Events & Exhibitions at the Allen Memorial Art Museum of Oberlin College

SPRING 2015 EVENTS AND EXHIBITIONS AT THE ALLEN MEMORIAL ART MUSEUM

F I R S T   T H U R S D A Y S

Museum galleries remain open until 8 p.m. regardless of program location.

Feb. 5, 5:30 p.m., Art Building, Classroom 1 (enter through museum)

A talk titled “Bringing Home the Five-Legged Cow: Sherman E. Lee’s Collecting of Chinese Painting,” by Noelle Giuffrida, assistant professor of East Asian art at Case Western Reserve University, focuses on the former Cleveland Museum of Art director and his relationships with collectors who helped him to acquire important Chinese paintings for Cleveland during the 1950s and 60s. Following the talk, a reception will be held at the museum.

March 5, 5:30 p.m., First Church of Oberlin, 106 North Main St.

Artist and activist Alfredo Jaar, who left his native Chile in 1981 at the height of Augusto Pinochet’s dictatorship, gives a lecture titled “It Is Difficult.” Jaar is known internationally for politically charged works that often call attention to genocide, military violence, and the imbalance of power between industrial and developing nations. Following the talk, a reception will be held at the museum.

April 2, 5:30 p.m., First Church of Oberlin, 106 North Main St.

Haitian artist Edouard Duval-Carrié gives a lecture in conjunction with Latin American and Latino Art at the Allen. The exhibition features his 1998 painting Justicia, which refers to the Haitian Revolution of 1791 to 1803. Following the talk, a reception will be held at the museum.

May 7, 5:30 p.m., Art Building, Classroom 1 (enter through museum)

A community poetry reading, “A Muse in the Museum,” will feature works written in response to, or inspired by, works of art now on display at the museum. The event is co-sponsored with Main Street Readings and the Oberlin College Creative Writing Program. Following the talk, a reception will be held at the museum.

S P E C I A L   L E C T U R E S

‘To Be And/Or Realized:’ Edgardo Antonio Vigo’s Artistic Practice

Wednesday, April 1, 4:30 p.m., Mudd Center (Room 050), 148 West College St.

Vanessa Davidson, Shawn and Joe Lampe Curator of Latin American Art, Phoenix Art Museum, will speak on the Argentine artist who helped to pioneer the mail art movement.

Artist Talk—Art and Change: The Space in Between

Tuesday, April 21, 4:30 p.m., Art Building, Classroom 1 (enter through museum)

Margarita Cabrera’s 2006 soft sculpture titled Platinum Blue Bicycle is on view at the museum. Cabrera’s talk is co-sponsored by Oberlin College programs in Hispanic studies, Oberlin Center for Languages and Cultures, PRESHCO, Latin American studies, and comparative American studies.

Tuesday teas

The Allen Memorial Art Museum offers a talk, followed by light refreshments, at 2:30 p.m. on the second Tuesday of each month during the academic year.

February 10—Curatorial Assistant Hayley Larson (OC 2014) will discuss the documentation of performance art and its place in the museum setting. Larson will focus on works in the museum collection, such as Ana Mendieta’s 1974 series of photographs titled Body Tracks, along with documents from the Oberlin College Archives.

March 10—Jason Trimmer, Eric & Jane Nord Family Curator of Education, will discuss the process and materials involved in 15th-century Italian Renaissance panel painting

April 14—Denise Birkhofer, curator of modern and contemporary art, will give a talk titled “The Legacy of mexicanidad: Neo-Mexicanism at the amam.” She will focus on works by Diego Rivera, Adolfo Patiño, and Nahum Zenil on view in the exhibition Latin American and Latino Art at the Allen.

May 12—The annual Senior Tuesday Tea showcases the scholarship of Oberlin College students. One soon-to-be graduate, selected by staff through a competitive process, will give a talk on a work from the museum collection.

sunday object talks

Talks will be held at 2:00 p.m. on February 8, 15 and 22; March 2, 9 and 16; April 12, 19 and 26; and on May 3. Each student-led session focuses on a work on view in the galleries and lasts about 15 minutes, followed by time for questions and answers.

Community Day

Saturday, March 14, East Gallery, noon–4 p.m.

Come explore, learn, and create at this special event for families and the college community. Staff and student docents help you with projects and lead thematic tours of the museum.

Teen ceramics Workshop, Eight Saturdays, March 21–April 25, 1:00–3:30 p.m.
High school art students who want to build their portfolios should consider this workshop offered by the museum in collaboration with FAVA. Participants will bring home a number of finished projects as local artist John Miyazawa instructs them in ceramics. To register, contact Jason Trimmer at 440-775-8671 or jtrimmer@oberlin.edu.

Oberlin Chalk Walk
Saturday, June 20, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. / Rain date: Sunday, June 21

Celebrate a decade of creativity and join the Allen Memorial Art Museum for the 10th annual Oberlin Chalk Walk! Oberlin sidewalks will become a canvas for master artists and hundreds of talented amateurs. This popular event for all ages is sponsored by the AMAM in conjunction with Oberlin Main Street-Chamber, fava, and the Oberlin Public Library.

E X H I B I T I O N S

Latin American and Latino Art at the Allen

Ellen Johnson Gallery, through June 28

Modern and contemporary work by artists from 12 countries, all drawn from the collection of the Allen Memorial Art Museum.

Life and Art in Early America

Stern Gallery, through June 7

Works highlight the many voices that contributed to the narrative of American history during the tumultuous 19th century.

A Life in Prints: Mary A. Ainsworth and the Floating World

Ripin Gallery, through June 7

For the first time in three decades, the Allen Memorial Art Museum devotes an exhibition to the famed Ainsworth collection of Japanese woodblock prints of the Edo period (1603–1868). Colorful images feature geishas, kabuki actors, sumo wrestlers, and teahouse servers.

avaf@AMAM

Richard D. Baron Gallery, 65 East College St., Suite 5

February 20–May 1

The Allen Memorial Art Museum’s celebration of contemporary Latin American art continues with an off-site exhibition featuring sculpture, graphics, and video by the artist collective known as assume vivid astro focus (avaf). The group is known for creating psychedelic, multimedia environments. An opening party will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. on February 20.

On the Threshold: Doors and Windows Represented

Through June 28

Works feature architectural elements in the Western artistic tradition.

Shifting Perspective: The World Through Another’s Gaze

Through June 28

Five artists use different mediums to capture the fleeting moments that most inspire them.

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MUSEUM Hours: Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday 1 to 5 p.m.; closed Mondays and major holidays. Free educational or group guided tours may be arranged by calling 440.775.8671.

The Allen Memorial Art Museum cares for more than 14,000 works that provide a comprehensive overview of the history of art. A non-profit institution that is part of Oberlin College, the AMAM works with faculty and students to promote direct study of original works of art, foster visual literacy, and deepen appreciation for the diversity of the world’s cultures. Founded in 1917 with the idea that learning about art is important for everyone, the museum offers free admission.