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UNK Art Faculty Exhibition MONA is pleased to showcase recent work from the faculty members of the Art and Art History Depart-ment at the University of Nebraska Kearney. This biennial exhibition allows visitors to experience the diverse artistic talent resident within the active and emeritus art faculty. The newest studio faculty member is Victoria Goro-Rapoport, Assistant Professor of Art and Art History. Goro-Rapoport, originally from Russia and residing in the United States since 1993, specializes in printmaking. Her background in theatre set design combined with allusions to the work of Hieronymus Bosch and Jacque Louis David result in fresh, beautiful, and classically inspired prints that are the epitome of contemporary art. Additional influences in her work come from early 20th century Russian artists who worked for the stage but “whose costumes and set design sketches became art pieces in their own right.” As the artist states, “Their designs are so evocative and emotionally charged, that you can almost feel the smell of the burning incense emanating from…the church candles in Natalie Gontcharova’s paintings for the ballet Lithurgia.” Goro-Rapoport’s prints show an awareness of tragedy, struggle, and comfort within the human condition as well as relationships. Often, tall imposing skyscrapers are reinterpreted as cathedral, fortress-like structures. In the midst of these environments, figures are placed that can be seen either walking a tight rope, holding on to each other, or facing their world alone. At times and in other work, intricately crafted flora and fauna appear upon or around the human subjects.
Consistently throughout the subjects and themes of Goro-Rapoport’s
works, her technical ability is awe-inspiring. An expert printmaker, the
details achieved in the artist’s etchings are truly breathtaking.
Sometimes taking a month for a drawing and then an additional month or
two to complete a plate, the resulting prints are of the highest quality,
which allow viewers to deeply contemplate and investigate each one. Related Event The Migration Stops Here: Birds of Nebraska
Visitors to Central Nebraska are often amazed by the variety and beauty
of the migratory birds that visit the Platte River in spring months.
In honor of our feathered friends, MONA showcases a number of avian artworks
that reflect the many types of birds visiting the region during this
special
time of year. Expect to see a number of images by John James Audubon,
as well as works by Michael Forsberg, Robert Weaver, Virginia Clark,
and Cy
Black.
In his first Nebraska Now exhibition, James Bockelman makes use of chandelier, honeycomb, and aerial photography imagery to create abstracted large-scale drawings that are all at once pleasing, thought provoking, and highly conceptual. The large drawings are then combined with smaller scale works to create a full installation in MONA’s Skylight Gallery. As Bockelman states, the subjects he has chosen “formally lend themselves to a flattening of space and a minimal approach to image,” but also “convey ideas about light, community, and observation.” By abstracting and increasing the size of these subjects, the artist is “forced to consider the wall drawings in light of the space in which they will be exhibited.” This restriction in space but expansion in size of the artwork allows visitors an opportunity to view an entire gallery devoted to an installation, leading to a total experience for viewers rather than individual observations of separate works of art. No stranger to the walls of MONA, Bockelman has exhibited in the Museum’s Prairie Lights Showcase and RSVP: Contemporary Art Invitational exhibitions. Solo shows include his 2001 Sheldon Features: James Bockelman show at the Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery where he was the first artist to create a weeklong on-site drawing installation. Other solo exhibitions include Beyond Black and White at the Marxhausen Gallery of Art, Concordia University in Seward, Nebraska; Works on Paper at Peru State College Art Gallery, Peru, Nebraska; and the upcoming New Images at Lo River Gallery in New York. In 1989, Bockelman received a Bachelor of Science degree in education from Concordia College (now University). He then went on to receive a Master of Fine Arts degree in painting and drawing at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1997. In 1993, he became an Assistant Professor of Art at Concordia University in Seward where he remains today. RELATED EVENT
Afro Psalms Afro Psalms, an ARTreach traveling exhibition, returns home to MONA in time for the Winter Tales Storytelling Festival on January 22, 2005. Afro Psalms pairs original paintings and drawings by one of Nebraska’s most historically significant white artists, Grant Reynard (1887-1968), with verse by Charles Fort, an important contemporary African-American poet. Mr. Fort selected 15 original paintings and drawings by Reynard for this exhibition. These artworks, from MONA’s extensive Reynard holdings, provide a vivid account of the lives of early 20th century African-Americans. Fort was inspired by these works and created a sonnet redoublé, entitled Afro Psalms, to accompany the exhibition. The sonnet redoublé contains 15 sonnets, in which each line of the first sonnet serves as the last line of one of the following 14 sonnets. Fort skillfully uses this technique to describe the inherent humanity of the individuals in Reynard’s artwork.
RELATED EVENT
These are not your grandmother’s quilts. Or maybe some of them are. The non-traditional quilts on exhibition in Elements from the Front Range Contemporary Quilters were created by members of one of the oldest quilt guilds in the United States, the Front Range Contemporary Quilters. The central theme of these art quilts revolves around the natural elements.
In the last 30 years, quilts have dramatically changed. From function to expression, this traditional craft has become an exciting new form for contemporary artists. As a “stepchild of the fine arts,” fiber art began to move upward in the late 20th century art scene and, more specifically, in the past three decades there has been an explosion of interest in quilting. Artists in this exhibition have
significant national and international importance.
Carol Moe has exhibited
work
extensively in group
exhibitions in Colorado, California, and Ohio. Moe
came to quilting through
her love and work in painting. Judith Trager has made
more than 200 quilts
over
the past 30 years, many of which hang in public, private,
and corporate collections. Other artists from the Elements
exhibition
include
Betsy Cannon, Barbara D. Cohen, Jan Magee, Charlotte
Ziebarth, Diana Bunnell,
and Patty
Hawkins.
Related Event continuing exhibitions One of MONA’s galleries currently focuses on the famous American artist Robert Henri, who has a strong tie to Nebraska. The Robert Henri Museum in Cozad, Nebraska is dedicated to documenting the early life of Henri, whose father started the town. Because the Henri Museum is undergoing repair, MONA is pleased to temporarily have their works join MONA’s. This exhibition features work by Henri and some of the people nearest to him. Nebraska Now: Sora Kimberlain attended the Art Academy in Cincinnati, Ohio, and the Louisville School of Art in Anchorage, Kentucky. She has worked in theatre, primarily with the Omaha Magic Theatre, as a designer and continues to collaborate and exhibit with many artists in Omaha where she lives. Known for her installation, assemblage, and painting, she works in clay, bronze, oil paint, and stick. Home for the Holidays MONA presents a special holiday exhibition featuring winter landscapes, Christmas scenes, and other charming views depicting the spirit of the holidays. Chosen from MONA’s permanent collection, artwork in various media from Nebraska’s most beloved artists provides a wonderful opportunity to spend time viewing art with family and friends “home for the holidays.” Sponsored by the MONA Guild. Recovered Views: African
American Portraits One of the most exciting and important photographic finds in Nebraska history is on display at MONA in the exhibition Recovered Views: African American Portraits. This amazing group of black and white photographs, taken in Lincoln between 1912 and 1925, focuses on a vibrant black neighborhood in a Midwestern city – a community rarely depicted in any medium. Curated by John Carter of the Nebraska State Historical Society, the exhibition offers viewers an opportunity to experience greater diversity within our Nebraska history. Circulated by Exhibits USA, a national division of Mid-America Arts Alliance, with the Nebraska Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts. Soliloquium
MONA is honored to present Soliloquium, an outstanding group of paintings by Lincoln artist, Dan Howard, culminating a life's career as a painter. This recently completed suite of works is the Museum's newest acquisition and was made possible by a generous donation from TierOne Bank. This suite is a highly personal statement that features expansive canvases alongside simple pen drawings that document the artistic process. Connect the Plots Connect the Plots is a survey of seemingly unconnected artworks from the MONA vaults. We invite you to discover common denominators within the show, linking one work to the next. Text cards throughout the gallery guide you, providing insight on connections within this selection. Art as Story Art has been inspired by story from the beginning of time. The ancient peoples of France and Spain created pictorial images of the animals they hunted to capture spirits of those animals and to produce successful hunts; Greek statues and reliefs describe and document significant myths and happenings vital to their culture; during the Middle Ages, narratives of important concepts were communicated through images to a largely illiterate population. Throughout history, art has been a method of record keeping and defining the events and values of societies. Art as Story features artworks of varied media and content. Both realistic and abstract styles are present. All pieces contain stories, some more obvious than others. Look for the narrative of the artist and the art, and discover the elements that stir stories connecting to your life as the viewer. RELATED
EVENTS Kids Fun Day Magic Book Workshop Educational Programs For the eighth year, MONA is a partner with the Kearney Area Storytelling Festival in presenting the following programs: 11:15
a.m. • Stories for
pre-school children The afternoon
features national tellers Awele
Makeba, Oakland,
California,
and Dan Keding,
Urbana, Illinois,
and regional
tellers William Kloefkorn,
Lincoln; Gail Lindekugel, Gibbon;
and Val Scott, Franklin. Archives |
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Image Detail: Deidre C. Adams,