UA Museum exhibit explores art in the making
May 9, 2012
907-474-6941
5/7/12
An exhibit opening May 12 at the University of Alaska Museum of the North follows five Fairbanks artists as they take their work from concept to completion. Art in the Making offers visitors an opportunity to become part of the art-making process.
“It is easy to feel isolated from a work of art if you don't know anything about the artist or how the piece was made,” said fine arts curator Mareca Guthrie. “I'd like this exhibit to personalize the experience of seeing the art, as if the audience has been transported to the artist’s home and given a chance to watch them work, ask questions and flip through their sketchbooks.”
By juxtaposing a finished work of art, video of its creation, the tools used and the voice of the artist, the exhibit aims to transform a single moment of enjoyment into a deeper appreciation. The artists profiled include Teresa Shannon, ceramicist; Glen Simpson, mask maker; Alfred Skondovitch, painter; Adam Ottavi, photographer; and Sara Tabbert, printmaker.
Guthrie said the artists represent a wide variety of media from different ranges of experience and perspective. “The focus is on the importance and value of the process as a whole rather than on the individual works of art. I hope people walk away wanting to try making something themselves.”
Art in the Making will be on display in the Special Exhibits Gallery until Dec. 1.
Guthrie hopes it will be a unique experience for museum-goers. “Artwork in a museum tends to focus on historical importance or mastery. I'd like this exhibit to be a celebration of the tools, traditions and the thousands of small decisions that are at the core of making art.”
ADDITIONAL CONTACTS: Mareca Guthrie, fine arts curator, at 907-474-5102 or via email at mrguthrie@alaska.edu.
ON THE WEB: museum.uaf.edu
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