Auburn University Faculty Art on Display

AUBURN, Ala.- The Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art presents an opportunity to view the artistry of teachers. Featuring paintings, sculpture, works on paper, ceramics and other media, the exhibition reveals the unique interests and skills by the Department of Art’s diverse studio faculty. The Auburn University Faculty Exhibition will be displayed March 14–May 30, 2009, in the Bill L. Harbert Gallery and Gallery C.

The Department of Art at Auburn University boasts a vibrant community of artists and scholars who not only teach but actively pursue their own art. Success of the department’s mission to foster learning in an environment of innovation, creative inquiry and critical thinking is displayed yearly in the work of its graduating student artists.

This exhibition, held periodically at the museum, is a vital expression of the faculty’s commitment, offering students the chance to witness the close relationship between the classroom and application. This also affords the larger community an inside look at art being produced at Auburn.

Along with the exhibition, Tuesday lectures will be given March 14-May 30. All lectures will be given at 2:30 p.m., unless otherwise noted, in the JSCM auditorium or galleries. Art historians will share their expertise with the audience, and on two separate occasions faculty artists will be in the galleries to discuss their work.

On Tuesday, March 31 at 3:30 p.m., Dr. Joyce de Vries will give a lecture titled “Material Culture and Consumption Practices in Early Modern Italy.”Joyce de Vries holds a PhD in the history of art from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Her research concerns the art and visual culture of Early Modern (14-17th century) Italy, and, in particular, issues associated with visual constructions of gender and the historical importance of the decorative arts. She received a National Endowment for the Humanities grant to support her book project on female patronage, and regularly presents her research at national and international conferences and symposia.

On April 7, a lecture titled “On The House: Space, Memory, and Identity in the Ancient Maya World” will be given by Dr. Cynthia Kristan-Graham. From the ordinary house to the more ornate palace, domestic space was a resonant symbol in Maya culture. Houses can be understood as tangible building blocks that reify intangible memories and principles that structure family and society. The talk will focus on the speaker’s current work at Chichén Itzá, a late Maya capital in the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico. Cynthia Kristan-Graham received B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. degrees in Art History from the University of California at Los Angeles.

Various artist from the Auburn University faculty will speak about their work in the JCSM galleries on April 14.

On April 21, Dr. Kathryn Floyd will present the lecture “Photographs of Art Exhibitions.” Floyd is an assistant professor of art history at Auburn University specializing in modern and contemporary art in Europe, the United States, and Africa. She has a particular interest in the history of art exhibitions and museums. Her dissertation "Between Change and Continuity: Documenta 1955-2005" chronicles the history of the German periodic exhibition "Documenta." She received her Ph.D. in 2006 from the University of Iowa.

Fourteen faculty studio artists will speak about their work on April 28.

On May 5, Dr. Susan Braden will give a lecture on “Alabama Small Towns: Working within the Ideals of Development and Historic Preservation.” Dr. Braden, who recently retired from the art department, taught art history at Auburn for 20 years. Her major interest is in American art and architecture. Her book Florida resort architecture: Architecture of Leisure was published by University Press of Florida in 2002. She is the Alabama representative to Southeastern Society of Architectural Historians.

IMPORTANT DATES
• March 14, 2009- Auburn University Faculty Exhibition Opens
• March 31, 2009- Lecture: “Material Culture and Consumption Practices in Early Modern Italy” by Dr. Joyce De Vries
• April 7, 2009- Lecture: “On The House: Space, Memory, and Identity in the Ancient Maya World” by Cynthia Kristan-Graham
• April 14- Auburn University Department of Art studio artists speak about their work in the JCSM galleries.
• April 21- Lecture : “Photographs of Art Exhibitions” by Kathryn Floyd
• April 28- Auburn University Department of Art studio artists speak about their work in the JCSM galleries.
• May 5- Lecture: “Alabama Small Towns: Working within the Ideals of Development and Historic Preservation” by Susan Braden

For more information visit www.jcsm.auburn.edu

Contact Colleen Bourdeau at cbourdeau@auburn.edu or (334) 844-7075