Artist David Henderson speaks at Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art on Sept. 26

Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art, Auburn University will host Brooklyn-based artist David Henderson for a talk and opening reception of A Brief History of Aviation on Thursday, September 26 at 5:00 p.m. His art has been written about in ArtNews, The Boston Globe, The New York Times, and The New Yorker, among other publications, and has appeared in exhibitions across the United States and in Paris, France. The piece will be installed in the Grand Gallery, which presently showcases smaller sculptural works from the museum’s permanent collection. The sculptor’s invitation is a part of the museum’s fall sculpture exhibition schedule, including “Full Circle: The Sculptures of Jean Woodham,” on view through October 12, 2013, and “Out of the Box: A Juried Outdoor Sculpture Exhibition,” opening on October 4, 2013.



Dennis Harper, the museum’s curator of collections and exhibitions, said that the forms in Henderson’s work are constructed of fiberglass and Dacron fabric—the same materials used for ultra-light aircraft and reflects man’s longstanding fascination with flight. “The thing most interesting to me was that the entire piece is lighter than you would think.”

The museum’s Grand Gallery is the sixth venue to host this traveling exhibition; prior to delivering some materials in August, Henderson had only seen floor plans, measurements and photos of Auburn’s museum. Henderson said he used computer aided design programs, or CAD, to render what the sculpture will look like in the Grand Gallery. “In a CAD program, you have much more flexibility,” he said. “You can chop up your model and still keep the original. You can do a video walk through or build an entire space while making changes to your design.”

Henderson added that there are limits to possible configurations without completely redesigning the sculpture because the piece is based on an actual building: a 15th-century cathedral ceiling. This is why, he said, he made the piece modular. “The sculpture can grow in length or in height, but width-wise would be problematic from conceptual and practical viewpoints,” he said. “I have tried to engage the space in different ways.”

One of the museum staff members who will assist Henderson next week is Ty Smith, museum preparator and an adjunct instructor in the art department at Auburn. Smith said that the job of a preparator involves working alongside artists, curators, and designers to ready a museum space for exhibition, with duties ranging from the transportation, framing, placement, and lighting of art. “Henderson has delivered 20 total units. He has shipped some connecting units that are specific to the proportions of the Grand Gallery. Those are going to be custom to this particular installation. He plans to fully install it as one unit, and then we’ll assist under his direction in moving the modules to determine placement,” he said. “The piece is supposed to go very high, reaching the point where the curved ceiling of the museum slopes downward.”

Smith said he believes that guest artist lectures are significant because one gets an opportunity to expose another layer than just the work itself. “The work should come first, but the lecture is always so insightful, because in most cases you get a context for that person’s work and the way that it has progressed to that moment and from whence these ideas have evolved.” He said that this particular sculpture might strike a chord with viewers, not only because of the immediate physical connection with a piece that can be walked around and stepped through, but an experiential connection as well. “A lot of artists may struggle to find a way to make a quick connection to a viewer,” he said. “By using the word “aviation”, you have this specific, relatable place to start to interact with the work.”

Advanced registration is encouraged via the Eventbrite application of the museum’s web site. Auditorium seating is limited and ticket holders will be seated first. A reception will follow.

Visitors can see Henderson’s work through Jan. 4, 2014, Tuesdays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with extended gallery and café hours until 8 p.m. on Thursdays. On Sundays, the museum is open from 1 to 4 p.m. Admission to the museum is free courtesy of the JCSM Business Partners.

FIRST SCULPTURE INSTALLATION REALIZES VISION 10 YEARS IN THE MAKING

The first of 10 large-scale outdoor sculptures has been sited on the grounds of Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art, Auburn University. The exhibition, “Out of the Box: A Juried Outdoor Sculpture Exhibition,” opens officially to the public with our community-wide ticketed 10^th anniversary celebration on Friday, October 4, 2013 at 6 p.m., featuring live music and a tasting tour reception. Over the course of the next few weeks in September, visiting artists and museum staff members will finish preparing the Lethander Art Path around the museum lake for the nine other sculpture installations. Guest jurors and artists, Carol Mickett and Robert Stackhouse will announce the first place, second place, and honorable mention awards that evening. The show will remain on exhibition on the museum grounds through early fall 2014.

Andy Tennant, the museum’s assistant director and co-curator of “Out of the Box”, said that the organizational vision to have sculpture permanently on the grounds dated back to the museum’s official opening to the public on October 3, 2003. “With this expansive landscape we have on South College, the plan for a sculpture garden was laid out from the beginning. Upon completion of the museum, the sculpture garden was, unfortunately, put on hold,” he said. “Undeterred, our staff decided to take a different approach and consider the idea of an outdoor sculpture competition that could potentially grow into a regular outdoor sculpture program at the museum.”

“Out of the Box” is the first time that the museum has presented large-scale outdoor sculpture in an exhibition. Jessica Hughes, curatorial assistant, said that this exhibition offers a unique opportunity for viewers to experience a range of contemporary sculpture. “As opposed to an exhibition featuring the work of a single artist, “Out of the Box” gives visitors the chance to get to know a wider variety of work from a diverse group of sculptors working today,” she said. “In many ways, this exhibition serves as an introduction to the possibilities of the medium, particularly, the possibilities for sculpture here at Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art." 

One of the selected finalists, Florida-based sculptor Claudia Jean Klein, worked alongside Tennant, Hughes, and museum preparator Ty Smith Monday to install her work, “Shanti.” Klein said that the title comes from a Hindu word meaning peace. “The sculpture was a journey for me in creating a state of slowing down confusion and chaos in my own mind by meditating and controlling the pieces around so that they remain still and calm,” she said. “As a result, I could create a sense of peace and a sense of stillness within myself but also outside myself in response to the chaos and confusion that is often in the world. There is a meditative figure there at the top of the chaos at the points where the tubing twists around. The structure is made of the same material to communicate the connection to our outside world.” Over the course of her career, Klein has worked in clay sculpture and ceramics, but said she has most recently focused on metal and fiberglass sculpture because that has allowed her to fully express herself. “While there’s always different medias to explore, sculpting is how I can communicate what is inside. Art through the visualation of it, the interaction of it, and the creation of it does helps us focus and become aware of other aspects of our own inner self that are already there. We can use this information to see things from a different space.”

Hughes said that regardless of one's familiarity with sculpture, jurors Mickett and Stackhouse's selections form an exciting and interactive grouping. Mickett said that when judging a sculpture competition, she is not a casual viewer but rather takes on the responsibility to tell a story about sculpture that can be gathered from looking at submissions. “I looked at how the piece of sculpture fits into the history of sculpture yet addresses it in a unique way,” said Mickett. “Being an artist myself, I took each submission seriously since I do understand how much it takes to not only do one’s work but also to present one’s work to the public.” Mickett and Stackhouse will deliver an artist talk on Thursday, October 3, 2013 at 2:00 p.m. at the museum covering their exhibition “Breath of Identity,” on view through January 4, 2014.        

Tickets to the October 4^th anniversary festivities are $45 per person and $25 for Auburn University students with a valid Auburn I.D. Individuals may purchase tickets online at www.jcsm.auburn.edu/outofthebox as well as print free tickets to the Birthday Party and Family Day on October 5 via the Eventbrite application. Prices include all taxes and fees and are non-refundable and non tax-deductible.

“Out of the Box: A Juried Outdoor Sculpture Exhibition” is sponsored by Julian Roberts Haynes in memory of Dr. Lucile McGehee Haynes and Grace K. and David E. Johnson. The Susan Phillips Educational Gift Fund provided additional funding. For more information, go to www.jcsm.auburn.edu or call 334-844-1484. 

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Contributed by Charlotte Hendrix