean instructors