Art and technology meet at "A Bloomington Biennial"
Founded in 1895, the Indiana University Henry Radford Hope School of Fine Arts is the third-oldest university art department in the United States. The first exhibition of faculty artists was held in 1948, and regularly scheduled faculty exhibitions have been a feature of the IU Art Museum's exhibition program ever since. A Bloomington Biennial: Faculty Artists from IU's Hope School of Fine Arts features a diverse range of works by approximately 30 current and emeriti faculty artists and will be on display in the IU Art Museum's Special Exhibitions Gallery Jan. 27 through March 11.
"A caelo usque ad centrum (2006)" by Margaret Dolinsky. Digital artists oils. Collection of the artist. Dolinsky, assistant professor of digital art at Indiana University Bloomington, is one of the artists who will be featured in a faculty exhibition at the IU Art Museum.
Coinciding with Bloomington's annual campus-community arts festival ArtsWeek, which will be held from Feb. 21 to March 3, and in keeping with this year's festival theme, "Technology and the Arts," A Bloomington Biennial will address the interaction of art with science and technology.
Jenny McComas, curator of this year's faculty exhibition, said, "Considering the role of science and technology in art seemed like an intriguing challenge and an interesting way to frame a large group exhibition of diverse artworks in many media."
Many IU faculty artists consciously utilize new technologies, such as digital media, while others strenuously avoid it, preferring more traditional modes of expression, such as oil painting. Whether their work involves meticulously hand-crafting a piece of jewelry or exploring the possibilities of the iPod, the work of IU's fine arts faculty is a testament to the richness and variety of contemporary art.
"Reservoir (2006)" by Betsy Stirratt. Oil on panel. 38 3/4" x 48". Collection of the artist.
An opening reception for the exhibition will be held on Jan. 26 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the museum's Thomas T. Solley Atrium. Additionally, as part of its continuing Noon Talk series, the museum will present a gallery talk by Margaret Dolinsky, assistant professor of digital art, about her work using projecting systems. The talk, titled "Projecting Metaphors," will take place on Jan. 31, from 12:15 p.m. to 1 p.m. in the Special Exhibitions Gallery on the first floor. Pre-registration is not needed and the event is free and open to the public.
Participating faculty this year include:
Edward Bernstein, printmaking
Christyl Boger, ceramics
Paul Brown, graphic design
Margaret Dolinsky, digital media
Stephanie Dotson, printmaking
Jenny El-Shamy, graphic design
Barry Gealt, painting
William Itter, fundamentals
Jerald Jacquard, sculpture
Nicole Jacquard, jewelry/metalsmithing
Tim Kennedy, painting
Randy Long, jewelry/metalsmithing
Martha MacLeish, fundamentals
Timothy Mather, ceramics
Galo Moncayo, sculpture
Althea Murphy-Price, printmaking
Osamu James Nakagawa, photography
Lara Nguyen, fundamentals
Rudy Pozzatti, printmaking
James Reidhaar, graphic design
Rowland Ricketts, textiles
Shoji Satake, ceramics
Leslie Sharpe, digital media
Bonnie Sklarski, painting
Joan Sterrenburg, fundamentals
Malcolm Mobutu Smith, ceramics
Betsy Stirratt, academic specialist/SoFA Gallery director
Mariana Tres, photography
Caleb Weintraub, painting
Jeffrey Wolin, photography
Mike Wsol, sculpture
"Silver Cherry Blossoms Brooch (2005)" by Randy Long. Fine silver, sterling silver, 2" x 2 3/8." Collection of the artist.
About the Indiana University Art Museum:
With collections ranging from ancient gold jewelry and African masks to paintings by Claude Monet and Pablo Picasso, the Indiana University Art Museum is located on 7th Street in the heart of the Bloomington campus. The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m., and Sunday from noon until 5 p.m., and includes Angles Café & Gift Shop. The museum is closed on Mondays and major holidays. Admission is always free and open to the public. More information on all exhibitions and programs can be found at http://www.artmuseum.iu.edu.
