Exhibitions

Mapping Murals

By arecaroe July 6, 2011
Exhibitions, University Gallery

Ever walked by a mural and wondered about the history behind it—who painted it and why? In a folder titled simply “WPA”, I found materials meticulously documenting the locations and conditions of WPA murals made in Minnesota. Artists painted these historic murals during the Great Depression as part of the economic relief provided by the Work Progress Administration. The murals adorned public buildings such as post offices, the State Fairgrounds, University of Minnesota buildings, and Fort Snelling.

In 1976-1977, the University Gallery exhibited a show highlighting work like these murals, titled Accomplishments: Minnesota Art Projects During the Depression Years, which went on to tour other locations in the state. The mural research was in preparation for this exhibit.

My favorite find from this file: a large delicate sheet of yellow tissue that displays a pencil-drawn map of Minnesota, with the names of cities and numbers next to them (perhaps indicating the number of murals located there). I also discovered a book containing information about the murals, whether they still existed in 1976, and whether they were in good or poor state of repair. Sadly, it seems that the majority of the murals were painted over or the buildings were knocked down, so not many remained in 1976, and even fewer still exist today.

Mapping Minnesota WPA murals

Book outlining the location and condition of murals.

Visiting Artists

By wilso952 June 30, 2011
Exhibitions, University Gallery

In 1949, the University’s department of art began hiring visiting artists as instructors. Today, the artists Paul Burlin, Ralston Crawford, Arnold Blanch, Cameron Booth, and Philip Guston are all represented in the museum’s permanent collection whether through their own works or works done of them – no doubt related to their contributions to American art but also likely related to the time they spent with the University in the initial years of the visiting artist teaching program. Each artist was also featured in a Gallery exhibition which served, “both as a reception… and to introduce new members of the art department faculty to the public.” Catalogues from their exhibits were processed and are now contained in Box 110 of the WAM collection.

A January 3, 1949 UM News Release (Digital Conservancy) announces the first artist:

“Paul Burlin, well-known American painter and teacher at the Art Students’ league, Woodstock, N.Y. arrived in Minneapolis Tuesday (Jan. 4) to begin a three-month teaching schedule…

Burlin’s work here will inaugurate a new University department of art teaching program in which artists with various approaches to their work will teach for one quarter each at the University.”

Burlin in the WAM collection.

Ralston Crawford followed as visiting instructor in the Spring quarter. His exhibit at the Gallery ran from April 28-May 20, 1949. A March 18, 1949 UM News Release (Digital Conservancy) announces his background:

“He was sent by ‘Fortune’ magazine in 1946 as the only artist among 117 photographers and reporters who observed the atomic bomb tests at Bikini. His report, included abstract pictures of the destruction, appeared later in the December, 1946, issue…'”

Crawford in the WAM Collection.

Visiting artist Arnold Blanch, a native of MN (Mantorville), taught an advanced painting course during his visit. A November 22, 1949 UM News Release (Digital Conservancy) announces Blanch’s eclectic November 29,1949-January, 6, 1950 exhibit at the Gallery:

“The 39 paintings in his University exhibition include work from 1924 through 1949. A group from the 1930s is made up of work done in Florida.

Among the ceramics, are several bowls and a 1949 set consisted of a salad bowl and plates which has been produced commercially by well-known china manufacturer.

The scarves, also manufactured commercially, were made by the silk screen process. One of them, ‘The Picnic’, done in 1947 includes 20 different colors.

The Exhibition includes, ties, a hooked rug of abstract design and Christmas wrapping paper.”

Blanch in the WAM Collection.

A Dec 4, 1950 UM News Release (Digital Conservancy) announces that “paintings and drawings by Cameron Booth, one of America’s leading abstract painters” will be on display in the Gallery from December 11, 1950-January 7, 1951. Booth, visiting from The Art Students’ League in New York, had previously taught at the Minneapolis School of Art and St. Paul School of Art.

Booth in the WAM Collection.

An exhibition of the work of Philip Guston, a spring quarter visitor-artist was held April 10-May 12, 1950 at the University Gallery. A March 24, 1950 UM News Release (Digital Conservancy) indicated that the exhibit, “will include 16 paintings, a number of drawings, and photographs of several of his murals. Among these will be murals from the Queensbridge housing project, New York; the Social Security Buildings, Washinton, D.C.; and the WPA building façade at the New York World’s Fair.”

Works of Guston in the WAM Collection.

“Too nice a day. Everybody at beach.”

By arecaroe June 27, 2011
Exhibitions, University Gallery

“Too nice a day. Everybody at beach.” This was one of the comments recorded in 1966 by a University Gallery guard on a lazy Sunday in June. I found a stack of these comment cards in the files, giving a little window into the thoughts of those silent sentries. The guards were asked to fill out cards evaluating the events of their shift, on Sundays and during Friday night concerts in Northrup Auditorium, downstairs from the gallery. (These were presumably times when other gallery workers were not present).

The text reads: “Remarkably varied reactions in the Baertling show, from guffaws to admiration.” (referring to Olle Baertling)

Most of the comments relate to the number of patrons and their reactions to the artwork, all in 1966. Here’s a sampling of the comments:

Jan. 16: Poor crowds—not an “art” crowd—many negative comments on Busa. (referring to Peter Busa)

Apr. 28: The gallery was open only for intermission, as a result of a mixup on keys too complicated to explain here.

May 1: Some sort of youth concert in the afternoon. Had many kids running all over the place. Closed gallery a bit early because of the numbers of kids on all floors and thought it was safer since I couldn’t be all over.

June 9: A steady trickle of people came looking for sewn up canvases. Most people seemed to think that it was a letdown after all that lurid publicity.

Oct. 7: Good crowd at all exhibitions. It is virtually impossible to keep a count on 4th floor during intermission—the crowd is too dense and mobile.

Tools, Materials, and the Artist: 1948

By wilso952 June 27, 2011
Exhibitions, University Gallery

The title of the 1948 exhibition, “Tools, Materials, and the Artist” sounds strikingly similar to the 1947 exhibition titled, “Materials and Tools of Art.” Further, the folders that contain the materials that chronicle each exhibit are only 6 folders apart from each other in Box 3. Each folder contains photographs of the exhibits – which are similar in content, yet different in arrangement.

It is not until coming across Ruth Lawrence’s correspondence in the University Gallery records (which were incorporated into the WAM collection) in Box 109 however, that the reason for mounting two similarly titled exhibits a mere year apart comes to light.

Ruth, who had been out East on a collecting visit, and away from the Gallery, receives an update from an employee on the status of the “Materials and Tools of Art” exhibit that was mounted at the Gallery in her absence in 1947, indicating that the exhibit “opened with a bang.”

Another letter, written by Ruth, addressed to “Bill” makes the suggestion that they keep part of the exhibit in tact to use over again, “It, in my opinion, merely emphasized again ‘how it’s done.’ ‘They say’ – if you want to get a point over to an uninitiated mind it must be repeated in new form seven times.”

So, in September of 1948, “Tools, Materials, and the Artist” was displayed at the Gallery. (A new form of an exhibit held the previous year… for the uninitiated minds.)

You are Invited…

By wilso952 June 20, 2011
Exhibitions, University Art Museum

Many events are organized in relation to exhibitions: openings, galas, previews, special lectures, concerts, etc. The WAM collection contains many invitations to such events in association with exhibitions past.

American Identities: Cabinet Card Portraits, 1870-1910, from The Doan Family Collection
Exhibited February 25-March 22, 1985 at the University Art Museum in Northrop Auditorium.

From a February 19, 1985 UM News Release (Digital Conservancy):

“The exhibition presents a selection of 55 Cabinet cards, primarily Midwestern in origin, collected by the Doan family of Fort Dodge, Iowa, over the past 20 years…

The “artist-photographers” who produced the portraits shifted around scenes and properties until the right “fit” for the subject was achieved… It was important to present subjects at their best in the chosen role, whether beau, debutante, successful merchant or farmer, war hero or proud parents. Even the most humble person took on an air of dignity in the photographer’s lens.”

Piece of Cake

By wilso952 June 13, 2011
Exhibitions, University Gallery

In celebration of a recent birthday, I thought I would share some cake:

However, as indicated by a pencil-written caption on the back of this photograph, from folder, “Staff Photographs” in Box 3, these Gallery attendees are likely celebrating an exhibit opening, rather than a birthday:

“Korean Art Exhibition Jan 8 – Feb 11

Jacqueline Ronning – art libn. eating cake”

A Model Museum

By arecaroe June 9, 2011
Exhibitions, Weisman Art Museum

A polaroid from July of 1993 features a small scale model of the Weisman Art Museum interior, which opened in November of that year. This represented a huge step for the University Art Museum—after 59 years of being housed in Northrop Auditorium’s upper floors, and many false starts at finding funds for another building, the museum was about to move into a world-class architectural wonder.

I recently got a peek into the new WAM expansion that is currently under construction, and spotted a scale model very much like this earlier one, outlining the gallery configuration and placement of art. The expansion will allow the museum to display more than three times as many objects from the permanent collection. Indeed, the “Little Gallery” has come a long way.

In the same file as the polaroid, I also found a set of blueprints for the Weisman Art Museum from the early 1990s. The most fascinating part to me was the tangle of lines and angles that illustrates the side facing the river—rather unusual in a blueprint, I would imagine.

How To Do It

By wilso952 June 1, 2011
Exhibitions, University Gallery

While processing the WAM collection, it is not an often occurrence to come across a folder containing only photographs. Box 3 however, is an exception. Several folders in Box 3 contain multiple 8×11 prints that capture early Gallery exhibits.

The presence of photographs (with no writing on the back) and lack of related correspondence or supporting materials leaves this processor continually curious… Take for instance the folder titled, “How to Do It.” This folder contains only photographs… photographs that look like this:

A broken chair? Ripped upholstery? This doesn’t look like fine art, it looks like what you would find on the curb or in the alley outside of a Minneapolis apartment building on the 1st of the month. Why are these “pieces” being exhibited at the University Gallery?

With no contextual information, I turned to other online resources to satisfy my curiosity. After an exhaustive search of UM News Releases (Digital Conservancy), and newspapers from the MN Daily’s PDF Archives, I think I may have found an answer to this unusual display.

In the January 17, 1946 edition of the MN Daily, the following headline jumped out at me:

In the article, Ruth Lawrence is quoted, explaining that, “Hints and Ideas for Your Home is the introductory offering in a new experimental Gallery program… It will bring the home, its design and function to the public as the basis of successful living.”

The article further explains the objective of the exhibit:

“… to give a visual picture of the different stages in home repair problems… There will be demonstrations of remodeling furniture, framing pictures and making simple electrical repairs.

Instructions in the various methods and processes used also will be given from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. every day during the exhibition in the Gallery. For those students wishing to try ‘to do it’ tools and materials will be available in the arts craft workshop in the Union.”

Should the Weisman, in a nod to the past, attempt any “how to do it” experimental “repair” and “refinish” programming in the future, it may be best to ensure that the museum’s large collection of Korean furniture is not exhibited at the same time…

Art Week, 1940

By arecaroe May 31, 2011
Exhibitions, University Gallery

National Art Week was a nation-wide festival of arts held in late November of 1940, with the aim of encouraging Americans to buy American art. In Minnesota, numerous organizations held events, including the Walker Art Center, the Minneapolis Institute of Art, and the (then quite small) University Gallery. In fact, Ruth Lawrence, the Gallery’s director, served as Chairman of the Minnesota State Council for Art Week. I discovered an envelope full of patriotic “ART” ribbons still in pristine shape in the files, which were doubtless used to promoet the events. A booklet from Chicago about Art Week gave some more information, with an introduction by Daniel Catton Rich, Director of Fine Arts at The Art Institute of Chicago. He describes Art Week:

Doubtless you have often thought, “Wouldn’t I like to own a picture or a print or a piece of sculpture or a distinguished piece of craft-work.” Here is your chance. Throughout the city there will be exhibitions, visits to galleries and studios, art festivals, balls and demonstrations, all with one idea: to help you select what you desire at prices ranging from $1.00 to $100.00.

When this week is over countless American homes will be brighter and more interesting because art has come in the front door. And remember in enriching your life you are helping your neighbor, the American artist.

He closes with the fairly blunt: “Celebrate National Art Week. Enjoy its stimulating program. And don’t forget to BUY.”

The Balloon: A Bicentennial Exhibition

By wilso952 May 23, 2011
Exhibitions, University Art Museum

To celebrate the invention of the balloon in 1783, the University Art Museum held a bicentennial exhibition in 1983… and collaborated with other arts organizations to provide events that featured the art, technology, and history of – the balloon.

The 1984 U of M Summer Session Bulletin (contained within a “Ballooning” folder) features the ballooning festivities by including a cover image of a hot-air balloon that was present on campus (with a design that matches the original Montgolfier balloon).

From a September 6, 1983 UM News Release (Digital Conservancy),”200 Years of Ballooning Will Be Celebrated with Facts and Fancy at U of M Art Museum,”

“Original engravings, watercolors, etchings and decorative art objects will depict experiments and fantasies in balloon design and will indicate how the balloon was used as a symbol and in satire… An additional exhibition of photographic murals will show the development of flight from its invention to the present.”

The exhibit included items from the U.S. Air Force Academy’s Gimbel Aeronautical Collection, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Cooper Hewitt Museum in New York, MIA, as well as the U of M Libraries own ballooning collection.

(Today, Images of Ballooning from the Piccard, Scholl and Winzen Collections can be accessed from the UMedia Archive.)

The opening preview invitation for the exhibition reveals how “Ballooning” was introduced to the University… complete with fashion show, a gourmet balloon-inspired buffet dinner, and balloon launch. (Though, note that the fireworks were canceled).

The news release also indicates that music would compliment the festivities:

“Students and faculty of the university’s School of Music will perform musical selections arranged by Professor Robert Laudon at 8 p.m. Nov. 9 in Scott Hall”

A recording from the performance was kept along with the exhibition files:

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