The Syracuse University Art Galleries celebrates the strength of Syracuse University students, faculty and scholarship with the presentation of two new exhibitions on view now.
“CRISIS: A Visual Exploration of Conflict,” curated by Museum Studies graduate students, investigates how visual artists have captured, reacted to and explained physical acts of conflict, issues of identity, and art’s evolving conceptual methodologies.
“Symphony in Black and White: The Prints of James McNeill Whistler” highlights a lesser-known aspect of James McNeill Whistler’s career: his prints. Featuring over 20 etchings and lithographs selected from the Syracuse University permanent art collection, “Symphony” was curated by undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in art history courses in the College of Arts and Sciences.
James McNeill Whistler, The Bridge, Santa Marta, 1879-1880.
The exhibitions will be on view April 5 through May 13 in the Shaffer Art Building at Syracuse University. 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 a gallery reception from 5 – 7 p.m. on Thursday, April 12. Patrons are welcome to view the exhibition until the gallery closes at 8:00 p.m. The reception is free and open to the public.
Installed in the Study Gallery, “CRISIS: A Visual Exploration of Conflict” investigates how visual artists have captured, reacted to and explained physical acts of conflict, issues of identity, and the evolving conceptual methodologies in art. Physical conflict is explored through subtopics including technological advancements in warfare and the loss of humanity, represented by works as diverse as 17th century etchings to contemporary sculpture.
Conflicts of identity grapple with the internal and psychological conflict of self and sexuality, the ongoing evolution on the notions of gender, and the revealing effects of cultural appropriation. Additionally, the ever-evolving genres of art, and the sometimes competing ideas found in these stylistic shifts, are signified by the pioneering artists that symbolize these movements.
Drawing from the diverse collections on campus, “CRISIS” includes over 30 examples of prints, photographs, archival materials, paintings, and multi-dimensional objects from Light Work, the Syracuse University Art Galleries and the Special Collections Research Center.
Andy Warhol, untitled, 1975. Syracuse University Art Collection; ©The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc./ Artist Rights Society
Curated by graduate students enrolled in Fine Arts Curatorship, taught by Andrew Saluti, assistant professor of museum studies, School of Design, this project is generously supported by the Program for the Advancement of Research on Conflict and Collaboration (PARCC) in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, the Syracuse University Humanities Center, and the Graduate Program in Museum Studies, School of Design, College of Visual and Performing Arts.
Installed in the Rudolf and Alice Wiezel Gallery, “Symphony in Black and White” highlights a lesser-known aspect of James McNeill Whistler’s career: his prints. During his day, Whistler was internationally renowned for his etchings, which helped fuel a print revival during the last half of the nineteenth century.
Through his prints, Whistler balanced his need to appeal to the market with his desire to innovate. His first set of published prints—The French Set—were created in the late 1850s, when he was a young up-and-comer in Paris who had aligned himself with French Realism. Soon thereafter, he settled in London, where he produced prints of the rough and tumble docks along the River Thames. Many of these prints were not published until 1871 as part of the Thames Set, and its popularity led Whistler to return to the shores of the Thames again and again throughout the next three decades to create etchings and lithographs that pictured scenes along the river.
As a mature artist, Whistler also created prints that represented many other magnificent cities in Europe, most notably Venice (the First Venice Set of 1880 and the Second Venice Set of 1886) and Amsterdam (the Amsterdam Set of 1890, his last). Prints from the five aforementioned portfolios are featured in this exhibition, along with numerous other etchings and two lithographs. Curated by Associate Professor of Art and Music Histories Sascha Scott and her students enrolled in the fall 2017 courses HOA 498: Senior Seminar: Research and Professional Practice and HOA 655: Proseminar in Graduate Research Methods and Scholarly Writing.
RELATED PROGRAMS
All programs are free and open to the public. For parking information, visit parking.syr.edu
Gallery Reception
Thursday, April 12, 5 – 7 p.m.
Lunchtime Lecture: Symphony in Black and White: The Prints of James McNeill Whistler
Wednesday, April 18, 12:15 p.m.
Join Department of Art and Music Histories professor Sascha Scott and student curators
Ben Farr ’18 and Tammy Hong ’18, for a gallery tour of Symphony in Black and White
Lunchtime Lecture: CRISIS: A Visual Exploration of Conflict
Wednesday, April 25, 12:15 p.m.
Join Museum Studies assistant professor, Andrew Saluti and select student curators for a gallery tour of CRISIS: A Visual Exploration of Conflict
About the SUArt Galleries
The SUArt Galleries is Syracuse University’s fine arts museum, offering the SU community and the general public a dynamic schedule of engaging and thought-provoking exhibitions, all of them enriched by public programs. With its emphasis on American art and interpretation, and a focus on exploring art in its historical, cultural, and social contexts, the SUArt Galleries serves as a museum-laboratory for our students and university community. The SUArt Galleries is a member of SU’s Coalition of Museum and Art Centers (CMAC).
