| 2005 EXHIBITS ARCHIVE |
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Will Eisner 
Will Eisner Last of Yesterday Watercolor
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The Art of Comics: October 14 - December 16, 2005 Exhibit Statement: The Art of Comics But First A Warning Entering the realms of comic art is a dangerous thing. Here you will discover a place of magic, a place where boundaries have been thinned and realities altered. Few enduring expressions of America are so instantly recognizable, widely accessible and yet so poorly understood as the comic. Perhaps it is because they do not easily fit fully into any category. They are written as a novel, poetry, or commentary is written. They are created, designed, drawn, colored, and filled with a vast array of art work. They are a chimera of creative forms; a beast of mythic proportions defying reason. They are a place, once entered, that you may never want to leave. The Texture of What Has Been For over one hundred years the comic book has existed in some way. Rooted in commercialism, a sticking-point with those who oppose it as an art form, they are found in every genre imaginable. The comic=s roots, however, should not detract from the fact that there is great skill needed to draw, paint, and write these stories, nor should it detract from the abundant creativity and imaginations that produce the works. It takes great artistic talent to combine text and image in such a fluid way. Will Eisner once wrote, "At the time (1930's) to openly discuss comics as an art form - or indeed to claim any anatomy or legitimacy for them - was considered a gross presumption that only produced ridicule. In the intervening years, however, recognition and acceptance has fertilized the soil and the sequential art-comics is at the threshold of belonging to the cultural establishment. Comics are still viewed as something lesser or marginal, but this marginal status has also been one of its strengths. Not constrained by traditional artistic rules, comic art styles have a flourishing diversity. As Art Spiegelman once noted, while some considered comics dangerous enough to be censored, they often fly below the critical radar. Artist and writers are free to bend and flex their creative muscles. God Is In The Details In hindsight, I realized I was really only working around one core concept, Will Eisner writes, that the medium, the arrangement of words and pictures in a sequence was an art form itself. Unique, with a structure and gestalt of its own, this medium could deal with meaningful themes. It is an extraordinary form of storytelling that mixes both the written word and imagery in a seamless flow of narrative. In this combination if narrative elements the comic book can relinquish some degree of control to the audience that movies, television, theater, and records do not. Yet it can draw on the power of imagery. Writer Sean Hawes once described this power thus, "the words hang in the air; time frozen as we linger on the panel. Once we have absorbed the mood, and only then, do we move on. This is not something we do even when reading a novel; there is no looking to give respite from the more linear act of pure reading . . . Images can invite the reader to reflect, to slowdown, in a way that pure text never will." The frames and panels of comic art are allowed to take on their own dimensions. There is no interruption in the narrative because the text and the art are totally dependent on each other as to be inseparable for even a moment. This detail, this distinguished aspect of the medium, is what sets it apart from any other artistic endeavor. Because They Have Power Storytellers seek to shed new light on stories that we are already familiar with. All narratives are universal; they are the hero myths, the cosmic struggles, the fairy tales, and the heart and soul of life. Many of the stories found in comic art, and the characters within them, are part of our collective iconography, and an intimate part of personal iconographies As children we hear about the handsome princes, the fair maidens, the old witches, and the enchanted beasts. G.K. Chesterton pointed out that these stories are not true. They are much more then true. Not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be defeated. And somewhere between childhood and becoming a "responsible adult" we forget that heroes, maidens, enchanted beasts, and even wicked witches are important. They are who we are. We are confused Peter Parker, lonely Bruce Wayne, bumbling Clark Kent, and everyone of us is a student at Xavier's school for the gifted. What we are not, but wish we could be is Spider-man, Batman, Superman, or a member of the X-Men. There is a bit of the Joker, Lex Luthor, the Hulk, and Magneto in all of us. We are affected by the Endless, trapped inside the Matrix, and seeking to keep our Incredible families together. Comic art is our art. There is no need for critical theories or exaggerated explanations. Comics are stories. They are our stories. And they should be told. |
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Frank McEntire Salt Sutra Mixed Media Installation |
Regions of the Mind: September 2 - 30, 2005 One of the stunning dynamics of contemporary art is the non-conformity of individual perspective. That one mind envisions things in one way and another mind in quite another gives birth to an array of thoughts (and their resulting expressions) none just like another. This exhibition presents these sometime vastly different cerebral explorations as though one were traveling through the conceptual spaces of different brains. It is not unlike the sci-fi film Fantastic Voyage where miniaturized scientists traveled through the vascular system of a man to perform a life-saving surgery - only here patrons are moving through an exhibition of one vein of particular thought into another region of possibilities as presented by another artist/mind. While some sculpture is primarily formalist in its intent, the works in this exhibit have been selected because of the mimetic or conceptual potential that is implied by the work’s existence. Many of the works serve as a catalyst to the ideas and relationships of current attention to the various artists. The exhibit contains both objects and installations presented in a way that promotes a movement from one arena of thought to another, from one context to another – moving through dark passages to regions of illumination. Death, transcendence, stability, religion, passage, light, and thought itself each are subjects scrutinized with an artist’s mind. The resulting works of art are worthy of contemplation and promise a feast of thought for the museum patron. |
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Cassandra Barney Georgette Oil on Panel |
The Truth About Real Art July 8 - August 26, 2005 Twelve MFA graduates from Brigham Young University’s art department intend to expose “The Truth About Real Art” during a two-month exhibition at the UVSC Woodbury Art Museum. The group consists of painters and sculptors who believe homes and offices should house original and affordable art instead of “department store printed pictures.” Their purpose is to expose the community to a wide variety of contemporary styles and media that are reasonably priced with the hope of changing the general population’s attitude about art. “We live in a very conservative place that could possibly be art-phobic,” writes Donna Corno, “art is creative, truthful, inspiring, and original.” The group meets together four times a year to discuss and critique each other’s work. Since they live and work across the state, these meetings allow them to stay connected. They encourage one another to pursue their art with “passion, vigor and expertise,” as quoted in their exhibition proposal. Corno and eleven others - Brad Taggart, Todd Orchard, Joanne Smith, Nanette Olson, Corey Bowman, Jason Lanegan, Pam Bowman, Cassandra Barney, Brett Larsen, Ron Rogers, and Alta Jaccard – agree their mission is an uphill struggle, but “we’re persistent.” |
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Rebekka Seigel Rachel Carson: Woman of Conscience Quilt |
Lucille T. Stoddard Women's Exhibition May 6 - June 30, 2005 The UVU Woodbury Art Museum will have the pleasure and honor of hosting the country’s most renowned paper doll quilt artist this May and June. Rebekka Seigel of Kentucky is the featured artist for the Lucille T. Stoddard Women’s Exhibit, which runs from May 6 to June 30, 2005. “Her quilts appeal to the traditional quilt maker as well as to the novice and experienced art patron,” says Elizabeth Nelson, Interim Director of the museum. The public will be especially pleased to hear that Rebekka will be sharing her talents via a three-day workshop open to anyone, also hosted at the museum from Jun 16-18. “I started making quilts over 25 years ago, and my grandmother taught me the basics, but I left the traditional focus of my grandmother’s work to express my own personal view of the world through my quilts,” she explains. Her newest series, which took six years to complete and is entitled Women’s Work, will be on display at the museum. It features 12 quilts, each one honoring a woman of the 20th century whose life changed the fields of art, science, sports, politics, and human rights. Their stories are told through the garments they wore. In addition to presenting a hands-on workshop, Rebekka will lecture about this latest series, expounding on the process and reason for creation. |
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Jacob Jones Montana Legend Charcoal |
UVSC Student Show, High School Jewelry Exhibition, Tap the Talent April 7 - 29, 2005 Three student exhibits will be on display during the month of April at Utah Valley University’s Woodbury Art Museum. The first is the annual UVU Student Exhibit, eligible to anyone enrolled at UVSC during the 2004-2005 school year. “This open-juried exhibit was created as an opportunity for students to have a venue to showcase their creativity and skill, as well as provide a professional experience for those who wish to pursue art as a career,” explains Curator/Interim Director Elizabeth Nelson. There is no restriction on medium, and in years past painting, sculpture, digital, photography, ceramics, stained glass, and mixed media have all been exhibited. The opening reception will be April 7, 2005 from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. at the museum. All are welcome to celebrate with live music and light refreshments; awards will also be announced at that time. This is the second year the museum has hosted the Utah High School Jewelry and Small Metals Exhibit. In the previous 9 years, the exhibit was held at the Utah Museum of Fine Arts. Like the UVSC Student Exhibit, the Utah High School Jewelry and Small Metals Exhibit is an open-juried event for students across the state. Freshmans, Inc. is supporting this project by donating funds for awards. This year’s jurors are Zach Freshman, a professional jeweler and Dennis Zupan, a retired art teacher and professional artist. The opening reception will be April 7, 2005 from 6 pm.m to 8:30 p.m. Awards will be presented at 7 p.m “Tap the Talent” is a program for students in Utah’s Juvenile Correctional Facilities to develop artistic, writing, and social skills. They create a comic book character and write a corresponding story or adventure. These creations are framed and hung, and the stories bound in a folder, for patrons to peruse and enjoy. This is not a juried exhibit, but provides opportunities to showcase the developing talents of the participants. |
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Dennis Zupan Salt-Fired Pot Salt-Fired Ceramics |
Beverly Beesley Woodbury Open February 4 - March 19, 2005 Utah Valley University’s Woodbury Art Museum will honor local artists on Feb. 4 at an exhibit launch for the second annual Beverly Beesley Woodbury Open. The public reception will be from 6-8:30 p.m. at the Museum located in the University Mall in Orem, Utah. The Woodbury Open, a juried exhibition, will feature 157 pieces, in professional and amateur categories, from 60 Utah artists including potter Dennis Zupan and graphic/paint artist Dr. Sherron Hill. Featured art genres will consist of paint, pottery, film and 3-D animation. Awards in various categories will be given to artists at the opening reception. |
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| 2005 EXHIBITS ARCHIVE |
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