Contact: Barclay McConnell
Director, Baum Gallery of Fine Art at UCA
501.450.5793 | barclaym@uca.edu
UCA’s Baum Gallery Opens Spring Season with Four New Exhibitions
Conway, AR – The Baum Gallery of Fine Art at the University of Central Arkansas announces four upcoming shows: Swishbone: New Paintings by Julie Evans, Under the Influence: New Ceramic Work by Curt LaCross, Alternating Currents: A Mixed Media Art Installation by Mario Marzan, and Before and After: An Exploration of the Art Conservation Process opening Thursday, January 17 and on display through Sunday, February 24, 2013.
A public reception for the exhibitions will be held Thursday, January 17, 2013 from 5-7 p.m.
This set of exhibitions includes solo shows by three different artists, each working in a different medium, plus an exhibition focused on the field of art conservation.
Swishbone: New Paintings by Julie Evans is a solo exhibition showcasing the recent paintings on Mylar by the New York City native. These paintings are characterized by organic forms that swish and swirl with color and texture. Evans’s paintings float freely, undefined by frames, and evoke a sense of whimsy and femininity. Julie Evans will give a gallery talk before the exhibition reception on Thursday, January 17, at 4:30 p.m. in the Baum Gallery as well as a public lecture on Tuesday, February 26, at 5:30 p.m. in McCastlain Lecture Hall, room 143.
Under the Influence: New Ceramic Work by Curt LaCross is also a solo exhibition featuring the artist’s most recent large-scale ceramic busts. The Michigan artist presents individuals hyper-realistically by exposing every pore, mutation and defect. The highly expressive gestures created by LaCross in his work provide an unexpected view of the human form. Curt LaCross will give a public lecture on Thursday, January 17, at 5:30 p.m. in McCastlain Lecture Hall, room 143.
Alternating Currents: A Mixed Media Art Installation by Mario Marzan, also a solo show, will feature mixed media, 3-D installations and drawings by the Puerto Rican artist. Marzan uses different techniques to create intricate and imaginative “miniature worlds” full of vibrant color and devoid of gravity. Mario Marzan will give a public lecture on Tuesday, January 15, at 5:30 p.m. in McCastlain Lecture Hall, room 143.
Before and After: An Exploration of the Art Conservation Process is an exhibition aiming to illustrate conservation techniques practiced in museums and galleries throughout the world. Art conservation is integral to the preservation of fine works of art. This exhibit will feature a recently restored painting by Arkansas artist, Louis Freund, part of UCA’s permanent art collection. It will be displayed adjoining “un-restored” paintings from the same series. The Smithsonian Museum of American Art in Washington D.C. has also loaned images of great works of art both before and after their conservation as examples of different techniques and processes as well as to show the dramatic results of the art conservation process. Typical art conservation tools will also be on display. Wendel Norton of Norton Arts, Inc., a respected fine art conservation company based in Little Rock, Northwest Arkansas and San Francisco, will give a public lecture on art conservation on Thursday, January 24 at 1:40 p.m. in McCastlain Lecture Hall, room 143
“We are thrilled to be presenting the work of three talented and nationally-known artists, each creating distinctive and engaging work in a different medium,” said Baum Director Barclay McConnell, “and I suspect that visitors will be impressed by the “before and after” images in the art conservation exhibition, especially those from the Smithsonian, which are so dramatically different after restoration.”
The Baum Gallery’s hours of operation are Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Thursday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday 1-5 p.m. Entry to the exhibition is free.
The Baum will also be open for the following exhibition-related public events:
– Public Lecture by Mario Marzan: Tuesday, January 15, 5:30 p.m., McCastlain Hall 143
– Gallery Talk with Julie Evans: Thursday, January 17, 4:30 p.m., Baum Gallery
– Public Lecture by Curt LaCross: Thursday, January 17, 5:30 p.m., McCastlain Hall 143
– Public Lecture on Art Conservation by Wendel Norton: Thursday, January 24, 1:40 p.m.,
McCastlain Hall 143
– Public Lecture by Julie Evans: Tuesday, February 26, 5:30 p.m., McCastlain Hall 143
For more information on the Baum, visit https://uca.edu/art/baum or contact McConnell at (501) 450-5792 or barclaym@uca.edu.
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The Baum Gallery of Fine Art is an educational art museum, serving as a learning lab for the students, faculty, and staff at the University of Central Arkansas and as a cultural resource for the entire Arkansas community. The Director and the 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 hosts exhibitions and events that invite interaction and encourage dialogue about visual art: the creators, studio processes, history, criticism, curation, and cultural contexts. The gallery maintains institutional memberships in the Arkansas Museums Association, The Association of College and University Museums and Galleries, and the American Association of Museums.
