Knoxville Museum of Art Docent Newsletter Issue 7

Ai Weiwei, Souvenir From Beijing, 2002

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CONTENTS OP-ED: Ai Weiwei: China’s Future 3 TECHNIQUE Jingdezhen’s Craft 3 Why, Ai Weiwei? 4 Interview:

Steel Master: Philip G. Nichols 5-6 A Culmination of Things Shared: Kwang-Young Chun’s Aggregations 7

Committee Corner: Opening Communication 8 DOCENT CALENDAR 8 Art in the SOUTHEAST 9

KMA Volunteers Never Go Unappreciated by Kitsy Hartley The KMA Volunteer Appreciation event was held April 19 to honor the 355 volunteers who worked 16,328 hours between April 1, 2010 and March 31, 2011. According to Shirley Brown’s figures, that’s roughly the equivalent of eight full-time employees. Volunteers make it possible for the museum to continue to operate as an important part of the cultural life in East Tennessee. This year’s event was extra special because Dee and Jimmy Haslam hosted the event at their beautiful home on Lyons View Pike. Those of us who were able to attend, enjoyed an evening of delicious hors d'oeuvres and beverages in a beautiful setting. We certainly did feel appreciated!   David Butler acted as Master of Ceremonies for the brief but poignant program. He began by honoring Margaret and Bill Bull who have retired after working for the past 15 years as the KMA Librarians. He turned the floor over to Stephen Wicks who showed us the book, Edward Hopper, which was donated to the library in their honor. Stephen also presented the Bulls with several gifts, including a hand crafted (by him) file card box complete with cards of thanks appropriately sorted and catalogued. Margaret took advantage of the microphone to say a few words and proceeded to entertain us all.  

Each year those who have worked more than 100 hours are recognized and the top three volunteers are announced. Unfortunately none of this year’s top volunteers were able to attend the event. The three have since received their deserved rewards.    The Intern of the Year was Maryville College student, Katie Connaster, who has been working for the Development Department since April 2010. She worked 446 hours which is the second highest all time record for KMA Interns.   The Docent of the Year award goes to the Docent who has led the most tours. Last year the docents led a total of 119 tours, with Docent of the Year going to Nancy Goyert. Naomi Rowe gave 14 tours and is the editor of the amazing docent newsletter, Docent Dialogues. She is this year’s Docent of the Year with 178 hours.   This years Volunteer of the Year logged a KMA record of 733 hours. Carol Devenski works at the Front Desk and is also a Docent. Carol has proved invaluable as she has spent hours compiling information pertinent to the exhibitions. Her hard work has definitely made a big difference in the quality of the KMA tours. It is no wonder that the Docent Program is flourishing with 3 of the top 4 named volunteers being Docents!   David concluded the program by recognizing the other volunteers in attendance that had worked more than 100 hours. They are as follows: Nancy Goyert (256), Nancy Wood (212), Katie Kimsey (156), Bo Willien (139), Rachel Wayne (134), Regis Borsari (131), Stephanie Walker (129), Carole Wunderlich (127), and Kitsy Hartley (123).   VOLUNTEERS ROCK

Upcoming exhibition news: In anticipation of the fall exhibitions Contemporary Focus 2011 and FAX opening August 25, 2011, please review the following links in preparation. FAX FAX is an exhibition that consists of only faxed artwork: http://www.curatorsintl.org/index.php/exhibitions/fax1/ CONTEMPORARY FOCUS Contemporary Focus is an annual KMA exhibition featuring emerging artists living in East Tennessee. This year the exhibition will feature John Bissonette, Brian Jobe, and Greg Pond. John Bissonette http://galleryneuartig.com/artwork/artist-overview/john-bissonette/ http://bcartsales.org/Artwork-Detail.cfm?AppThisID=1873&AppTheList=1873,1870 Brian Jobe http://brianjobe.com/ Greg Pond http://gregpond.net Docent training will be held the morning of August 15 from 10:00am-Noon.

 

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Ai Weiwei – China’s Future By Al Akins In college in the late 60’s, I had a history professor who told us that India and China had to “break the mold of the past to improve their economies.” Both countries have been on this course for some time. China is now the second largest economy in the world as of 2011. In his work, Ai Weiwei bridges both the past and the present. Under Mao Zedong (or Mao Tse-tung as it is sometimes transliterated), China, through the Cultural Revolution, attempted to eradicate the past through the burning of books and sending many well-educated people to agricultural collectives. In his triptych Dropping a Han Dynasty Urn, Ai shows the destruction of an ancient vase. Is this a parody of the current Regime’s attitude toward its ancient past? Is the new China going to be a land of skyscrapers and factories with old neighborhoods destroyed to make way for projects such as the 2008 Olympic Village and Stadium? Ai, in his piece Untitled (2006), is helping to revive the porcelain industry in Jingdezhen where he keeps a workshop of 20 craftsmen. The piece is in the shape of a cone composed of numerous ceramic sunflower seeds. As for Chinese propaganda, Ai has stated, “[w]e are all sunflowers because we are all facing the sun and the sun is Mao Zedong.” In his Blue- and-White Moonflask, Ai is making a vase of a high quality similar to vases made in the Qing Dynasty(1644-1911AD). The Moonflask was made in Jingdezhen and is difficult to detect its authenticity compared to vases made over 250 years ago. With Coca-Cola Vase, Ai shows that painting the name Coca-Cola on a vase can change it from an ancient Neolithic vase (5000-3000BCE) to one more modern, a readymade, just as Marcel Duchamp did in the early twentieth century. The revised vase also attracts a younger and broader audience by making the piece more contemporary. Overall, Ai Weiwei’s works appear to assert that China needs to remember its cultural past and not charge forward into a recklessly modern future with no remembrance of its ancient heritage.  

Ai Weiwei, Ghost Gu, 2006

Jingdezhen’s Craft: the Blue and White Porcelain of China’s South-Eastern Region by Nancy Goyert I have been collecting blue and white Chinese porcelain for years but only reproductions. I love the contrast of the cobalt blue designs on the white background. I was intrigued with Ai Weiwei’s exhibit, Dropping the Urn, and his connection to Jingdezhen in Jiangxi Province. In my readings about Chinese porcelain, I had come across Jingdezhen before and knew it was a mass-producing area for enamelware during the early 14th century. The fine, translucent, blue and white porcelain produced there made it the “Porcelain Capital of China”. The cobalt blue pigments, or “Islam Blue,” were mined in Persia until local Chinese sources were found in the 16th century (1). The pinnacle of Jingdezhen production was reached during the Qing Dynasty (1661-1722). Ai commissioned the still-producing Jingdezhen community to help him make the sunflower seeds for the Tate and the KMA exhibits, as well as the blue and white porcelain museum reproduction vases in the KMA exhibit. Now the Jingdezhen production is a “cottage” industry as shown in his video, which depicts the women painting the sunflower seeds at home. The process of producing Chinese porcelain is still the same in Jingdezhen. It begins with crushing the raw materials: china clay and aluminum silicate (can be kaolin, feldspar or quartz). A silicate filler is needed to form and fire the clay (2). The recipe for the clay mixture is what makes the finished product translucent. After the raw materials are crushed, the mixture is cleaned on screens with water to remove the larger particles; all pieces must be equal in size. The forming process can be done manually, with molds, or on a wheel. Next is the bisque firing (purification process) before painting or glazing the porcelain. A final firing is done; then it is cooled. Another area of interest for me is the motifs on the vessels. Originally in Jingdezhen, many of the designs were inspired by Islamic decorations. Vases, jars, plates, bowls, and pitchers were some of the vessels that had intertwining flowers and vines in geometric patterns in the center and lotus shaped panels decorating the bases and necks. Birds and flying cranes, animals, fish, insects, dragons and lotus flowers were also popular motifs (3). In the 15th century Ming plates with grape designs were produced at Jingdezhen (1). We never know how an exhibit or a piece of art will make a connection to us personally. It’s what makes art so intriguing. (1)Findlay, Robert. The Pilgrim Art, Cultures of Porcelain in World History. University of CA Press, 2010. (2)www.madehow.com/volume-1/Porcelain.html (3)Chen, Kelun. Chinese Porcelain: Art, Elegance and Appreciation. Long River Press, 2004.

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 WHY, AI WEIWEI? INSTRUCTIONS: Look at the artwork. Read, listen, and study. Write a mock conversation. Fill up the blank page. BEGIN HERE. * Prior to seeing KMA’s featured exhibit, Ai Weiwei: Dropping the Urn, what did you know of the artist? Nothing. * By now, you have likely formed an impression. What is most striking? The buzz that surrounds him. It is remarkable. * Why? What makes him so compelling? (Ai Weiwei questions everything. He would ask that.) His artwork, foremost. * How would you describe it? Evocative. Dense and complex; symbolic and spare. Poetic. Some of the objects are quite elegant. All of them, sincere. * What else makes him interesting? His persona, certainly. He is larger than life, a burly man pinned with labels. Artist. Architect. Activist. Curator. Critic. Some would call him a gnat. * Why? He is controversial - variably portrayed as a dissident, a cultural revolutionary, provocateur, a genius, sage, and even Clown Scholar (1). He is passionate, fearless, and daring. He is often irreverent, sometimes indifferent, vexing, at times, even brash. He has a near mythic presence. Say more about that. Already a renowned international artist, he is now “famous” and was recently named one of the world’s most influential people by Time (2). * How did he achieve that status? The media. The internet, mostly. He has an enormous following, and thanks to the phenomenal success of his blog, his writings and rants (3), he has become a celebrity, an unintentional hero. * Why has he garnered so much attention? He is currently being held in custody by the Chinese government. They think he’s trouble. His defenders range from ordinary citizens to leaders of the Western world, a global community of which many are not simply interested, but invested in his well-being. * Why? His voice fills a void. CONTINUE. * What do you find most intriguing about him? His intellect, philosophy, and vision. And his story, of course, but the chapters are long. * Do you like him or not? Yes. I admire his character.

* Why? He has a true spirit. * Why do you think that? Six seconds of video footage from the Tate (4). * Explain. A young Chinese girl stands on the threshold of a doorway, luminous against the dark interior, cupping her hands to catch raindrops. These frames tell the most about Ai Weiwei. * Why? They speak directly to how he inhabits the world, the way he fills latent space, the larger theme his work. YOUR CONCLUSION. Ai Weiwei, like the child, creates opportunity, imagines possibility, holds hope - inspires us by example to choose authentic life, which I believe is, in essence, the ultimate freedom. SIGN YOUR NAME (optional): Carol Devenski

Additional Info on Ai Weiwei Articles: Spring Rain: Okwui Enwezor on Ai Weiwei and the Sharjah Biennial Dissident Chinese Artist is Released Videos: Ai Weiwei Discussion @ KMA Ai Weiwei on TED

Each of the exhibitions at the KMA this summer addresses issues of community and labor. Help students think about community by having them reflect on group assignments at school. When asked to do a group project how do they organize and manage the work assigned? What does it feel like to depend on others to complete a task? How does it feel knowing that your success is dependant on how well everyone works together? Do they feel a sense of camaraderie once the project is finished?  

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Steel Master: Philip G. Nichols Transcript of interview conducted by Stephen Wicks and Chris Molinski at KMA, June 2010 Edited by Naomi Rowe for the KMADD newsletter Stephen Wicks: Can you give me a sense of the time frame [for when you began working on Form In Steel]? Philip Nichols: It was about three or four years after I got [to Knoxville]. SW: So you think '65, '66? PN: Probably '63,'64,'65. SW: A number of the [KMA] trustees, who are long time Knoxvillians, are interested in a Knoxville Seven exhibition. A lot of them own work by the Knoxville Seven and want more people [in the community] to know about what you guys [were] doing. How many shows did you [collectively] have in Knoxville? Was [it] just one show at the McClung Museum, or do you remember having any other shows and do you remember when that show was? PN: I remember having a show when Knoxville was chosen as the best small city in America or something at one time. Although in the main library at UT, [there was] a gallery in there. We had a show in [that gallery]. SW: So fairly informal and small scale PN: Yeah. We did [exhibit] around the Southeastern [region]...Columbus, GA, Chattanooga, places that had small art galleries. [The shows] were organized primarily by Buck Ewing. He was the guy who did all the paperwork. I couldn't tell you how many different places. There [were at least] two different places in Nashville. One was the basement of the Parthenon. And another was Cheekwood. SW: Did Buck come into your studio and say, "Ok Phil, we need three pieces, lets take these," or did he [let] you pick [the pieces for the exhibition]? PN: He was more informal. Each of us would [select] a few pieces to put in [the galleries]. It [depended on] how big the gallery was. But other than that, it was strictly what we had [available] at the time. SW: I was going through some of Bob Birdwell's old clippings, there is a great shot of [Walter] Stevens doing some sort of performance piece. I believe that was in conjunction with the show at the McClung Museum. PN: (laughs) I don't remember that at all. See, [Ewing, Birdwell, Higgs, Sublett, Stevens, and Clarke] were in operation several years before I arrived. I was the only person on the staff at UT who wasn't associated with [the group]. So they added me. But I was the last person they added. SW: You were the "lucky seven" PN: Yeah (laughs) Because after that, the University started expanding quite rapidly and the staff started expanding quite rapidly. So that was the end of

adding anybody. We maybe had a few shows after that expansion. But it did not include any of the new people. SW: So really the ending [of the group] is about 1966? PN: In that time period. SW: Where did you create Form In Steel? PN: In my campus studio. SW: In Estabrook [Hall]? PN: No, a converted garage that the art department had. The house was torn down to be a business school. I had a studio in the garage, and the classrooms were upstairs. I was the first sculptor that they hired. And the first sculpture classes were in a fairly large kitchen and dining room with the wall [knocked out] between them. That happened in 1961 when I got [to UTK]. The other faculty had taught a sculpture class of some sort or other. I think Ewing even taught one once or twice. But he did everything (laughs). SW: When creating [Form In Steel], was [the process] intuitive, [or did] you started out doing some sketches first? PN: I started out with a nebulous idea of what I was going to do. And I just started building; putting it together and making changes. When you're working with steel, you can take a cutting torch and cut off parts you don't like and add new [parts]. And so forth. SW: Did you have rectangles of steel already cut out? Or were you cutting and adding as you went? PN: Cutting and shaping, and doing a lot of pounding. I had an old stump that had some concaves that I had cut out with a chisel and I would use those to pound into. And I had sort of a knob that was an anvil-like thing to do the opposite curve. SW: Did you do anything to the surface to give it any kind of patina or particular coloration? PN: No, but when you weld, it adds a little color. Little blues and blacks, browns, and occasionally you'll get a little rust that's there. So there's a little natural color. I put a clear finish on it, so it wouldn't rust. Long as it was inside, it was fine. Chris Molinksi: Do you remember any of the other artists that inspired you, [o]r other art movements that you studied that led you to that place? PN: Well I guess you could say that some of the big names of the day were people like Henry Moore. He did not work in steel, but he did work with form. And David Smith. But the things I put together don't have a whole lot of resemblance to anything that they did.

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Later on, I [became] influenced by the objects I was around. SW: Like industrial objects? PN: One of the biggest influences on my artwork was that right out of high school I learned how to weld making furnaces for Lennox Furnace Company. I was just trying to make a little money so I could go to college. But I got drafted in the army instead. SW: At that point you'd already discovered an interest in art? PN: When I was in high school I was interested in art. They didn't have any art classes; it was a very small high school. [Actually], I've been interested in it ever since I was a kid. SW: When you were young, did you mostly draw, or did you whittle? PN: Figure drawing [mostly]. I guess you can say that some of the early things that I did were influenced by abstract expressionism. And again it goes back to some of Henry Moore's later pieces; his early pieces were [more] figurative. SW: Was there anyone [on the UT Staff] who you really admired for their work ethic....or their ideas? PN: Walter Hollis Stevens was always my favorite artist. SW: Are there any particular students that stand out [from your time at UT]? PN: Well there was only one and that was Julie Warren [Conn]. She started out doing welded work. And then she switched to marble and various other stone work. CM: What was the rest of Knoxville like? What was the art community like? PN: Knoxville did have a fairly active small group of artists and people that were interested in art. Knoxville Watercolor Society was fairly active back in those days. That was probably the biggest organization. And then of course you've got the Dulin Gallery, [which] the artists were fairly involved [with from] the beginning. SW: You always emphasize that [the Knoxville 7] was a very independent group. Who coined the phrase Knoxville Six or Seven? PN: I think the driving force [for the Knoxville 7] was really Buck Ewing. When I first came Sublett was a commercial artist in town; he didn't join the faculty until quite a few years later. [Sublett] painted with Stevens; those two probably worked together more than anyone else. And Richard Clarke was our commercial artist on the faculty.

SW: When you say commercial artist... PN: He was what you call a graphic artist. Back in those days it was commercial art. SW: I would love to have [one of Clarke’s watercolors we recently acquired] in the show next to your work. It is of a quarry here in town. [The watercolor] is an image of steep grey with all these blocks of marble. Those facets are like the planes of steel that you have welded together, in terms of form. PN: That is probably just coincidental. SW: Sure, but those are things a curator likes to do. (Nichols laughs)

Philip Nichols (American, born 1931) Form in Steel, circa 1963-1964 Welded steel Gift of the Carl Sublett Family In June of 2010, Philip Nichols ventured to the KMA for lunch and a follow-up interview with curators Stephen Wicks and Chris Molinski, not knowing he would be surprised with the installation of a sculpture he hadn’t seen in almost 50 years. It was common for the Knoxville Seven (K7), who deeply admired each other’s work, to purchase or trade with each other. Nichols’ steel sculpture, Form In Steel, had found a home in the collection of Carl Sublett, whose son, Eric Sublett, diligently presides over. Form in Steel is one of several gifts generously donated to the KMA by Eric Sublett and now resides in the exhibition, Higher Ground, alongside Nichols’ K7 peers, much to Nichols’ delight.

THE KNOXVILLE SEVEN: C. Kermit “Buck” Ewing Robert Birdwell Joanna Higgs Philip Nichols Carl Sublett Walter Hollis Stevens Richard Clarke  

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Connected artists

Chun’s w

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’s dystopian use of paper, as well as, the abstract landscapes of R

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art & P

ablo Picasso’s portraits and still lifes

from the early 1900’s.

 

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A Culmination of Things Shared: Kwang-Young Chun’s Aggregations by Naomi Hawkins-Rowe  To put it simply, Kwang-Young Chun’s work is astoundingly intricate and visually challenging. Until the wall-mounted and freestanding sculptures were installed in the gallery, I had relied on images in magazines, gallery catalogues or the internet to garner an idea of the texture and composition of his paper worlds. Seeing them in person I realize he truly is a master of trompe l’oeil. But like all artists, Chun’s work is about more than a visual impact on the viewer. The artist’s choice of Aggregations for the title of his current series sums up the sentiment of his work. Chun notes in his artist statement “every piece of information is the end product of a struggle for hegemony, as well as an accumulation of human experience” (1). An aggregate or aggregation equates to a sum or assemblage of parts and for Chun these pieces define multiple metaphors. In regards to humanity, it can be seen as the total of all things to date. The way mankind comes into contact, whether through a clash or in peace. The way we are connected to each other overtime and the culmination of all we are because of all the things we’ve experienced and learned. But not only is the work about human connections, but our connection to our natural environment as well. Chun’s assemblages bring to mind Felix Gonzalez-Torres’ Portrait of Ross (and Ai Weiwei’s Sunflower seeds). Both Chun and Gonzalez-Torres use wrapped objects as the “building blocks” (SW) to create their occasionally monumental works of art. Though with this comparison it is important to remember, “Chun seems focused on natural/environmental references, while Gonzalez-Torres examines artist-viewer relations and art as a collaborative performance, in which his “works” are ingested and carried away by viewers,” notes curator Stephen Wicks (2). “I always find some sort of message about civilization, labor, and community in such works,” Wicks continues(3). Interestingly, commentary on labor and community seem to run through the three exhibitions at the KMA this summer. Each mulberry, or hanji, wrapped triangle, regardless of color or size, represents what Chun refers to as “basic units of information, [which] create harmony and conflict with each other”(4). I can’t help but think of Xiaoze Xie’s fragmented paintings of newspapers--the clips

of images revealing important information, though not enough and at times contradictory. Like Xie, Chun’s concern seems for the uninformed that end up becoming victims of imposed ignorance. Xie uses fragmented imagery; Chun black or dark lines and spheres. The mulberry paper adorned with histories and stories, though not completely decipherable,

comes from old books and connects his work in a way to every person who has ever touched those pages making them apart of the sculpture as well. It is his deep connection to history, both that of his culture and his own personal past, that weaves its story throughout his work, both literally and figuratively. As Eric Shiner notes, “a nation’s entire literary and intellectual history is inscribed across…the artist’s narrative landscapes”(5). The sense of community Chun’s art elicits is similar to that of Ai and Anne Wilson’s for their choice of medium and subject matter. The art in these exhibitions are dependant on community, which brings to the table interesting questions about the art and the origins of the material itself. Like Ai and Wilson who work with teams of people, Chun depends on skilled artisans to help prepare the elements of his primarily monochromatic landscapes. In doing so, Chun takes the idea of community participation farther than is philosophically implied in his sculptures. In spite of the melancholy undertones of Chun’s work, he has utilized a common material and in discovering the possibilities of his medium, Chun has transformed mulberry paper from a utilitarian object into his voice.

Literary Connection to Kate DiCamillo’s The Tale of Despereaux In the book The Tale of Despereaux the supposed antagonist, Roscuro (Chiaroscuro) experiences light from the match Gregory, the jailer, uses to burn his whiskers before being tossed back into the darkness of the dungeon. This one encounter with light breeds a strong desire for him to find more despite the assumptions a rat should only desire darkness. Chun’s sculptural landscapes sweep from light to dark, creating borders and barriers – dark places that seem scorched juxtaposed to places lit with clarity. In Chun’s artist statement, he states, “The round and oval shaped black hemispheres and whirlwind-like images are the product of an artistic desire to create strong tension and dramatic movement…[the] black lines serve not only as a permanent cutoff of sensitive information, but also as a metaphorical sign that forms a borderline between those who are available to the information and those who are not, creating a visual tension.” Students could discuss how the ideas in Chun’s work relate to Roscuro, who is cut of from the light due to prejudice? Further Reading: The Cosmic Space Weaved with Light and Dark – Wonil Lee

 

Aggregation002-MA101B, 2002

Aggregation002-MA101B, 2002

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OPENING COMMUNICATION The Docent Committee has been together for two years now. It has been exciting to work with a dedicated team: Kitsy Hartley, Naomi Rowe, Kathy Huck, Trish Igoe, and Carol Devenski. Improving our communication resources was a major goal. Thanks to editor Naomi Rowe and all the docents for creating this dynamic newsletter, which keeps us up to date on everything new at KMA. In addition, the newly revised Docent Handbook is a useful reference guide to all things related to the KMA and docent program. Our online tour schedule, with email reminders for tours and training, allows docents to schedule their tours from home. Designated monthly docent training sessions are open to VSR’s, staff, the KMA education committee, board members, and the Guild. Docents appreciate having access to curators, Stephen Wicks and Chris Molinski, and having learning opportunities that are on the “cutting edge”. Trainings are also a great time for docents to share their tour experiences. Having training dates ahead really helps docents schedule their lives. Carol Devenski, our incredible Resource Docent, keeps us supplied with exhibit materials before the trainings and exhibitions. She puts together hands-on materials for our tours (a wonderful collection of visual aids and touchable samples), writes the Family Guides for the KMA exhibits and works as a Front Desk volunteer. It is no wonder she was Volunteer of the Year for 2011 (See page 2 to read about the VAC Volunteer Appreciation Awards at the Haslam’s; it was a spectacular party). Last June, docents took a fieldtrip to Nashville to see the exhibitions at Cheekwood Museum and Gardens and The Frist Art Center and to learn about their docent programs. It was a great opportunity to visit with other docents and observe their tours. We also learned how to put our schedule on-line. Coming soon: Summer 2011 Docent Field Trip Opportunity –We’ll keep you posted! To improve our communication with teachers, a new position has been created: Lead Docent. Al Aiken, a seasoned KMA docent, will contact teachers this fall, prior to their tours, to find out what the students are studying and what the teachers would like us to focus on. He will assist the teachers on the opportunities available at the museum and then will contact the docents ahead of time. This will help docents thoroughly prepare for their tours. The Docent Committee will continue to improve communication channels to make our program stronger. You’re thoughts on the matter are greatly appreciated.

- Nancy Goyert

July 6 Noon-1pm Dine & Discover: Jack Neely on Higher Ground

July 10 2pm Second Sunday Tours (Docent Lead)

July 18 10am-Noon Docent Training: Tour Tactics

Aug 3 Noon-1pm Dine & Discover with Lindsay Mican Morgan, Curator at The Art Institute of Chicago Thorne Rooms Aug 3 5:30-7:30pm Lindsay Mican Morgan, Thorne Rooms Curator - Reception with docents/special guests

Aug 14 2pm Second Sunday Tours

Aug 15 10am-Noon Training: Contemporary Focus & FAX

Sept 7 Noon-1pm Dine & Discover: Pat Rutenberg on Higher Ground

Sept 17 1pm-4pm Artists in Action, Contemporary Focus: Greg Pond

Sept 23 Noon-3pm Artists in Action, Contemporary Focus: Brian Jobe

Oct 5 Noon-1pm Dine & Discover: Fred Moffatt on Higher Ground

Oct 19 Noon-1pm Dine & Discover, Contemporary Focus: John Bissonette

Oct 22 1pm-4pm Artists in Action, Contemporary Focus: John Bissonette

Nov 2 Noon-1pm Dine & Discover, Robert Booker on Higher Ground

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Anne Wilson Wind/Rewind/Weave  The stellar publication, Anne Wilson Wind/Rewind/Weave, edited by Susan Snodgrass with essays by V&A curator, Glenn Adamson; art historian, Jenni Sorkin; UCI professor, Julia Bryan-Wilson; artist and weaver, Philis Alvic and New School professor, Laura Y. Liu, is now available in the KMA bookstore. The catalogue includes introductions by David Butler and exhibition curator, Chris Molinski. Further Note: Anne Wilson will be a part of Art 21 for 2011; read her interview here

Art in the Southeast

Local Happenings UT Downtown Gallery, Knoxville, TN: Check the galleries website for updates.  Ewing Gallery of Art and Architecture, Knoxville, TN: Closed for Summer Repairs Exhibitions within a four-hour drive Georgia High Museum of Art, Atlanta, GA: Howard Finster: Paradise Garden, ongoing; Making a Mark: Drawings from the Contemporary Collection and Modern by Design, through August 21; John Marin’s Watercolors; Alfred Stieglitz and His Circle; and Radcliffe Bailey: Memory as Medicine, through September 11; The Resonant Image, through Nov. 6. For a complete listing of upcoming exhibitions, please see the High’s website. Kentucky University of Kentucky Art Museum, Lexington, KY: Clink on the link for a full listing.  The Speed Art Museum, Louisville, KY: Quilts from Kentucky and Beyond: The Bingham-Miller Family Collection, through Sept. 18; Being and Making: Artists Investigation Identity, through the Fall; Julian Opie: Selections from the Chellgren Collection, through Oct. 23. Tennessee Cheekwood, Nashville, TN: Current: William Edmondson: The Hand and the Spirit, through Aug 7;David Wood: Double Heliotrope: A Conversation Between Earth and Water, through October 31; Trains! Tennessee in G, April 9 - December 31.UPCOMING: British and American Screen Prints, July 9 – Oct. 2; Drawn to Nature, July 16—Oct. 2. Frist Center, Nashville, TN: Gather Up The Fragments: The Andrews Shaker Collection, through August 21; Warhol Live and Vesna Pavlovic, through Sept. 11; Boaz Vaadia, through Feb. 1, 2012; Connecting Cultures: Children’s Stories From Across the World, through March 27. 2012. Hunter Museum of American Art, Chattanooga, TN: Between the States: Photographs of the American Civil War from the George Eastman House Collection, through August 28; Beverly Semmes: An Artist’s Sketchbook, through October 23.  Vanderbilt University Fine Arts Gallery, Nashville, TN: Fit to Print: Contemporary Poster Art from the Vanderbilt University Fine Arts Gallery Collection and 10 West Coast Artist, through August 13. Please let Naomi know if there are any other museum or gallery happenings you would like added to the list. Email them to her at philarthropist@philarthropists.org