Heard a lot of banging, drilling, and general construction noise while in the Shwayder Art Building recently? Have you tried to visit the gallery in the last two weeks only to find the doors closed and locked? No, we aren’t participating in spring cleaning at the gallery, but preparing for the opening of two exhibitions this Thursday! At 5pm, Thursday, April 1st (no this is not an April Fool’s Joke) “Master Watercolors from the Jan Perry Mayer Collection of Works on Paper” and “Faculty Collects” will both open to the public.
“Master Watercolors” is the final student curated exhibition for the year and is curated by Janie Askew, Caitlyn Whaley, and Kate Ninneman. The three students have selected works from the collection of Denver-based collector Jan Perry Mayer to examine how watercolors are used by artists in different ways. Highlights of the show include John Singer Sargent’s The Great Fountain of Bologna (1906) and James McNeill Whistler’s Blue and Silve–Afternoon, The Channel (1885).
“Faculty Collects” is an exhibition of sixteen unique collections from the School of Art & Art History and other DU faculty and staff. Some of the unique collections include vibrators and hotel keys. The exhibition is an investigation on the function of objects in collections to inspire other art works and as sources for research and intellectual inquiry. “Faculty Collects” asks why we collect and invites us to look closer at our choice in objects for collection. Do you collect anything? When did your collection start? How do you use it? What have you learned from your collection?
Well, there still is a lot to do in the gallery so it’s back to work for me. Make sure to set a reminder for the opening reception tomorrow, Thursday, April 1st, from 5-8pm. You would be a “fool” not to!