Mead Art Museum 18 Alumni Artists

October 11 – December 16, 2001

It is with great pleasure that the Mead Art Museum presents its first exhibition to honor some of the distinguished alumni of Amherst College who have pursued careers in the visual arts. This project started over four years ago to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the Mead Art Building (built in 1949), dedicated to the teaching and exhibiting of art. Although deferred until our re-opening in 2001, the show now celebrates the recent renovation of the Mead Art Museum, the imminent completion of Fayerweather Hall for the Fine Arts Department, and more generally the expansion of visual arts education on campus. The 18 alumni artists, selected from a wide call for entries, span these decades. They represent not only a range of styles, techniques, mediums, and intentions, but also the changes and diversity of the Amherst community over time. The connecting thread is that these artists shared and appreciated the remarkable opportunities that their Amherst education provided. Articulate and thoughtful, each expresses a unique world view fostered by their liberal arts training and subsequent life experiences.

Naturally, an exhibition cannot take place without the hard work and dedication of a number of people. In addition to thanking the artists who responded, we would like to recognize our colleagues and staff who participated in the selection process for this exhibition: Rachel Rosenfield Lafo, Senior Curator, DeCordova Museum and Sculpture Garden, Lincoln, Massachusetts; Abigail Messitte '93, Director, Clementine Gallery, New York; Brooke Kamin Rapaport '84, Associate Curator of Contemporary Art, Brooklyn Museum of Art; Robert T. Sweeney, William R. Mead Professor of Fine Arts, Amherst College; and Museum staff: Susan Danly, former Curator of American Art; Martha Hoppin, Interim Curator of American Art; Martha A. Sandweiss, former Director, and Professor of American Studies and History, Amherst College; and Jill Meredith, Director and Curator of European Art, Mead Art Museum.

Events:

Thursday, October 11, 4:30 p.m.
Lecture - Sonya Clark '89, Assistant Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, will deliver a lecture titled "From Hair to There: Cultural Roots as Artistic Inspiration." Stirn Auditorium
A reception with many of the 18 alumni artists will follow. More details in Amherst College press release.

First Tueday Gallery Talk
December 4, 12:15 p.m.
Thomas Cornell '59, the Richard E. Steele Professor of Studio Art at Bowdoin College, will talk about his work.