2014

Land Grant Landscapes: Pre-1950 American Landscapes from the Benton Collection

October 23–December 14, 2014

As the State Museum of Connecticut located on the campus of one of the first land-grant universities to be established by the Morrill Act of 1862, the Benton is uniquely situated to present an exhibition that explores the symbolic power of land’s representation. The works on view consider changing ideologies of land ownership and land function in America during the era of industrialization and urbanization. Included in the exhibition are paintings by artists of the Hudson River School, American Impressionism, and the Ashcan School.

Opening Reception: Thursday, October 23, 4:30 – 7 pm

Image Credit from Home Page:  Emil Carlson (1853-1932). Late Fall Day in Windham. Oil on Canvas. Louis Crombie Beach Memorial Fund.

 

Painting by Ernest Lawson (1873 - 1939). Titled: Low Tide, 1898. Oil on Canvas. Credit: Louis Crombie Beach Memorial Fund
Ernest Lawson (1873 – 1939). Low Tide, 1898. Oil on Canvas. Louis Crombie Beach Memorial Fund
Maurice Brazil Prendergast (American, 1859–1924), Sunday Afternoon, c. 1910–1913. Oil on panel. Gift of Mrs. Eugenie Prendergast.
Maurice Brazil Prendergast (American, 1859–1924), Sunday Afternoon, c. 1910–1913. Oil on panel. Gift of Mrs. Eugenie Prendergast.

CHEM 101: The Science of Photography

October 23 – December 14, 2014

Since the medium’s invention in 1839, photography has often had one foot in the lab and the other foot in the studio, combining the science of image-making with the aesthetics of art-making. This exhibition celebrates both sides of the photographic process and features the work of contemporary photographers who experiment with traditional chemical processes and innovative approaches to the printed image. These photographers lay bare the chemical origins of their medium to offer work that is both visually striking and awesomely scientific. Featured artists include Ellen Carey, Kate Cordsen, John Cyr, Jonathan Kline, Michelle Kloehn, Amanda Means, Mariah Robertson, Alison Rossiter, and Jerry Spagnoli.

CHEM 101 is a collaboration with UConn’s Department of Chemistry.

Opening Reception October 23, 4:30–7 pm

Image Credit from Home Page: Ellen Carey (American, b. 1952). Dings & Shadows, 2013. Color photograms (C-prints). Courtesy of the artist and Jayne H. Baum Gallery, NYC, NY.

 

Jesseca Ferguson  (American, b. 1949).   The Moon, 1999 Collage with pinhole ware cyanotype print, Collection of The William Benton Museum of Art
Jesseca Ferguson (American, b. 1949). The Moon, 1999. Collage with pinhole ware cyanotype print. Collection of The William Benton Museum of Art.
Barbara Jaffe (American, b. 1942). Dark Sun #18, 1992 Chromogenic color print on Fuji crystal color paper   Collection of The William Benton Museum of Art
Barbara Jaffe (American, b. 1942). Dark Sun #18, 1992. Chromogenic color print on Fuji crystal color paper. Collection of The William Benton Museum of Art Museum purchase.
Jerry Spagnoli (American, b. 1956). 2/16/12, 2012 Daguerreotype. Courtesy of the artist.
Jerry Spagnoli (American, b. 1956). 2/16/12, 2012
Daguerreotype. Courtesy of the artist.

Victory is a Question of Stamina: Posters from the First World War

September 2 – October 12, 2014

July 28, 2014 marks the 100th anniversary of the start of World War I, a global conflict that lasted more than four years and claimed 37 million lives. In recognition of the centenary, The William Benton Museum of Art presents a selection of posters from The Great War contextualized with contemporary photographs and artifacts. As one of the primary and most effective means of communication with the public, posters were used by the United States government to encourage participation in all aspects of the war effort. This exhibition, which takes its title from a slogan used by the U.S. Food Administration in support of voluntary food rationing, focuses on the role of women in that undertaking and others essential to the allied victory.

Joan of Arc Poster: Women of America save your country. Buy war savings stamps.
William Haskell Coffin (American, 1878–1941), Joan of Arc Saved France, 1918. Color lithograph poster. Gift of Robert Elson.

 

The 48th Annual Art Department Faculty Exhibition

September 2 – October 12, 2014

This yearly exhibition presents the work of the permanent faculty in the Art and Art History Department. A variety of media are featured, including painting, sculpture, illustration, graphic design, printmaking, photography, and installation art. Such diverse bodies of work represent the most significant directions in contemporary art, as well as the unique vision of each artist-­faculty member. Charles Hagen (Photography) and Edvin Yegir (Design) return from sabbatical as this year’s featured artists.

Charles Hagan sculpture
Charles Hagen, Legs, Villa Doria Pamphilj, 2014. Photograph. Courtesy of the artist.

Stagecraft: 50 Years of Design at Hartford Stage

Stagecraft banner

May 23–August 10, 2014

The William Benton Museum of Art at the University of Connecticut at Storrs is celebrating The Hartford Stage Company’s 50th anniversary season with the exhibition Stagecraft: 50 Years of Design at Hartford Stage, on view from May 23 through August 10, 2014.

The Benton, the final stop on Stagecraft’s statewide tour, has the distinction of presenting a widely expanded exhibition that includes costumes surrounded by scenic elements plus a behind-the-scenes video of major players from the Stage’s most loved productions, audio commentaries by actors and designers, large props (including the armillary from Twelfth Night), and the idea boards from the prop shop.

The exhibition was curated by Jessica Palmer, with the Benton curatorial staff.

Kate MacCluggage in Marivaux’s La Dispute (2013)
Kate MacCluggage in Marivaux’s La Dispute (2013)
photo by T. Charles Erickson

 

Unclaimed Space: The 2014 Master of Fine Arts Exhibition

April 5–May 11, 2014

Unclaimed Space: The 2014 Master of Fine Arts Exhibition showcases the cutting-edge works of Micah Cash, Julia DePinto, Jared Holt, Shane Morrissey, and Reagen Elizabeth O’Reigaeken.

Micah Cash is both a painter and photographer with a focus on landscapes and their social meaning. He received his BFA in Painting and Art History from the University of South Carolina.

Julia DePinto says her work focuses on the idea of “new spaces” and “the interaction between form and media,” incorporating many deep psychological concepts. She received her BFA in Printmaking from Wright State University in Dayton, OH.

Jared Holt is completing his MFA studies in Interdisciplinary Studies. His work ranges from small sculptures to large installations. In creating his art, he hopes to inspire questions and curiosity from the viewer.

Shane Morrissey is a sculptor whose work is inspired by his experiences and recollections. He uses a variety of materials as he tries to “convey impressions of past events.” He received his BFA in 2009 from the Maryland Institute College of Art.

Reagen Elizabeth O’Reigaekn is receiving her MFA in Artifacts and Evidence. She is inspired by David Kellogg Lewis’ theory of modal realism and reduction of alethic modality and says her works are “contemplations on emptiness.” She completed her BFA at Montserrat College of Art in MA.

Ronnie Wood: Art and Music

March 28–August 10, 2014

Best known as a musician with The Rolling Stones and formerly with The Faces, Ronnie Wood is also an accomplished artist who works in a variety of media and exhibits regularly in galleries and museums. This exhibition features an exciting selection of paintings, lithographs, and pen-and-ink drawings by Wood as well as photographs and an exclusive message from him whilst touring with The Stones on their “14 on Fire” tour of Australia and Asia.

Exhibition catalogs are available for purchase at $10 including tax at the museum store. To order, please call 860-486-4520.  Shipping and handling charges apply to mail orders.

Ronnie Wood: Art and Music

This exhibition is made possible by Pratt Contemporary, UK and Washington Green Gallery, UK.

Ronnie Wood, Electric Horses, 2013, canvas.
Ronnie Wood, Electric Horses, 2013, canvas, courtesy of Washington Green Fine Art, UK
Photo of Ronnie Wood painting
Ronnie Wood, Electric Horses, 2013, canvas, courtesy of Washington Green Fine Art, UK

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ronnie Wood painting
Ronnie Wood, a self portrait.

 

 

Persepolis: Word and Image

January 21 – March 16, 2014
A UConn Reads Exhibition

Inspired by both the format and content of Persepolis, the graphic novel and coming-of-age memoir by Marjane Satrapi, Persepolis: Word & Imagedraws from the Benton’s permanent collection to present some of the ways that text and art have functioned historically. Also featured are works on loan from several contemporary Iranian artists, including Pouran Jinchi, Shirin Neshat, Afarin Rahmanifar, and Hadieh Shafie, for whom text is intrinsic to their practice.

Persepolis: Word & Image is supported by the UConn Reads Steering Committee and Leila Heller Gallery, NYC.

Pouran Jinchi. Untitled 18 (Entropy Series), 2012. Acrylic and ink on canvas. Courtesy of the artist and Leila Heller Gallery.
Pouran Jinchi. Untitled 18 (Entropy Series), 2012. Acrylic and ink on canvas. Courtesy of the artist and Leila Heller Gallery.

Making the Movement Move: Photography, Student Activism, and Civil Rights

January 21 – March 30, 2014

Making the Movement Move: Photography, Student Activism, and Civil Rights highlights the powerful images of Ernest Withers and Danny Lyon, two prominent photographers active both as observers of and participants in the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s. This exhibition considers the multifaceted ways visual images contributed to the efforts of young civil rights activists who daringly challenged the status quo.

Making the Movement Move was organized in collaboration with Professor Michael Orwicz’s independent study course and is made possible with generous support from Connecticut Humanities; Sheldron and Helen Seplowitz; Human Rights Institute, UConn; University of Connecticut Humanities Institute; Thomas J. Dodd Research Center, UConn; and Michael Lee, Lee Gallery.

SNCC sit-in at a Toddle House restaurant, Atlanta, 1963
Danny Lyon, Untitled [SNCC sit-in at a Toddle House restaurant, Atlanta, 1963], gelatin silver print. Collection of Sheldron and Helen Seplowitz.