Transylvania University’s Morlan Gallery has announced its 2019-20 season, which features works from acclaimed artists that reflect this school year’s campus theme: Resilience.
From the endurance of traditional letterpress to the societal and environmental resilience expressed by a group of political activists, this season’s exhibitions will delve into what it takes to carry on in the face of adversity.
“With so many challenges facing us in the world these days, it’s heartening to see such a spirit of resilience expressed through art,” gallery director Andrea Fisher said. “I’m excited about our upcoming season, and invite the public to join us in this exploration our campus theme.”
Morlan Gallery is on the first floor of the Mitchell Fine Arts Center. All exhibitions and special events are free and open to the public. Free, nearby parking is available to visitors.
The Art of Kentucky Literature: 45 Years of Larkspur Press
Sept. 3 – Nov. 1, 2019
In a special collaborative exhibition, Morlan Gallery and Transylvania’s library present “The Art of Kentucky Literature: 45 Years of Larkspur Press,” a celebration of Larkspur’s 45th anniversary. Located on the main floor of the library, “The Art of Kentucky” explores the significant influence Gray Zeitz’s Larkspur Press has had on printing and literature in Kentucky and beyond. The show is part of the university’s New Frontiers series.
Events
- LexArts HOP | Friday, Sept. 20, 5-8 p.m., library
- Craft and Art: The Community of Larkspur Press, a panel discussion with Larkspur Press founder Gray Zeitz; Jim Birchfield, curator of rare books emeritus, University of Kentucky; and Gabrielle Butler, exhibition curator and book artist | Wednesday, Oct. 2, 6 p.m., library
- Delcamp Visiting Writers’ Series: Readings from authors who have been published by Larkspur Press, featuring Wendell Berry, Bobby Ann Mason and Mary Ann Taylor-Hall | Wednesday, Oct. 9, 7-8 p.m., Carrick Theater
A Matter of the Heart: The Dan Selter Retrospective
Sept. 10 – Oct. 11, 2019
A celebration of the work and life of the late Dan Selter, professor emeritus of art, who taught at Transylvania for 35 years until his retirement in 2010. He was a master ceramist and a brilliant professor, and his art reflected his humorous wit. He inspired countless students to explore the unusual and to find beauty wherever they went.
Events
- Opening Reception and Studio Pottery Sale | Thursday, Sept. 12, 5-8 p.m.
- LexArts HOP | Friday, Sept. 20, 5-8 p.m.
Forest Portals by Zoé Strecker
Sept. 10 – Oct. 11, 2019
Forest Portals: Pine Mountain (Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall) is a sculpture that invites contemplation of the spectacular biodiversity in Kentucky’s old growth forests and the soil that supports them. The cracked screens are porcelain clay. Clay is dirt. Dirt is a foundation for terrestrial life, the shared site of the living and the transformed, home to human and non-human beings. This is a special Studio 300 Digital Arts and Music Festival exhibition in Morlan’s side gallery.
Events
- LexArts HOP | Friday, Sept. 20, 5-8 p.m.
- Gallery Reception for the Artist | Thursday, Oct. 3, 5-7 pm.
If I Could Turn Back Time
Oct. 25 – Dec. 3, 2019 (closed Nov. 26-29 for Thanksgiving)
Curated by Paul Michael Brown ’13, “If I Could Turn Back Time” features works by Aaron Skolnick, Forest Kelley, Jared Phillip Buckheister and Jonesy and Jaime C. Knight. The exhibition focuses on artists who employ queer archives and histories that are personal and collective, informal and institutional and real and imagined as a starting point for their work. The artists on view alternately unearth, reinterpret or invent queer historical narratives in an effort to destabilize mainstream understandings of the past.
Events
- LexArts HOP | Friday, Nov. 15, 5-8 pm.
- Curator’s Talk with Paul Brown | Wednesday, Nov. 20, 7-8 p.m.
Resilience 101
Work by Public Service Artists and Friends
Jan. 14 – Feb. 21, 2020 (closed Jan. 20 for MLK Day)
Public Service Artists (PSA) and invited friends create an exhibition expressing societal, physical, generational and environmental resilience. PSA is a Cincinnati-based group of political art activists interested in proactively changing the political climate through increasing voter turnout, identifying viable political candidates and convincing the greater public to be politically active. They began in early 2018, and their interventions include yard signs, coasters, T-shirts, buttons, interactive pop-up events and other activities. The show is part of the university’s New Frontiers series.
Events
- LexArts HOP | Friday, Jan. 17, 5-8 p.m.
- Public Lecture with PSA | Wednesday, Jan. 22, 7-8 p.m., Carrick Theater
Senior Thesis Exhibition
Work by Cabby Brown, Ashleigh Stickler and Marissa Price
March 3 – April 10, 2020 (closed the week of March 9 for spring break)
Events
- LexArts HOP | Friday, March 20, 5-8 p.m.
Juried Student Art Exhibition
May 1-15, 2020
Art majors and non-art majors alike contribute works in a wide variety of media in an exploration of creativity.
Events
- Opening Reception | Friday, May 1, 5-7 p.m.; awards presented at 6