CLS Journal of Museum Studies, Volume 2, Number 1 CLS Journal of Museum Studies, Vol. 2, No. 1. (2008) URL: http://www.ou.edu/cls/jms/ CLS Journal of Museum Studies is currently published online by the College of Liberal Studies, MALS Museum Studies Program, the University of Oklahoma. Your use of the CLS Journal of Museum Studies archives indicates your acceptance of the Terms and Conditions of Use, available at http://www.ou.edu/cls/jms/. Museum professionals, students, and other readers are encouraged to distribute the articles published in this journal as widely as possible, to use them in classes, and to reprint them as needed. For commercial use of any of these articles (e.g., charging for articles, republishing figures, tables, text, etc.), permission must be obtained from the Editor. All questions relating to the journal should be directed to the Editor. Publisher contact information may be obtained at http://www.ou.edu/cls/jms/board.html. Each copy of any part of a CLS Journal of Museum Studies transmission must contain the same copyright notice that appears on the screen or PDF file of such transmission. CLS Journal of Museum Studies is an independent not-for-profit publication dedicated to creating and preserving a digital archive of scholarly articles in the field of museum studies. For more information regarding CLS Journal of Museum studies, please contact Dr. Michael Mares at [email protected] http://www.ou.edu/cls/jms/index.html Publication date: August 13, 2008 i CLS Journal of Museum Studies, Volume 2, Number 1 CLS JOURNAL OF MUSEUM STUDIES Volume 2, Number 1/2008 The CLS Journal of Museum Studies is issued annually (with individual numbers appearing as they are completed) by the College of Liberal Studies, MALS Museum Studies Program of the University of Oklahoma. The CLS Journal of Museum Studies is designed to provide a worldwide e-journal as a publication outlet for students enrolled in the Museum Studies Program of the College of Liberal Studies of the University of Oklahoma. The journal is also designed for use by faculty in the CLS MALS program. Any topic of relevance to the field of museum studies is considered suitable for publication in the journal. Contributions may be solicited by the Editor from museum professionals not affiliated with the MALS Museum Studies Program. All submissions are reviewed by one or more members of the Editorial Board or by outside reviewers. COVER ILLUSTRATION: John F. Kennedy, by Artis Lane (1963). Oil on canvas, 28" x 22". Collection of the artist. Photo by Jerry Schneider. ii CLS Journal of Museum Studies, Volume 2, Number 1 Journal Editor Dr. Michael A. Mares, Research Curator and Former Director, Sam Noble Okla- homa Museum of Natural History, and Presidential Professor, Department of Zo- ology, University of Oklahoma Editorial Board Gail Kana Anderson, Assistant Director/Curator of Collections, Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, University of Oklahoma Marcia Britton, Executive Director, Wyoming Council for the Humanities, Laramie, Wyoming Dr. Wendy Gram, Program Specialist, Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History, University of Oklahoma Dr. Marilyn Ogilvie, Curator, History of Science Collection of Bizzell Library, University of Oklahoma Byron Price, Director, University of Oklahoma Press and Charles M. Russell Cen- ter for the Study of Art of the American West, University of Oklahoma Peter Tirrell, Associate Director, Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History, University of Oklahoma Dr. Mary Jo Watson, Associate Dean, College of Fine Arts, Director, School of Art, and Associate Professor of Art History, University of Oklahoma iii CLS Journal of Museum Studies, Volume 2, Number 1 CLS Journal of Museum Studies, Vol. 2, No. 1. (2008) The CLS Journal of Museum Studies is published annually by the College of Liberal Studies, MALS Museum Studies Program, the University of Oklahoma Dr. Michael A. Mares, Journal Editor Manuscripts submitted for the Journal and all correspondence concerning them should be addressed to Dr. Michael A Mares. Guidelines for contributors are given on the last page of this volume. Copyright © 2008 by the College of Liberal Studies, University of Oklahoma Laid out by Catherine Kerley, on a format established by Dr. Michael A. Mares. iv CLS Journal of Museum Studies, Volume 2, Number 1 CLS Journal of Museum Studies, Vol. 2, No. 1. (2008) Contents Foreword vi Michael A. Mares A Woman’s Journey: The Life and Work of Artis Lane 1 Drew Talley, Jill Moniz, Mar Hollingsworth, and Evelyn Carter The Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History University of Oklahoma Foreword Michael A. Mares Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History and Department of Zoology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK E-mail: [email protected] orking with graduate students in a program of museum studies is one of the most exciting things a faculty mem- ber can do. The University of Oklahoma’s College of Liberal Studies’ Masters in Museum Studies Program is Wa completely Web-based program, designed for adult students, many of whom are already working in museums. Classes are bound neither by walls nor time as professor and students interact across the virtual world. During Forward: Michael A. Mares any one of my classes, I may be corresponding with students across 16 time zones. Additionally, students may be employed by art museums, historic houses, natural history museums, government museums, or other cultural organizations. One student was the director of a submarine museum and another worked for a museum no one could visit without a security clearance—the Museum of the Central Intelligence Agency. The only thing about which we can be certain is that both the students and the professors are learning new things as the educa- tional enterprise unfolds across the electronic universe. The latest publication of the CLS Journal of Museum Studies is a good example of the interesting and diverse topics pursued by our graduate students. Sad to say, I knew nothing about Artis Lane before I began working with Drew Talley as he prepared his thesis and worked to get it into shape for publishing. I was introduced to a remarkable artist with an outstanding history of making major contributions to art using many media. I found her story compelling and her art uplifting. I am pleased that this very gifted artist is having part of her story told in this number of the CLS Journal of Museum Studies. Once again, I have been en- riched by my students. The Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History University of Oklahoma vii A Woman’s Journey: The Life and Work of Artis Lane Drew Talley, Jill Moniz, Mar Hollingsworth, and Evelyn Carter Drew Talley California African American Museum 600 State Drive, Exposition Park • Los Angeles, CA 90037 E-mail: [email protected] Jill Moniz P.O. Box 4911 Culver City, CA 90230 Mar Hollingsworth California African American Museum 600 State Drive, Exposition Park • Los Angeles, CA 90037 E-mail: [email protected] Evelyn Carter [email protected] he California African American Museum honored one woman’s jour- ney to explore and reveal the divine in her body of work. A Woman’s Journey: the Life and Work of Artis Lane celebrated Lane’s 50-year artistic career and documented the evolution of form from mere image to Tethereal symbol. The exhibition centered on the body, especially its hierarchical positions manifested in purely physical form—figures laden with emotion and persona—and finally as the essence of a greater consciousness. The artwork mir- rors Lane’s own progression from the secular to the sacred and secures her posi- tion as one of California’s most thoughtful and prolific living artists. Artis Lane is a phenomenon. At 80 years of age, she is a significant presence in visual art, having lived and worked as an artist for most of her life. Her patron base is for- midable, painting presidents, first ladies, and many of the nation’s elite, including the Getty’s, the Annenberg’s, the Hammer’s, and Oprah Winfrey. No other black woman artist can boast such longevity and access. Numerous celebrities have posed for Lane’s portraits, each interaction helping to sustain her, while her exposure to diverse aesthetic principles influenced her con- cepts of the body and furthered her ontological and artistic pursuits. In this latter effort, she honors a woman’s body as temple, and through her sculpture, Lane reveals to men their potential for divinity. 1 CLS Journal of Museum Studies, Volume 2, Number 1 Abstract. The California African American Museum (CAAM) in Los Angeles organ- ized a retrospective exhibition featuring the artwork of Artis Lane. The decision to cu- rate a retrospective was based upon her longevity in the fine arts arena and her prolific work in the public sector. This first retrospective of the Black Canadian-American was an exploration of an artist’s work that expands over fifty years. The exhibition in- cluded self-portraits, as well as representations of family and friends; busts and paint- ings of historical figures and celebrities; and studio nudes. It featured both drawings and sculptures, from traditional to more abstract that evolved into her current work of metaphysical sculptural pieces. For popular culture interest it featured a gallery of painted portraits, including Oprah Winfrey, Aretha Franklin, and President John Fitzgerald Kennedy. The retrospective exhibition was shown at the California African American Museum from September 27, 2007 through March 9, 2008. Lane’s ultimate goal is to portray intangible spiritual elements, wherein godly characteristics can define the soul. Her work can be seen as a pedagogical instru- ment to guide viewers toward a universal understanding of the power of truth and righteousness.