Letter from the Art Department Head, Tom Venner

Thank you for visiting the EMU Art Department web site. It is our hope and intention that what you find will be informative and useful. If you haven’t already, please take a minute to look around the site. You will find lots about who we are and what we do. Of course, if you don’t find what you need, give us a call. We’ll be happy to help!

News of Spring, 2005

Exhibitions

The spring and summer schedule for Ford Gallery includes a variety of exciting exhibitions. We will be treated to works by individual graduate Masters of Fine Arts candidates including Brian Pitman (May 15-20), Celeste Craig (May 28 – June 1), Mary Williams (June 20 – July 1), Michael Konas (August 1-12), and Lori Young ( August 15-19). Interspersed with these are exhibitions by our Master of Arts students, Kathleen Sheridan, Victoria Alexander, Tom Schoof, Sondra Hoffman, and Cheryl Brooks. Contact Larry Newhouse, Ford Gallery Program Director (larry.newhouse@emich.edu) or see our website for details and stop by Ford Hall to view the excellent work of our graduate students.

New Galleries

Speaking of exhibitions, the new Student Union currently under construction and due to open in the fall of 2006 will contain two art display spaces – a new Intermedia Gallery to replace the venerable old space located in McKenny Union, and a University Gallery, which will be situated close to the main entrance with parking and other facilities conveniently located to support activities there. The new space will be approximately 50% larger than Ford Gallery. We are very excited about its potential as a space. Ford Gallery will remain active, shifting to cover more of our instructional and student-oriented activities. Our new gallery will support broadened and enhanced programming. If you would be interested in helping support our programming, either with a donation or volunteer help, please contact me (tvenner@emich.edu).

New Faculty

We are pleased to announce that the university has made offers to three candidates for Art faculty positions starting in the fall of 2005. They are: Jennifer Locke – Drawing, Michael Reedy – Drawing, and Beili Liu – 3d Design.

Faculty Creative and Scholarly Activity

The following is a summary of some of the art faculty’s recent activity.

Margaret Davis showed recent paintings in a two-person exhibition (with her husband, the sculptor Lou Marinaro) at 20 North Gallery in Toledo during November, 2004.

Chris Hyndman showed recent paintings at Suzanne Hilberry Gallery in Ferndale, November, 2004.

Colin Blakely showed recent photographs at Robert Steele Gallery, New York, February, 2005

Julia R. Myers, published "J. Alden Weir's Essay on 'Modern Life’:  In the Park of 1879,"  The American Art Journal, vols. 34-35 (2003-2004).  Also out this past winter: Julia R. Myers, The Expressive Figure 1950-2000:  Selections from the Permanent Collection of the Art Department, Eastern Michigan University; Ford Gallery, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, MI, 2005.

Diana Pancioli, has designed and executed four large public murals in the city of Detroit; the most recent is a 60 foot mural at Compuware World Headquarters. Another commission, to be completed this summer, will be a drinking fountain for the new Ford Hospital.

Diana recently exhibited in the juried national “Ceramics U.S.A.” (2004) in Denton, Texas and at a national invitational show of place settings, “Please Set the Table,” at Pewabic Pottery, Detroit, Michigan, 2004.

Her book published in the mid-90s, Extruded Ceramics, Larkbooks and A&C Black, is still in print and in soft- and hardcover.

She is preparing three more projects for publication. The first, “Glaze Forward,” on cone 6 reduction glazes, will be completed this year. The next, “Good Cone Ten,” will be finished in 2006. Research for a ceramic history book is ongoing and will be completed in 2007.

Diana continues to make functional pottery year-round.

Patricia Williams participated in the exhibition Recursions: Material Expression of Zeros & Ones, Museum of Design Atlanta, Atlanta, Georgia and Focus Fiber 2004, Artists Archives of the Western Reserve, Cleveland, Ohio; Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts, St. Bonaventure University, Allegany, New York; (Handweavers Guild of America Award). Pat also presented Developing a Jacquard Weaving at the Museum of Design Atlanta, Atlanta, Georgia and Weaving Dimensional Fabrics and Preparing Files for Jacquard Weaving at Colloquy, St. Meinrad, Indiana. She recently published two articles: “Jacquard Study Group,” in Complex Weavers Journal, September 2004, pp. 24-28 and “Details of Work Woven with Two Shuttles in Jacquard Workshops at Eastern Michigan University,” Jacquard Study Group Newsletter, November 2004, online.

Andrew Maniotes designed all the printed material for "Holy Moley More Comic Art!"

including the catalogue, poster series, and T-shirts. Andy also created the logo type design for the College of Arts and Sciences. Recent exhibitions include Dirty Detroit Erotic Arts show, a performance piece. Andy is leading a group of design students to study in London this May and June.

Richard Fairfield and alumnus, Robert Throne presented a two-person exhibition in April at the River Gallery, Chelsea Michigan, April-May, 2005.

Ellen Schwartz served as President of the Byzantine Studies Association, 2003-04 and presided at the national conference at Harvard University in October, 2004.  She also published a juried article, "Under the Influence: Byzantine Metalwork and the Development of the German Censer," in the journal Deltion tes Christianikhes Arkhaiologikhes Hetaireias 4, 15 (2004), pp. 203-208, published in Athens.

John DeHoog exhibited at the Detroit Artists Market in their annual Furniture and Fashion Show (Jan 05). John, Tom Venner, Chris Bocklage, Larry Newhouse, Diana Pancioli, David Tammany, Richard Fairfield, and professor emeritus, John Pappas, exhibited in the “Ypsilanti Invitational” at the  Riverside Arts Center in September.

Lecturer, Sally Ryan exhibited at the Lyda Rose Gallery in Homewood, Alabama. She had four drawings in a group show titled "Original Drawings."

Barry Avedon showed new works at the Water Street Gallery, Saugatuck Michigan in February, 2005.

Ryan Molloy had work selected for the AIGA Detroit DESIGN RE:VIEW 05 exhibition (February-March) at the College for Creative Studies as well as the Digital Showcase at the Austin Museum of Digital Art (AMODA), March, 2005.

Nora Venturelli presented paintings and drawings of Michigan landscapes (23 pieces) in October, 2004 titled "Journey" at the Arts Council of Moore County, Southern Pines, NC  (Invitational). In February, Nora participated in the juried exhibition, "The Body Eclectic" at the Lawrence Street Gallery, Ferndale, MI, taking 2nd prize. Her drawings and paintings of Michigan landscapes can be seen at the Ann Arbor Art Center, gallery shop.