Mississippi Women

Untitled, n.d., by Mae Helen Flowers. On loan from the Collection of Carolyn Carothers.

Untitled, n.d., by Mae Helen Flowers. On loan from the Collection of Carolyn Carothers.

 

Mississippi Women highlights works by fifteen Mississippi women artists of the 20th century. For most, their gender, geographic origin, and timeline are where their similarities end. Their choice of mediums vary widely from painting on a pair of shoes, to the traditional oil on canvas, or encaustic pigmented wax on copper plate. A strong Southern Baptist faith may play a central theme in one artist’s work, while other artists have chosen nonrepresentational styles such as decorative post minimalism or abstract expressionism.

Meditations on the Landscape in Art and Literature

 

Friends of the Museum
FRIENDS OF THE MUSEUM PRESENTS

Meditations on the Origins of Agriculture in America
meditations title

Celebrating the acquisition of William Dunlap’s Meditations on the Origins of Agriculture in America at the University of Mississippi Museum

March 25–July 27, 2019

Opening Reception: Monday, March 25, 4:00–5:45 p.m.

William Dunlap, Curator. Featuring works by: John Alexander, Walter Anderson, Jason Bouldin, Marshall Bouldin, Andrew Blanchard, Charlie Buckley, Jane Rule Burdine, Linda Burgess, William Christenberry, Langdon Clay, Maude Schuyler Clay, Ed Croom, Warren Dennis, William Dunlap, William Eggleston, William Ferris, Huger Foote, Michael Ford, Gilbert Gaul, Rolland Golden, William Goodman, Theora Hamblett, William Hollingsworth, Marie Hull, O.W. Pappy Kitchens, Jack Kotz, Terry Lynn, John McCrady, Robert Malone, Sally Mann, Milly West, Tom Rankin, R. Kim Rushing, Jack Spencer, Glennray Tutor, Wyatt Waters, Eudora Welty, Brooke White, and Carlyle Wolfe.

Friends of the Museum logoMississippi Arts Commission logoNational Parks Service logo

The acquisition of William Dunlap’s artwork was supported in part by funding from the Mississippi Arts Commission, through the Avery B. Dille Jr. Fund for Art Acquisition, in memory of Mr. Avery B. Dille Sr., Mrs. Katherine T. Dille, and Avery B. Dille Jr. Friends of the Museum and the artist contributed to the acquisition. Friends of the Museum is sponsoring the exhibition, symposium, and related activities. Funding partially provided by the National Park Service.

The Art of Identification  |  David Allen Sibley

Blackpoll Warbler and Bay-breasted Warbler from The Sibley Guide to Birds, 2014

February 26–October 5, 2019

Opening Reception: Thursday, February 28, 2019, 5:30-7:30 p.m.
Meet the Artist and Gallery Walkthrough: Tuesday, April 2, 2019, 7-9:00 p.m.
Understanding Birds through Drawing: Thursday, April 4, 2019, 5:30 p.m.

The Art of Identification, a collection of watercolors by celebrated bird illustrator, ornithologist, and author David Allen Sibley, is on view at the University of Mississippi Museum beginning February 26.

The exhibit will display 25 original paintings from the Sibley Guides to Birds and Trees, as well as a few earlier works from the illustrator.

“Mr. Sibley exhibits in museums very infrequently, so this is a particularly great opportunity for Oxford and [the University],” said Robert Saarnio, director of the University of Mississippi Museum. “There is an appeal of partnering with such a wide range of organizations and we saw immediately the possibility of other related elements in the Permanent Collection supporting this show, such as recently-gifted, but not yet displayed, Audubon prints, and our Boehm ceramic birds collection.”

The UM Museum will host an opening reception on Thursday, February 28 at 5:30pm to celebrate the exhibit, which is on view until September 7, 2019. Sibley will visit the museum in April for several appearances and events, including a gallery walkthrough on April 2, a step-by-step demonstration on April 4, as well as to meet with students and local birding groups in the area. A full schedule of events can be found under the events tab.

“For me drawing is a tool, a method of study. It helps me to really dig in and develop an understanding of the things I am drawing, and the simple act of sketching has led to all kinds of discoveries,” Sibley said.

“Ultimately, I think the reward of studying nature is the chance to feel like a part of something bigger: to understand the patterns and rhythms of the natural world, to know what part each bird or tree is playing, and to see our own lives in that context.”

Sibley has authored and illustrated a series of guides for bird watchers and enthusiasts, which includes five volumes birds and one on trees. The Sibley Guides began publication in 2000 and have become one of the most accomplished guides for ornithological field identification in North America.

“I hope that sharing my illustrations through my books and through this exhibit acts as an introduction to the birds and trees that share our neighborhoods, allowing everyone to appreciate their place in the wider natural world,” Sibley added.

Local and regional bird and conservation organizations, including the Strawberry Plains Audubon Center in Holly Springs, Miss., Delta Wind Birds, and the Mississippi Ornithological Society, are equally excited to share Sibley’s knowledge and illustrations with the Oxford community.

“One could say the depth of Audubon’s legacy is carried today by David Allen Sibley, whose detailed avian portraits are equally field guides and works of art,” said Mitch Robinson, Conservation Education Manager at SPAC.

“John James Audubon, the namesake of the National Audubon Society, was the first European to document, draw and bring to life the diverse abundance of avian life in North America, inspiring awe and wonder in naturalists and bird lovers alike for over two centuries,” he added.

Admission to the UM Museum, as well as to the opening reception, is free. The galleries are open every Tuesday through Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Be among the first to know about upcoming events, exhibits, and workshops by becoming a member and supporting the mission of Mississippi’s largest academic museum.

The UM Museum is located at the intersection of 5th Street and University Avenue. For more information, call 662-915-7073 or email museum@olemiss.edu. 

by Victoria Bobo

Visual Abundance: Realism in Watercolor

Cherries, Tulips, Silver, Crystal and Dutch Vase

Cherries, Tulips, Silver, Crystal and Dutch Vase

January 22–August 3, 2019

Opening Reception and Gallery Walkthrough with Artist: Thursday, January 31, 2019, 5:30–7:30 p.m.

The work of realist painter Laurin McCracken is influenced by the Dutch and Flemish still life painters of the 16th and 17th centuries. Before a serious commitment to the medium of watercolor in 2000, McCracken was a successful architect and a part-time photographer. He attended Auburn University and earned his Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Architecture from Rice University. He followed that with a Masters in Architecture and Urban Planning from Princeton University. His work as a practicing architect and as a photographer allowed him to travel extensively in Europe, the Middle East, and Japan. His photographs have been widely published in architectural journals, as book covers, and as book illustrations.

Although McCracken did not take up watercolor until later in life, his existing skills in drawing, photography, and observation provided a strong foundation for his mastery of the medium. He studied with Gwenn Bragg at the Art League School in Alexandria, Virginia, and with Alain Gavin at the Art Institute of Chicago. He also carefully studied the works of still life masters who inspired his work.

McCracken’s paintings have won many awards and have been exhibited in juried shows from coast to coast and internationally. Shows include those of the American Watercolor Society, the National Watercolor Society, the Transparent Watercolor Society, the Philadelphia Watercolor Society, the Niagara Frontier Watercolor Society, the Adirondacks National Exhibition of American Watercolors, and the Southern Watercolor Society. His paintings have also been included in many competitive international shows, including the Beijing International Art Biennale 2010, 2011, 2015, 2017; the Shenzhen International Watercolor Biennial 2012, 2014; the Thailand World Watermedia Exhibition 2014; and the Masters of Watercolour 2015, St. Petersburg, Russia.

McCracken is the current president of the Watercolor USA Honor Society and the Country Leader for the USA for the Fabriano in Acquarello in Fabriano, Italy. He is a signature member of more than a dozen watercolor societies.

A native of Meridian, Mississippi, McCracken currently resides and paints in Fort Worth, Texas.

Read more about Visual Abundance: Realism in Watercolor here.

A Long Road Back

The Wedding Dance, 2014

The Wedding Dance, 2014

 

August 21–December 8, 2018

Opening Reception: Thursday, September 13, 2018, 6–8:00 p.m.
Evening with the Artist: Thursday, November 8, 2018, 6:00 p.m.

George Tobolowsky’s series of metal sculptures, A Long Road Back, range from abstract winding forms to representational subjects. The artist’s incorporation of bold colors and found metal scraps create delightfully unexpected outcomes that pay tribute to modernist sculpture. Tobolowsky’s works will be on display inside and around the Museum, as well as throughout Oxford and the UM campus.

The University of Mississippi Museum would like to thank Earl Dismuke for his assistance in securing site locations and installations of these outdoor works.

Map and key to sculpture locations are below or can be downloaded as a pdf here.

Follow our interactive tour on your mobile device at UMArtAroundTown.com.

Map to sculpture location in A Long Road Back

1 The University of Mississippi Museum, University Avenue & 5th Street

Bending the Blue Rules, 2013
Corporate Guardian #2, 2011

On lawn of Walton-Young house:

Drawing on Paper #2, 2011
Drawing in Red, 2012

2 The Graduate Hotel, 400 N. Lamar Blvd.

Intersecting Intersections, 2011

3 The Inn at Ole Miss 120 Alumni Dr.

Colorful Sustainable Flowers #1, 2016–2018

4 FNC, Inc., 1214 Office Park Dr.

Corporate Guardian #1, 2011

5 Baptist Memorial Hospital-North, 1100 Belk Blvd.

The Long Green Road to Success, 2016

6 Green Roof Lounge at the Courtyard by Marriott, 305 Jackson Ave. E.

The Big Daydreamer, 2014
Little Chief, 2010

7 South Lamar Court, 101 S. Lamar Ct.

Chaos Theory, 2015

8 Oxford Canteen, 766 N. Lamar Blvd.

Colors of the Universe, 2012–2018

9 Rowan Oak, 915 Old Taylor Road

Inside house:

Red/Black Road to the Blue City, 2016

Where the Roots Rise

Moth Mother, 2017

Moth Mother, 2017

July 24–December 1, 2018

Artist’s Lecture: Wednesday, August 22, 2018, 5:30 p.m.

with light refreshments

Opening Reception and Gallery Walkthrough with Artist: Thursday, Aug. 23, 2018, 6–8:00 p.m.

Where the roots rise, in a forest full of ecru bone, the woman of the woods awakes to a world of myth and ruination.

Where the Roots rise, a series of tea-stained cyanotypes, serves as a reminder that the gap between nature and ourselves is smaller than we acknowledge. Decay runs rampant—seasons change—nature lies in await to stake its claim.

Jaime Aelavanthara’s work articulates humankind’s capacity to decay as a marker of our identity. Set in the swamps and woods of Mississippi, Louisiana, and Florida, natural places where one encounters life and death, growth and decay, the series chronicles the intimate relationship of a feral woman and her surrounding nonhuman environment. The woman collects the bones, branches, and flora and treads with the animals, both dead and living. Recognizing the deaths of other creatures, this woman observes in death, she, too, will be repurposed and consumed by the earth.

The cyanotype process shifts focus from potentially colorful landscapes and figures to patterns, textures, and the relationships of forms within the images. Tea-staining the prints dulls the blue and adds warmth. Printing on Japanese Kitakata paper, which is prone to ripping, tearing, and wrinkling, reflects the deterioration of nature and gives the prints a feeling of fragility. Untamed ultimately reflects upon the forms, the impermanence, and the interconnectedness of natural life.

The UnstillLife

Zeuxis

An Association of Still Life Painters

Celestial Shrine

Trevor Winkfield, Celestial Shrine, 2010

 

April 10–July 28, 2018

Opening Reception: Tuesday, May 15, 2018, 6–8:00 p.m.

A celebration of the eccentric possibilities of still life.

Ruin is a Secret Oasis

somewhere-south-of-violet

Somewhere South of Violet, 2008

 

March 13–July 7, 2018

Opening Reception: Thursday, April 19, 2018, 6–8:00 p.m.

It is precisely their fragmentary nature and lack of fixed meaning that render ruins deeply meaningful. They blur boundaries between rural and urban, past and present and are intimately tied to memory, desire and a sense of place.
—Tim Edensor, Industrial Ruins: Space, Aesthetics and Materiality

My studio in downtown Memphis is in an old medicine factory at the end of a dead-end street. Last in a row of empty warehouses, the building is an outpost of long-gone industry, surrounded by empty lots, crumbling edifices and thick copses of trees. The Mississippi River flows by less than a mile away, but leaves this area untouched by its progress.

I am drawn to the forgotten, to the mysterious traces of memory in our physical world. My work references objects and places that continue their slow transformation after someone turns away: rich, charged, vibrating places. Rooted on the edges of our world, these thin spaces are quietly pulsing with a kind of murmuring remembrance: the crumbling wall with flowering vines pushing through the cracks, the drape and sway of a fence that separates nothing from nothingness, the silhouette of folding and unfolding structures. Neglected and abandoned, these mysterious sites live on in an active collapse, their old stories settling into their foundations and becoming new ones as nature reclaims them for their own.

Starting with photographic documentation of these sites, I work through an intricate and laborious process of tracing, drawing and layering of gouache that puts the painting at a remove from the original photograph. Through this method, the image is abstracted and reduced to its essence, while the inherent ephemerality of the site is echoed in the material terrain of found paper. Out of decay and isolation a poetry of resilience and new growth is revealed. The works in Ruin is a Secret Oasis mine this liminal space—the region between the bloom and the decay—and pursue the sense of place these sites inspire. In them, beauty is resilience and an acknowledgement of the ravages of nature and time. Through this imagery I explore a landscape of change and the traces of experience that remain.

—Maysey Craddock

Exhibition made possible by support from the Jane Becker Heidelberg Endowment for the Arts.

Mississippi Collegiate Art Competition

February 6–March 10, 2018

Reception and Awards Ceremony: February 10, 2018, 2–4:00 p.m.
(Awards Ceremony at 3:00 p.m.)

The Mississippi Collegiate Art Competition is a student art exhibition for all four-year college and university students within the state. This exhibit of student work—created in all mediums and completed within the last 12 months—is juried by Dan Brawner, Chair, Graphic Design, Watkins College of Art, Design, & Film (Nashville, TN).

Fault Lines  |  Mary Zicafoose

Left to right: Timeline, 2017, Tectonic Shift, 2017, Fracture, 2017, photograph by Kirby Zicafoose

 

October 3, 2017–February 10, 2018

Opening Reception: Tuesday, October 3, 2017, 6–8:00 p.m.

Like all artists, I have many stories to tell. I am as compelled to create work based on classic archetypal symbols as I am to depict climate change through my representation of tectonic plates, fault lines and land shifts. The selection of work in the Lower Skipwith Gallery, rendered in weft-faced ikat tapestry and as collographic monoprints on paper, is curated from from three recent bodies work: Fault Lines, Mountain for the Buddha, and The Blueprint Series.

Fault Lines: The five most recently completed pieces, Tectonic Shift, Fracture, Timeline, North, South, East & West, and The Capricorn Plate, are thematically driven by politics, human relationships, and land movement. Technically and visually, I take inspiration from modern abstractionists, and draw upon their influence in my signature large, bold color fields juxtaposed against the toothy edge of weft ikat. New series, like all new ventures, start unfamiliar, if not raw, but always with a destination in mind. By definition, they are required to stand alone. It takes several years behind ikat boards, dyepot and loom to develop a complete and integrated series of woven tapestries.

Mountain for the Buddha: The classic and powerful metaphysical triptych of the trinity expressed as mountain, pyramid, triangle and temple is the visual metaphor for this body of work. My intention is to not only reference landscape, but geometry and sacred space, as well, through a total of 13 diptych ikat tapestries and 36 collographic monoprints spanning 5 years.

The Blueprint Series: This series, based on personal identity, was born during a three month artist residency at the Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts, Omaha, NE. This, the 7th and culminating tapestry of elaborate thumbprint representations, a silk weft ikat triptych, was selected to represent contemporary US tapestry at the 13th International Tapestry Triennial in Lodz, Poland in 2010.

—Mary Zicafoose


 
 
 
 
 

« Previous Page
Next Page »