Number 43 – Summer 2007 I 9 E 3 T W I . G , F A O N D O T N S R O I P T T O - I E P A N . L M S P O R . P P E N U A P NAlumniE W S L E T T E R I N S T I T U T E O F F I N E A RT S Three Lectures by Jeffrey Weiss (Ph. D. 1991), the first Kirk Varnedoe Visiting Professor at the IFA Contents by Phyllis Tuchman with aspects of American art of the Varnedoe Memorial Lectures . 1960s and 1970s. Instead of the 1 narrowly focused treatments associated From the Director . 3 with this critical period of painting and sculpture, Weiss introduced a IFA AA History Committee. 5 more open-ended approach, relying on a broad range of visual sources Rosenblum Interview . 6 and textual commentary. By the end Rosenblum Symposium . 9 of the last talk, a deeper, richer picture of the achievements of American Rosenblum Memorial . 10 painters and sculptors had emerged. New Faculty . 11 In the course of the first lecture, while New Faces . quoting Baudelaire and Paul Valéry, 12 and remarking how, during the TV Pilot Filming . 12 During fall semester 2006, installation of the exhibition of Jeffrey Weiss, head of the modern Twombly’s sculpture with the help 2007 Alumni Reunion . 13 and contemporary art department of the artist, the galleries of the at the National Gallery of Art where NGA resembled Elysian fields, Weiss In Memoriam: he was a curator since 1991, taught associated Twombly’s work with his Donald P. Hansen . 15 a colloquium at the IFA as the first homeland rather than his expatriate Kirk Varnedoe Visiting Professor. residences and classical references. Craig Hugh Smyth . 16 By April 2007, when he delivered The talk positioned Twombly’s return three public lectures–the first to sculpture in 1976 in relation to Marcia Tucker. 17 two at the Metropolitan Museum the changing language of American U Summer Stipends . Y of Art, the third, at the IFA–he art during the early 1970s, with the 18 N n – o i had been appointed director of rise of post-minimal art among . s Outside Fellowships t 21 1 t a r 2 i the Dia Art Foundation. younger artists. Yet issues of the 0 A c , 0 o t e . 1 Faculty News s e temporality of art and art-making 24 n e s i Y r A F t Weiss’s talks – “Cy Twombly: Why (which were described in essays by N S i f , . n h o Alumni News t 28 k Sculpture Is Boring,” “Radiator: The Robert Morris during the period) 8 m r e 7 t u o l u t Y Aluminum Paintings of Frank Stella,” were said to pertain to a studio t A s Alumni Donors . i 37 a t w e E s e and “La Jetée: Time as ‘Device’ In Art paradigm that Weiss grounded in h n N T 1 I After 1960”– form a triptych concerned photographs (widely published Lost Alumni . 38 continued on page 5 IFA Alumni Association From the Director... Mariët Westermann, Judy & Michael Steinhardt Director Officers Board of Directors Committees in distinguished institutions, from the This past week we had much occasion Walters Art Gallery to the University to reflect on the great losses our President Term ending April 1, 2008 Newsletter of Michigan, and from Columbia community sustained this year. Suzanne Stratton-Pruitt Sabine Rewald Gertje Utley, Editor University to the National Gallery of With deep gratitude, admiration, [email protected] [email protected] Gabriella Befani Canfield, Coordinator Ireland. We are proud of them all. and affection, we remember Donald Marie Tanner Hansen, our remarkable archaeologist Vice-President [email protected] Contributors I am particularly pleased to report that of the ancient Near East and director Gerrit L. Lansing Gabriella Befani Canfield one of our graduates, C. D. Dickerson, of graduate studies for just over half [email protected] Term ending April 1, 2009 Marc Cincone won this year’s Dean’s Award for of the Institute’s 75 years; Craig Hugh Gertje Utley Erica Ehrenberg the Outstanding Dissertation in the Smyth, the Institute’s second and Treasurer [email protected] Sharon Ferguson Humanities from NYU’s Graduate longest-serving director; and the Allen Rosenbaum Ariella Budick Kathleen Heins School of Arts and Science. Chosen effervescent Robert Rosenblum, one [email protected] [email protected] Valerie Hillings from a field of more than 200, of the rare art historians who was Keith Kelly Dickerson’s dissertation, Bernini and equally at home in the worlds of Secretary Term ending April 1, 2010 Nita Roberts Before: Modeled Sculpture in Rome, the academy, the museum, and the Miriam Basilio Valerie Hillings Thomaï Serdari ca. 1600-25, took on the challenging world where art is made. All were topic of the status of the terracotta commemorated in moving and [email protected] [email protected] Marie Tanner model in Italian Baroque sculpture, extremely well-attended memorial Jason Rosenfeld Phyllis Tuchman approaching it from multiple angles: celebrations this past semester. Ex-Officio [email protected] Alison West I write after a week of NYU graduation artistic process, workshop conditions, Past Presidents Mariët Westermann exercises and celebrations. All offered patrons’ interests, aesthetic appeal, To ensure the success of an educational Mary Tavener Holmes fine pomp and circumstance and technological innovation, material institution such as ours, faculty have Connie Lowenthal History of the IFA nuanced reflection, not least the valuation, and artists’ identification. two crucial responsibilities. The first Ida E. Rubin Sandra Sider, Chair Institute’s own Commencement Dickerson completed much of his is the training and mentoring of Helen Evans Ceremony on June 9th. Throughout probing and beautifully written work superb graduates and citizens of the Lorraine Karafel the presentation of graduates and under the guidance of Donald Posner, scholarly, curatorial, and conservation Christopher Noey the reception afterward, the Institute who was remembered by Associate community. Each year as we gather Rebecca Rushfield family proved that the Duke House Dean Slocum during the presentation course listings for the Announcement Phyllis Tuchman was built for a good party! Graduates, of the award. of Courses, I feel the pull of nostalgia Alison West faculty, staff, friends, spouses, for my student days. What would parents, siblings, and babies filled Honors bestowed on IFA graduates I learn in Jonathan Brown’s seminar Grants the Lecture Hall, spilling over into did not end there. During the on painting in the viceroyalty of Charles Little, Chair the Seminar Room. The Institute had University Commencement, President New Spain, “with special attention on Miriam Basilio an unusually large graduating class: John Sexton conferred on Philippe de those which problematize the field,” Sabine Rewald we conferred 19 MAs, 7 of them Montebello the degree of Doctor of or in Priscilla Soucek’s course, with the Advanced Certificate in Arts honoris causa. The citation hailed The Qur’an and Material Culture? Walter S. Cook Lecture Conservation; 2 Curatorial Studies Philippe’s “abounding expertise in The feeling echoes throughout the Beth Holman, Chair Certificates; and a stunning 25 PhDs. both curatorial and fiscal managment.” year, as I hear from my colleagues Pepe Karmel That is likely to be a record in our It took special note of Philippe’s about an exciting seminar presentation Carol Herselle Krinsky history. I had the privilege of teaching expansion of the museum’s collections or read a compelling dissertation Kathy Schwab many of these students and attending and physical plant, his outstanding proposal, knowing that it germinated Anita Moskowitz a good number of the PhD defenses stewardship of profound museum from a discussion around Venturi’s and can attest to the high quality scholarship, and his advocacy for public immense table in the Seminar Room. CAA Reunion and intense, diverse interest of our education and access to the arts. Philippe The Institute faculty and its students Mary Tavener Holmes graduates’ work. Several of them have recalled with deep fondness his training continually astound and inspire me already been tapped for teaching, at the Institute and his teachers with their intellectual curiosity, their Nominating Committee curatorial and conservation positions Charles Sterling and Colin Eisler. probing thought, and their eloquent Robert Lubar, Chair 3 IFA Alumni Association From the Director... Mariët Westermann, Judy & Michael Steinhardt Director Officers Board of Directors Committees in distinguished institutions, from the This past week we had much occasion Walters Art Gallery to the University to reflect on the great losses our President Term ending April 1, 2008 Newsletter of Michigan, and from Columbia community sustained this year. Suzanne Stratton-Pruitt Sabine Rewald Gertje Utley, Editor University to the National Gallery of With deep gratitude, admiration, [email protected] [email protected] Gabriella Befani Canfield, Coordinator Ireland. We are proud of them all. and affection, we remember Donald Marie Tanner Hansen, our remarkable archaeologist Vice-President [email protected] Contributors I am particularly pleased to report that of the ancient Near East and director Gerrit L. Lansing Gabriella Befani Canfield one of our graduates, C. D. Dickerson, of graduate studies for just over half [email protected] Term ending April 1, 2009 Marc Cincone won this year’s Dean’s Award for of the Institute’s 75 years; Craig Hugh Gertje Utley Erica Ehrenberg the Outstanding Dissertation in the Smyth, the Institute’s second and Treasurer [email protected] Sharon Ferguson Humanities from NYU’s Graduate longest-serving director; and the Allen Rosenbaum Ariella Budick Kathleen Heins School of Arts and Science.