Coming Up at the Baum
Fired Up in the Natural State: Contemporary Ceramics
The University of Central Arkansas’s Baum Gallery will host a new exhibitions this fall, Fired Up in the Natural State: Contemporary Ceramics, running January 23 – February 14, 2020. This exhibition is co-curated by Brian Young, director, Baum Gallery, and Liz Smith, associate professor and associate chair, art department, UCA
This show features the ceramics of some of the most prominent ceramic faculty members in the Arkansas. The Baum Gallery will include the following artists: Benjamin Cirgin, formerly University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, and now teaching at the Eastern Kentucky University; Jeannie Hulen, University of Arkansas; Linda Lopez, University of Arkansas; Matthew McConnell, University of Arkansas; Kensuke Yamada, University of Arkansas at Little Rock; Aaron Calvert, Henderson State University; Dawn Holder, University of Ozarks; Liz Smith, University of Central Arkansas; Helen Phillips, formerly University of Central Arkansas; Stephen Driver, co-owner, Little Mulberry Pottery; Joe Bruhin, independent artist; Anna Wagner, University of UCA, BFA, 2020; and Fletcher Larkin, owner, Fox Pass Pottery. The opening reception will be January 23 from 4pm – 7pm in the Baum Gallery in McCastlain Hall.
“Fired Up is an exhibition meant to inspire our BA and BFA students in the field of ceramics. By selecting the work of professionals and academics, I want students to see the full range of contemporary ceramics. In particular, our audiences will see a tremendous range from functional to whimsical,” said Brian Young Director, Baum Gallery.
For this exhibition, the Baum Gallery has received support from the UCA College of Fine Arts and Communication (CFAC) as well as from the Conway Convention and Visitors Bureau. The Baum is grateful for loans from the artists.
New to the Collection
In June of 2019, Penelope Hunter-Stiebel and Gerald Stiebel, donated eleven significant photographs to the Baum Gallery’s permanent collection. With the exception of two, all date from the decade between 1923-1933. In addition, all are either silver gelatin or platinum prints. The works follow in alphabetical order:
Alice Boughton, Girl in Long Dress on Rocks
Julia Margaret Cameron, King Arthur (from Idylis of the King), 1874
Henri Cartier-Bresson, Madrid [Concepcion Jeronima 13], 1929
Jaromir Funke, [Tribuna Newspaper and Bust], circa 1924, printed later
Fritz Henle, Florence at Night, 1923
Fritz Henle, Florenz, Blick Duurch di Uffizien, 1923
Tibor Honty, Summer Evening, 1952
Wendell MacRae, Rockeller Center, circa 1934
Edward Weston, Eggs and Slicer, 1930 (pictured above)
Edward Weston, Pepper (5P), negative date, 1929
Clarence H. White, Letitia with Thistle, not dated
With this gift, the Baum Gallery has created the most significant addition to its permanent collection, especially one with such historically important names in the field. In 1999, one scholar called Weston,
“One of the most innovative and influential American photographers. . .”. In addition, Cameron is widely regarded as one of the most renowned artists in Victorian Britain while Cartier-Bresson, a Frenchman, was a dominant force in street photography. That the Stiebels were able to gather such a cohesive and impressive collection is no surprise to those familiar with them. Gerald Stiebel is a fourth-generation art dealer while Penelope Hunter-Stiebel, Ph.D., was a former curator at the Metropolitan Museum in New York and the Portland Museum of Art.
While the Stiebels did not have a connection to UCA, they thought that bringing such an important body of work to an area with limited access to such materials made for a meaningful destination. The works will be rotated on view around the Baum Gallery beginning in spring of 2020. Until then, the works are available for viewing by appointment. UCA and the Baum Gallery wish to relay the Stiebels for the generosity.
Mission Statement
The Baum Gallery is an educational art museum for UCA students, faculty and staff, and the central Arkansas community. The Director and Faculty Exhibitions Committee select national and international touring exhibitions, sponsor juried student shows, and cooperate across disciplines to curate original exhibits distinctly suited to an academic environment. The gallery develops exhibitions and events that invite interaction and encourage dialogue about visual art: the creators, studio process, history, criticism, curation, and cultural contexts.
Exhibits and events are under the aegis of the UCA Department of Art, College of Fine Arts and Communication. The Baum Gallery maintains institutional memberships in the Arkansas Museums Association, the Association of College and University Museums and Galleries, and the American Association of Museums.
Artist Submissions
Please send electronic images, a CV or artist resume, and contact info to bkyoung@uca.edu.
Appraisals or Authentications
Generally, the Baum Gallery does not provide appraisals or authentications. Contact the Appraisers Association of America for guidelines and state searches at www.appraisersassociation.org.