VCUarts and Temple University’s Tyler School of Art have
teamed up for a special two-part, cross-state exhibit featuring the
best of crafts and sculpture from both schools.
Amy Hauft, chair of the sculpture department, emphasized the
healthy raport the two schools share.
“Tyler and VCU have a long history of students going from one
institution to the other,” Hauft said. “Many students do so in order
to continue their education by getting a graduate degree.”
The exhibition, titled “From One State to Another,” will feature
some of Tyler’s and VCU’s graduates’ best works.
“The VCU leg of the project will feature seven artists with nine
works, but there are about 20 (artists) who submitted work. The
modes and content of the works are very varied and include works
by crafts artists and sculpture artists. There’s also mechanical work. There is a
piece that works through solar panels. . We even have a light work that is only
visible at night. It’s quite exciting.”
The Philadelphia school’s exhibit will feature VCU students and is scheduled
to take place some time early next semester.
Adding more to the mix are two specially selected curators representing the
cities of Richmond and Philadelphia who selected the best works for the showings.
Hauft asked a longtime colleague of hers to assist in the curatorial process.
“My colleague at Tyler is Sharyn O’Mara, who is the associate dean there. She
and I cooked up an idea to have a series of continuing exhibitions. . We decided
to have these two different curators representing a different city to select the works
for the exhibit,” Hauft said.
The first curator hired for the exhibit is Gregory Volk, a VCU associate professor
in the School of the Arts. He also is a regular contributor to publication “Art in
America” and is an independent curator.
“He and his wife put together exhibitions, and they go to different museums
and galleries, like the VCU Anderson Gallery and the Tanya Bonakdar Gallery in
New York City,” Hauft said.
The Tyler curator is Ingrid Shaffner, senior curator for the Institute of Contemporary
Art, the museum associated with the University of Pennsylvania.
“(Shaffner) has a really long and interesting track record as a curator. She very generously
agreed to lead the Philadelphia end of the curatorial project, Hauft said”
To avoid favoritism, precautionary measures were taken so there would be little
risk of the curators recognizing the works of the students they have most likely
encountered in the past.
“I taught at Tyler for 14 years before I came to VCU, and I’ve been here for
three-and-a-half years. I understand the ethos of the two different educational
systems, and I have many colleagues there whom I share students with, so it’s a
very natural match. The curators have no previous knowledge of the works they’ll
be looking at,” Hauft said.
“From One State To Another” is on display to the public on the first floor
of the Fine Arts Building until Dec. 7. For more information, contact Mary C.
Eisendrath at (804) 828-7176.