Museum to exhibit lithographs from top American artists and printers of last 50 years

AUBURN UNIVERSITY – The lithography exhibition “Tamarind Touchstones: Fabulous at 50 – Celebrating Excellence in Fine Art Lithography” is on view through August 17, 2013 at the Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art at Auburn University.

The exhibition features 61 prints from many of the most significant American artists and printers of the last 50 years, including Josef Albers, Willie Cole, Roy De Forest, Richard Diebenkorn and Kiki Smith.

The museum has invited the director of Tamarind Institute, Marjorie Devon, to deliver her lecture “Pressing Ideas: Mastering the Art of Collaboration at Tamarind” on Thursday, May 30, at 6 p.m. in the Martin-Perricone Auditorium. The event is for student and museum members with extended gallery hours and a reception to follow.

Dennis Harper, the museum’s curator for collections and exhibitions, said for the exhibition to come to Auburn is very relevant to the university’s artistic legacy because of Auburn’s long and rich tradition of printmaking. He said Maltby Sykes, whose career with the art department at Auburn University spanned more than three decades until his retirement in 1979, is an important part of that tradition.

“Maltby Sykes, in a way, is the father of the program, but many fine works have come out of the faculty and student body here over the years,” Harper said.

He noted that prints are also a significant part of the museum’s permanent collection.

Describing the exhibition, Harper said, “The exhibition demonstrates not only the wide technical possibilities available through lithography, but it also illustrates the changing face of contemporary art over the last half-century.”

The Tamarind Institute is a center for research, education and creativity in fine art lithography with the College of Fine Arts at the University of New Mexico.

“Hundreds of Tamarind-trained printers have established workshops around the world, and lithography plays an important role in many contemporary artists’ processes,” Devon said. “The popularity of digital media has both augmented and threatened hand processes, but many artists still long for ‘the touch of the hand’ that the sensuous process of lithography offers.”

Devon said that she hoped that visitors to this exhibition would see the difference between an original print and a photographic reproduction of a pre-existing image.

“All of the images in Tamarind Touchstones were created by the artists specifically for this medium,” she said. “An artist chooses a medium, whether painting, sculpture, or any of the various print media, based on its inherent vocabulary of marks.”

With the collaborative nature of lithographic printing, she felt as though working with another professional gives artists an advantage. “Learning a new ‘language’ is often creative fodder for artists.”

To become a museum member and attend the May 30 opening, go towww.jcsm.auburn.edu/jointo see levels and benefits. Memberships for Auburn University students are free, and membership levels start at $45 for individuals. Admission to the exhibition is free courtesy of the museum’s business partners.

Museum Art Clubs Engage Youth Over the Summer Months

Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art, Auburn University will offer three different youth art programs from the end of May to the beginning of August, with a break in classes for Independence Day on July 5 and 6. “State of Create” is geared towards rising seventh through 12th grade students and meets Fridays beginning May 24 through August 9 from 1 p.m. to 2:30 pm; “ArtyPants” is designed for rising kindergarten through second graders beginning May 25 through August 10 from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.; and “stART!” caters to rising third through sixth graders from May 25 through August 10 from 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. A City of Auburn K-12 Arts Education Outreach Grant and museum members support these free education programs.

Andrew Henley, the museum’s curator of education for K-12, oversees the museum’s regular Art Clubs during the academic year and these expanded summer programs. He said spending time at the museum is one way to keep youth academically involved over the summer months while also having fun. “Children of all ages are always engaged in something. Some students are voracious readers; others enjoy TV, sports or spending time with friends. At ‘State of Create,’ ‘ArtyPants,’ and ‘stART,’ students are challenged and engaged by their own creative drive,” he said. “When the summer months can be wildly unstructured and potentially unsupportive of cognitive growth, the museum offers a place for the application of creative thinking skills.”

Not all of the programs are strictly just hands-on art activities, according to Henley. “Some of the sessions have additional educational components that relate to the works of art on view at the museum, and each project has an historical background that I like to include,” he said. “Sometimes, that’s as simple as including an image of WPA murals or a print by Albrecht Durer using a grid method. Sometimes the art history instruction comes from a reaction to a student’s work of art that is reminiscent of a particular artist or artistic style.”

“These drop in studios are divided into age groups to help both students and educators work at the level of each student,” said Henley. “Students can come for any of the sessions. Of course, students will get the most benefit if they come to all of them but it is not a requirement,” he said. “Each session is edifying on its own.”

Class sizes are limited, so advance registration is strongly encouraged via the museum’s website, www.jcsm.auburn.edu/programs. Parents are encouraged to stay for the session and should only register the number of youth attending the program for tickets. For assistance, contact the museum at 334.844.3486.

(Contributed by Charlotte Hendrix)

Museum Partners with Third-Generation Wood Turner for Auburn Oaks Project

AUBURN UNIVERSITY – A portion of the recently removed Auburn Oaks at Toomer’s Corner will be turned into a contemporary work of art for the Jule Collins Smith Museum by Matt Moulthrop, a third-generation wood turner. Moulthrop’s work has been displayed in museums throughout the United States, including the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American Art in Washington, D.C., and the Carnegie Museum of Art in Pittsburgh.

About two years ago after hearing about the poisoning of the Auburn Oaks. Moulthrop, an Atlanta resident, contacted Auburn University alumni, Jim Gorrie through a mutual friend.  Mr. Gorrie went to Grant Davis, Secretary of the university’s Board of Trustees who brought museum director Marilyn Laufer into the conversation which has resulted in the museum’s partnering with the artist to create an artwork from Auburn Oaks wood that will be part of the museum’s permanent collection.

“When you consider the legacy and contributions of the entire Moulthrop family to wood turning, I would equate this in art history terms to having Pablo Picasso call you up to talk about creating a painting for the museum,” Laufer said. “We are very grateful for this opportunity.”

A portion of the wood from the oaks will be delivered to the artist from which he will create a wood bowl about 30 inches in diameter. The entire transformation process, which includes drying, turning and treating the wood, is expected to take approximately one year.

The history of the Moulthrop family name in the wood turning field began with Matt’s grandfather, Ed Moulthrop, who was an architect by trade and started turning wood after reading an article in Popular Mechanics. “Ed Moulthrop designed his own custom lathe and the tools necessary to work with large-scale pieces,” said Laufer. “He is credited with elevating wood turning to a highly regarded art form and is known for large-scale wood vessels from trees that primarily grow in the Southeast.”

“Ed’s son, Philip, worked alongside his father to further customize the tools, techniques and treatment solutions,” she said. “He also created a way of using branches to create a new mosaic effect in his work. Matt apprenticed with both his grandfather and father and carries on the tradition with the way he can read a piece of wood and reveal the story of the wood in shape and color. He continues to honor the legacy and make his own mark through further innovation and technical expertise.

Laufer said plans to unveil the bowl at a later date are in process and will depend on final delivery of the bowl and the upcoming exhibition schedule.

“So much of the Moulthrops’ unique technique calls for the artist to use art, geometry, horticulture, chemistry, engineering and even history to create the finished product. Using those skills, all of which are part of our academic tradition, to create a memorial artwork from the Auburn Oaks for the university’s art museum is a fitting tribute. Long after the last roll, this piece will serve as a reminder of the trees, and our celebrated traditions, as well as a beautiful work of art by a renowned artist that transforms the normal into the extraordinary,” Laufer said.

For more on the museum, visit www.jcsm.auburn.edu.

(Contributed by Charlotte Hendrix)