The WAM Files

Guarded

By wilso952 November 29, 2011
University Gallery

Amongst the records of WAM there has resided an occasional personnel file. While all personal and confidential records have been confidentially recycled – general notices, correspondence, and position descriptions related to the Gallery were retained.

At left, directions and qualifications for gallery guards (University students) are articulated in an administrative document dated 1973. While the guard duties of today differ from those of nearly 40 years ago (guards are no longer responsible for the sale of catalogues, and smoking isn’t allowed in any public building in Minnesota), some core job duties remain the same – i.e. reinforcing the photography policy, as well as ensuring the security of artwork.

WAM Music

By wilso952 November 24, 2011
Processing, Weisman Art Museum

When the Frank Gehry designed Frederick R. Weisman Art Museum was built in 1993, a space was created not only for exhibition, education, and experiences with art, but also for another ‘e’ – events. The space provided the museum the opportunity to stage seminars, lectures, symposiums, and concerts in conjunction with exhibitions and educational programming, as well as offer space rental for private events such as wedding receptions and holiday parties.

Private events records which contain such items as catering receipts, wedding reception schedules, diagrams of table and chair set up, etc., were considered incidental to the museum’s core activities, and thus not appropriate to the collection. The nature of the materials – credit card receipts and photocopies of personal checks – make it such that they cannot be kept without restrictions. These records were placed in confidential recycling.

Other WAM events however, those coordinated by WAM staff and provided for the public in connection to exhibitions or education and outreach efforts, provide insight into how the organization connected to audiences not only through sight – but also through sound…

This is evidenced in a series of events titled, “WAM Music,” a music series that featured regular concerts held at WAM. A few concert announcements were found amongst the records:

Music is still a part of WAM events programming. In the build up for the recent re-opening in October 2011, a music event was held not within the space – but on top of it. Local band The 4onthefloor played a lunch-hour concert on the roof of WAM which entertained students, staff, and University visitors who danced on the sidewalks and gazed up at the building while enjoying their lunches on the lawn in front of neighboring Coffman Memorial Union.

Applying the Busa Theory: 2 + 2 = 5

By wilso952 November 20, 2011
Processing

The project staff of the WAM Files – Areca, Katie, Erik and myself recently presented our project process and discoveries at the Andersen Library First Fridays event held on November 4. In preparation, we began to add up all of the project results – stories uncovered, boxes processed, hours devoted, etc. I was excited to share our project – yet admittedly unprepared for the reaction we received. After we presented our project and results, we opened the floor for questions… only to receive an exclamation: “We want more!”

The audience questions also turned into personal recollections shared by those that had experienced WAM as it was known previously – as the University Art Museum and University Gallery.

A particular recollection sparked my curiosity. Responding to a story shared of the records found of an exhibition of the work of former faculty member Peter Busa, an audience member indicated that Busa had designed the mural that covers the Valspar building in Minneapolis. Not knowing this connection, I was eager to learn more – as I see Busa’s mural from my bus window each morning on my commute to campus. In need of more details, I turned to the Digital Conservancy, and found a U of M News Service Release from October 25, 1973, (Digital Conservancy) that announces, “‘U’ Prof Designs Exterior Mural,”

“Peter Busa, professor of studio arts, is the designer of ‘Demolition,’ a 60 ft. by 75 ft. abstract mural on the southwest wall of the Valspar Corporation building at 1101 S. 3rd St. in Minneapolis. Actual painting of the mural, using 60 gallons of 17 different colors of paint, was done by painting contractors. Busa signed the mural in foot-high letters.”

Other results in the search for “Peter Busa” provided a U of M News Service Release from June 6, 1975 (Digital Conservancy), the contents of which resonated with me as we reflected upon the results of the WAM Files project:

“Teaching Art Means Giving the Student Opportunity For Experience,” written by Judy Vick, begins with, “Art is like love: it cannot be taught — it must be experienced. This is the theory of the first person in the studio arts department of the University of Minnesota to be honored for distinguished teaching.”

Vick then quotes Busa, “I don’t think you can teach people to be artists—art is like love–but you can expose them to the processes of art and give them the opportunity to teach themselves.”

Busa expands further on his theory, “If a student of ours adds two and two and gets four, we suggest maybe he should go to IT (the Institute of Technology). If he gets five, maybe he has the capability to imagine.“

Throughout this project we have been introduced to the processes of the archives and have been given the opportunity to teach ourselves, and to share with others, the love of art, history, and the University.

When we first started adding folders to boxes, rows to a spreadsheet, and posts to the blog, I could have never imagined that one day we would be standing in front of a crowded room, sharing the stories that we uncovered with an audience that is just as intrigued and enthusiastic about those stories as we are.

Then again – I’ve never been very good at math…

Fall Exhibitions, 1975

By wilso952 November 17, 2011
Exhibitions, University Gallery

Found: A poster announcing fall exhibitions at the University Gallery, 1975.

Curious as to what the exhibition titled, “Works By Studio Arts Faculty,” on display 36 years ago was comprised of, I naturally turned to the Digital Conservancy for answers:

A U of M News Service Release from October 28, 1975 (Digital Conservancy), provided more detail:

“Films on filmmaking by Taka Iimura, a large kinetic sculpture by Guy Baldwin, porcelain miniatures by Tom Rose, and new lithographs by Zigmunds Priede will be featured in the Studio Arts Faculty Exhibition opening Monday (Nov. 3) in the University Gallery at the University of Minnesota.”

The release further describes the faculty members that were represented in the exhibit (certain artists are linked to the U of M’s Digital Content Library holdings, as well as external links):

“Other University faculty members participating in the exhibition are Mary Abbott, oils, watercolors and charcoal; Karl E. Bethke, intaglio prints and photographs; Peter Busa, oils; Victor Caglioti, acrylics; Thomas Cowette, tempera, acrylic and pencil; Allen Downs, photographs; David Feinberg, oils; Lynn A. Gray, mixed media; Gary Hallman, photographs; Raymond Hendler, acrylics; Curtis C. Hoard, low fire ceramics; Warren Mackenzie, porcelain and stoneware; George Morrison, oils; Malcolm Myers, lithographs and watercolors; Katherine Nash, bronze sculpture; Wayne E. Potratz, sculpture; William Roode, oils; Herman Rowan, oils; Herman Somberg, oils and Saul Warkov, wood and rope sculpture.”

Merry Pranksters

By arecaroe November 10, 2011
Exhibitions, University Gallery

The caption reads: “‘Composition’ by George Morris, ‘Distraction’ by Heggen-Cohn, and ‘Abstraction’ by Agnes Earl Lyall. You get one guess at which one of these paintings is phoney (sic).”

Long before British artist Banksy snuck his paintings onto the walls of several venerable art museums in New York, a pair of University of Minnesota students pulled a similar prank at the University Gallery. In the WAM collection of press clippings from 1940, I found a series of newspaper articles outlining the drama. The January 31, 1940 Star Tribune newspaper article states:

There’s one too many paintings in the abstract art exhibit in Northrop auditorium, and how it got there or what to think of it is baffling the campus…. It’s title is “Distraction,” and it is signed by Heggen-Cohn…. Two fellows by the names of Vic Cohn and Tom Heggen are registered at the university. But they can’t be guilty. Neither owns a beret.

In a Minnesota Daily article from February 1st, juniors Vic Cohn and Orlo Heggen are revealed as the perpetrators, saying, “We done it for the art.” In a Star Tribune story that same day, they confessed to owning a beret, but claimed neither had ever worn it in public. Cohn and Heggen gifted Distraction to University of Minnesota Dean Malcolm Willey, stating, “We would like to have it hung where art lovers will appreciate it.” I wonder whatever became of Distraction?

Clippings from the University Daily, Jan. 31 and Feb. 1, 1940

Robert Collins: Simple Design

By wilso952 November 5, 2011
Exhibitions, University Gallery

When not processing, researching, or blogging about the WAM archival collection, I try to take some time to visit other museums – which I did this afternoon to view the Walker Art Center’s new exhibit, Graphic Design: Now in Production. The exhibit features the vast changes in design over the course of the past ten years. After my visit, my attention again returned to the WAM Files only to find that 58 years ago on this very day, November 5, 1953, a display of graphic designs and other works by Robert Collins, then assistant professor of design at the University, opened at the University Gallery.

A U News Service Press Release from October 26, 1953 (Digital Conservancy) describes the exhibition:

“The show covers Collins’ work since 1943. It includes paintings, caseins, drawings, textile and graphic designs and some illustrations and decorative drawings done for Ford Motor company publications.”

Two exhibit photographs were included in the folder titled, “Bob Collins” contained in Box 4:

Correspondence between Ruth Lawrence, Gallery Director, and Collins reveal details of exhibit planning:

In the catalog produced for the exhibit, Collins comments, “I would defeat my own purpose, here, if I continued to recount the complexities and intricacies of picture making, and of designing. No matter to what degree such involvements complicate the achievement of a coherent statement, the process remains essentially unchanged and fundamentally simple. One selects and puts together lines, shapes and colors.“

After viewing the complexities and intricacies of designing of the past ten years this morning, encountering Collins’ 1953 exhibit and simple statement this afternoon – is simply appreciated.

Appraisal of our position…

By wilso952 October 31, 2011
Processing

To use a phrase first utilized by former University Gallery Director Ruth Lawrence in a report to the President in the 1940s, the WAM Files project staff recently met to make “appraisal of our position” in processing the WAM archival collection.

As of the end of September, we had processed a total of 176 boxes of WAM records that had been accessioned into the University Archives collection.

During our appraisal, we admitted that we loved dust and stapling labels to folders so much, that we agreed to keep going – and thus, 38 additional boxes of exhibition planning records and educational files were prepared according to Archives guidelines, and were picked up by a University Libraries van and transported to the basement workroom of Andersen Library.

Since the project was launched nearly 8 months ago, we have processed over 7,000 folders – selected contents of which have been shared in 87 (now 88) blog posts.

Upon appraisal, we are in the position to continue processing, posting, and providing a glimpse into the unique materials contained within the WAM Files.

October Exhibitions, 1958

By wilso952 October 28, 2011
Exhibitions, University Gallery

In the early years of the gallery, exhibition announcements were prepared on a monthly basis as exhibits changed more frequently. Though we are reaching the end of October, better late-than-never to share the poster that announced the exhibits that were on view in the University Gallery just over a half-century ago (October, 1958):

Revealing Rollins

By wilso952 October 15, 2011
University Gallery

My eyes widened this week after I came across an online article from the Star Tribune, which reported upon the recent uncovering of lost artwork of the Minnesota artist Josephine Lutz Rollins: “Unburied treasure in Stillwater”

Rollins joined the faculty of the University of Minnesota in 1927 and continued as an instructor until 1965. Her legacy as a Minnesota artist spreads far past the University, however. A 2007 exhibition organized by the Minnesota Historical Society and the Minnesota Museum of American Art titled, “In her Own Right: Minnesota’s First Generation of Women Artists,” placed Rollins alongside other female artists that contributed to the arts and culture of the state. A biography of Rollins can be found in an article on the exhibit from MPRnews.

The name “Rollins” has appeared several times in the WAM collection, specifically in folders and catalogs that document two exhibitions that were held at the University Gallery:

Historic Buildings in Minnesota: Jo Lutz Rollins, 1949

“Mrs. Rollins has never for a moment forgotten that her task as an artist is not merely to record certain historical monuments, but somehow to translate these buildings into works of art which will exist and have value in and of themselves. She has never at any time lost sight of her task of organizing a two-dimensional area through the application of water color pigment. And not only do these paintings exist as fine formal statements of a most exacting medium, but a comparative study of the works illustrates how effectively and sensitively she has responded to the particular quality, the specific mood of the subject she was portraying. The paintings thus become not only a most illuminating mirror of Minnesota history, but more important, a fine interpretation and translation into an artistic medium of a century of Minnesota.” – H. H. Arnason, Chairman, Department of Art, Exhibit Catalog

Josephine Lutz Rollins: Retrospective Exhibition, 1962

“Mrs. Rollins appreciates what time does to man’s environment; she is attracted to a world that is not new and shiny. In her paintings the viewer finds few people; but they are not missed; for their trace is everywhere, in the way an old historic house sits on the land, in the look of a familiar river bank, in the enchantment of a foreign city. It has been her distinction to have reaffirmed the familiar in such a way as to have translated it into works of art of lasting merit.” – Sidney Simon, Director, University Gallery

WAM’s permanent collection contains many works by Rollins. View her water colors, drawings, and other works at the Digital Content Library.

Recaption/Recontext

By arecaroe October 13, 2011
Exhibitions, University Art Museum

I’ve come across a few visitor’s register books in the files from the 1980s and 1990s (visitors wrote their name, where they hailed from, and any comments about the show.) I began perusing the register for the 1989 show Recaption/Recontext, featuring photographs from the Cray Research/Film in the Cities collection. The show was curated by photographer Vince Leo, who paired each photograph with a quotation about photography from a variety of sources, thus “recaptioning and recontextualizing” the images. In the catalog, Leo states his general aim is “to agitate against or puncture what we usually think about these photographs in particular, or about photography in general; to open gaps in interpretation instead of closing them.”

Some of the comments in the visitor’s register book about this show caught my eye:

Took me back home.
Gave me hope.
It’s nice to know photography is not dead.
It’s bare! But wow!
Why are the two pictures pertianing to black people “lent by the artist” and not owned in the collection?
I loved the variety. Some photographs leave me entranced and with the need to see more.
Deep! / Intense
Illuminating a wonderful example of the power of context!
I agree – do whatever you must to get your point across – nothing is sacred.

And my favorite comment was simply: “Art?”

Invitation for the exhibition “Recaption/Recontext”

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