The Syracuse University Art Galleries opened the 2017-2018 exhibition year with two new exhibitions installed in the permanent collection galleries. Highlighting the breadth of the collections’ encyclopedic holdings featuring a variety of artists and themes, these new displays explore the genres of photography, prints, paintings and drawings.
Right: Robert Cottingham, “American Hi-Fi”, 1971. On view in the Modern & Contemporary Galleries. Left: Sheila Pinkel, “Ilexoptical Co. Wide Open,” 2015. On view in the Photography Study Gallery.
Two of the exhibitions, on display in the Print and Photography Study Galleries through May 2018, were curated in concert with the main gallery exhibition “Meant to Be Shared: Selections from the Arthur Ross Collection of European Prints at Yale University.” Additional exhibitions are installed in the Study Cabinets, exploring the prints of James McNeill Whistler and the circus prints of Georges Rouault. New selections integrated into the Collection Galleries highlight the permanent collection, examining the academic interests and themes explored in Syracuse University fall curricula, allowing for new dialogues and art appreciation for students, faculty and the public.
The exhibitions opened Aug. 17 in the Shaffer Art Building. Gallery hours are Tuesday-Sunday, 11 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; and Thursdays 11 a.m.-8 p.m. The SUArt Galleries will host an opening night reception from 5-7 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 7. Patrons are welcome to view the exhibition until the gallery closes at 8 p.m. The reception is free and open to the public.
“In Gratitude: The Museum Project,” on display in the Photography Study Gallery, examines the Museum Project, an artist collective formed by over a dozen pre-eminent American artists seeking a way to express their gratitude for the institutional support of, and commitment to, photography as an art form. This exhibition, curated by exhibition and collection manager Emily Dittman, features a multitude of contemporary perspectives and a rich diversity of styles, concepts and photographic materials as it explores the recent donation of artwork to the Syracuse University Art Collection.
“Americans in Venice: Late 19th and early 20th Century Prints,” curated by SUArt Galleries director Domenic Iacono, presents six prints by James McNeill Whistler from this period, placing them alongside the work of other Americans who were practicing in Italy in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The juxtaposition of these works allows the viewer to appreciate Whistler’s innovations and his effect on the artists who followed him. Artists such as Mortimer Menpes, Frank Duveneck, Otto Bacher and Joseph Pennell owe much to Whistler’s innovative style and approach and, in turn, their work had an impact on the artists who made prints of Venice during the 20th century. On display in the Print Study Room, this exhibition will be on view through May 13, 2018.
The exhibition and programs are free and open to the public. Complete information and related programming is available by visiting the website at http://suart.syr.edu/.
