CURATOR AND CRITIC TOURS CONNECTIVE CONVERSATIONS: INSIDE OREGON ART 2011–2014 THE FORD FAMILY FOUNDATION AND UNIVERSITY OF OREGON 2 3 The Ford Family Foundation’s Visual Arts program honors the interests in the visual arts by Mrs. Hallie Ford, a co-founder of The Foundation. The principal goals are to help enhance the quality of artistic endeavor and body of work by Oregon’s most promising visual artists and to improve Oregon’s visual arts ecology by making strategic investments in Oregon visual arts institutions. The program was launched in 2010, and in 2014 it was extended through TABLE OF CONTENTS 2019. The Foundation supports a range of program components, among them Connective Conversations as part of the Curator and Critic Tours and Lectures Series during which it partners with regionally-based institutions to invite professionals from outside the Northwest to conduct one-on-one studio visits and to join in community conversations. The Ford Family Foundation has collaborated with the University of Oregon School of Architecture and Allied Arts to conduct the Connec- o6 o7 o8 tive Conversations | Inside Oregon Art Series since its launch in 2011. THE FORD FAMILY INTRODUCTION IN THE STUDIO Kate Wagle, Director, George Baker, Curator Critic The Curator and Critic Tours and Lectures Series is the seventh and final FOUNDATION element of The Ford Family Foundation’s Visual Arts Program’s investment in VISUAL ARTS PROGRAM UO School of Architecture Professor of Art History Oregon visual arts institutions. Anne C Kubisch, President, and Allied Arts in Portland University of California This publication is made possible by The Ford Family Foundation and the University of Oregon. The Ford Family Foundation Los Angeles Edited by Kate Wagle Design and Layout by Pace Taylor Photography by Sabina Poole 13 14 24 Advised by Carol Dalu and Kandis Brewer Nunn CURATOR CURATOR CRITIC ARTIST MAP © University of Oregon 2015 CRITIC MAP BIOGRAPHIES ISBN 978-0-87114-182-8 Printed by GHP, Connecticut Previous full page spread: Years and years of pastel dust gather where the wall meets the floor in Rick 25 Bartow’s Oregon Coast studio. ARTISTS The Ford Family Foundation was established in 1957 by Kenneth W. and Hallie E. Ford. Its Mission is “successful citizens and vital rural communities” in Oregon and Siskiyou County, California. The Foundation is located in Roseburg, Oregon, with a Scholarship office in Eugene. For more Marlene Alt 25 Surabhi Ghosh 96 Maynard White Owl David Rosenak 234 information about the Foundation and its Visual Arts Program please visit www.tfff.org. The Foundation Rick Bartow 28 Brian Gillis 100 Lavadour 168 Jack Ryan 238 Avantika Bawa 32 Don Gray 104 Michael Lazarus 172 Michael Salter 242 is the sole funder of its Visual Arts program of which the Curator and Critic Tours is a key component. Pat Boas 36 MK Guth 108 Sylvan Lionni 174 Blair Saxon-Hill 246 It partners with Oregon’s leading visual arts educators, gallerists, museum and arts professionals in Michael Boonstra 40 Liz Haley 112 Charlene Liu 178 Heidi Schwegler 250 certain aspects of program delivery, such as with the University of Oregon. The Foundation does not Christine Bourdette 44 Jesse Hayward 116 Dana Lynn Louis 182 Rick Silva 254 Mike Bray 48 Yuji Hiratsuka 120 Victor Maldonado 186 Tracy Templeton 258 discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, John Brodie 52 Midori Hirose 124 DE May 190 Storm Tharp 262 disability or religion. Sandra Brooke 56 Jessica Jackson Hutchins 128 Mack McFarland 194 James Thompson 266 Karl Burkheimer 60 Garrick Imatani 132 Christopher Michlig 198 Margot Voorhies Cody Bustamante 64 Colin Ives 136 Ahikiko Miyoshi 202 Thompson 270 The University of Oregon is an equal-opportunity, affirmative-action institution committed to cultural Sang-Ah Choi 68 Ethan Jackson 140 Donald Morgan 206 Joe Thurston 274 diversity and compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. This publication is available in Bruce Conkle 72 Shelley Jordon 144 Susan Murrell 210 Lynne Woods Turner 278 accessible formats upon request. Judy Cooke 76 Anya Kivarkis 148 Julia Oldham 214 Kartz Ucci 282 Renee Couture 80 Ryan LaBar 152 Melody Owen 218 Laura Vandenburgh 284 Daniel Duford 84 Cynthia Lahti 156 Brittany Powell Parich 222 Terri Warpinski 288 David Eckard 88 Eva Lake 160 Paula Rebsom 226 Bill Will 292 Tannaz Farsi 92 James Lavadour 164 Vanessa Renwick 230 Amanda Wojick 296 300 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 4 5 ANNE C. KUBISCH KATE WAGLE THE FORD FAMILY FOUNDATION VISUAL ARTS PROGRAM INTRODUCTION In 2014, The Ford Family Foundation concluded the first five creativity, and thus the golden dot that dusts the catalog cover I had an opportunity to read George Baker’s lucid and engaging It’s my hope that this publication delivers a sense of the seriousness, years of funding for its Visual Arts Program, which supports and the map within. essay before sitting down to write this brief introduction to the depth, and professionalism of the artists in this state, because Oregon’s visual artists and enhances the state’s visual arts ecology. A book that follows. He managed to describe everything we had that’s the big message that came through, loud and clear, from strong element of the program was the Curator and Critic Tours We are also indebted to our “kitchen cabinet,” a group of arts hoped this project could be and more, with exceptional clarity artists and visitors alike. There are a number of other things that and grace. we learned (or thought we knew but now are sure of). There is and Lectures Series: 10 respected out-of-state curators and critics professionals who helped frame our overall program and this program element. We are appreciative of the arts professionals great contemporary work, in every imaginable medium, came to Oregon to interact with 69 visual artists in their studios, The Curator and Critic Tours and Lectures program started as a produced here in Oregon, and there are an astonishing number who nominated artists to participate in these studio visits. And provide professional feedback, and offer community lectures. modest proposal to research and connect Oregon artists with of excellent practitioners working throughout the state. Some Equally important, they became more knowledgeable about the certainly we want to thank the curators and critics who devoted current national and global conversations in contemporary art, are very good artists whose work is virtually unknown here, because visual arts in Oregon, which will help the artists make crucial their time and expertise to our artists. one of seven visionary elements of The Ford Family Foundation there’s greater demand and support for what they do in other connections in other markets. Visual Arts Program, supporting Oregon artists and visual arts parts of this country, Europe, and Asia. Conversely, there are Our board of directors has been very pleased with the Visual Arts ecology. When the Foundation’s Kitchen Cabinet put this together, many extraordinary artists practicing in Oregon whose work is This book is The Ford Family Foundation’s opportunity to celebrate Program. We think Hallie Ford (1905–2007), one of the founders we couldn’t have imagined the formidable intelligence and virtually unknown outside of this region. Curators doing exciting insights visitors would bring to professional artists and their work work throughout the United States seize the chance to participate the Oregon artists visited on the tour and to expose many more of the foundation and for whom the program was conceived, would be pleased, too. Therefore, our board has renewed an throughout the state, and the new understandings of the signifi- in this program. Most important for the artists, these visits yield people to their work. Each of the artists has his or her own cance of what’s happening here that those artists would bring to invaluable dialogue and genuine connection to a continuously expanded Visual Arts Program through 2019. We look forward to distinctive voice, yet a common thread ran through the intensely the visitors. evolving discourse. personalized conversations with the curators and critics—hard continuing our partnership with the University of Oregon. We also work. Noted one artist: “The most important thing is the dedi- will begin working with other institutions to bring curatorial and Over the first four years, Connective Conversations became a Some of these visits have resulted in museum acquisitions, solo cation to the studio art practice, because ultimately success is a critical resources to Oregon. We remain committed to advancing singularly interesting and important project, increasing my own shows, and long-term artist-curator relationships, but the primary knowledge of the significant work produced in this region every goal is to ensure that the studio conversations are an opportunity byproduct of how hard you’re willing to work.” Oregon’s visual artists who are engaged in producing new work and the institutions that further their progress by exhibiting and day, and illuminating all of the complex, systemic interactions for Oregon artists to have a direct and private exchange—where necessary to support a rich visual arts culture. In this one program, the work is made, inside of that process—with someone who’s Some components of The Ford Family Foundation Visual Arts preserving their art. which consists of three visits per year, each curator-critic tour involves thinking about what they do in a larger context of critical discourse, Program are carried out directly; others are accomplished in global cultures, politics, history, economics, and a whole collection partnership with visual arts institutions. Such was the case with consultation with regional curators, gallery owners, and artists to of more specific references. The program has illuminated and this series that we undertook with the University of Oregon.