The Academy for the Visual and Performing Arts

MAY 2008

RECURRING EVENTS THROUGHOUT MAY

Viza-go-go Visualization Sciences Exhibition and Show
Monday, April 28, 2007 - Saturday, May 3, 2008 (Exhibition), Time TBA, Rudder Exhibition Hall;
Friday, May 2, 2008 - Saturday, May 3, 2008 (Time-Based Works), Time TBA, Rudder Theater;
The yearly showcase of visualization sciences student work, including computer graphics, animation, videography, photography, and other technical art disciplines.
For more information, visit http://www-viz.tamu.edu

ONGOING EXHIBITS

Perspective ‘08: Flights of Fancy
Thursday, April 17 – Sunday, June 8, 2008, J. Wayne Stark University Center Galleries;
The exhibit consists of floral art designs made of dried vegetative materials created by Texas A&M University students. This year students have been given the task to create floral kite designs inspired by musicians. On opening night at 6:30pm in the Stark Galleries, students will present their artwork and explain their art piece. The students contributing to the show are enrolled in faculty member and internationally recognized floral designer, James L. Johnson’s, floral design class. Each year, the students must respond to the subject that Johnson gives them in order to create the pieces for Perspective. "This is the first time ever that students are responding to music," Johnson said. "Each student has chosen a musician (possibly their favorite) and is responding to their music, music title, lifestyle and/or a combination of those qualities." Johnson is very excited about the concept for Perspective ’08 since it is more abstract in comparison to previous years. "The title, ‘Flights of Fancy’ offers the concepts of flight, suspension, air, space, etc. In addition, there is always that kite that lands in a tree," he said. The exhibition allows the students to express their individuality as they express themselves through their subject.
The J. Wayne Stark University Center Galleries are located at the northeast corner of the Memorial Student Center on the Texas A&M University campus. Gallery hours are Tues.-Fri. 9am-8pm; Sat. & Sun. 12-6pm. Admission is free. Or, for more information about this exhibition and others at the Stark Galleries, please call (979) 845-6081 or visit http://stark.tamu.edu.

Pressed Glass: An American Art & Industry
Monday, March 3 – Sunday, June 1, 2008, Forsyth Center Galleries;
Organizers note that in the 19th century, industrial growth and expansion were occurring in the United States at a rapid pace. This rapid growth led the nation to a public demand for household and luxury items once only enjoyed by the more affluent. Through invention and ingenuity, the glassmaking industry transformed glass from an aristocratic luxury good into a middle class consumer product. Although the glassmaking industry had been in existence for thousands of years, it was during the mid-19th century that American inventions came into importance for the glassmaking industry. The invention of steel molds and the fixed lever press would take glassmaking into a new era. By using new mechanical methods for pressing glass, the general public was able to afford objects and patterns once only affordable to the upper class. The pressed glass industry expanded to capitalize upon the rise of mass marketing in department stores, and manufacturers met the challenge of marketing to an increasingly female customer base. In creating new styles and patterns for the growing middle class, mold makers and glass chemists became artists in their own trade as factories produced an expanding variety of glass patterns and colors. This exhibition highlights the development of the pressed glass industry during a time of invention and advancement. It explores the history of pressed glass as an outlet for glass artists and the significance of the various pressed glass objects within the Bill & Irma Runyon and Jean Ezell Art Collections.
The MSC Forsyth Center Galleries are located in the Memorial Student Center on the Texas A&M University campus. Gallery hours are Mon.-Fri. 9am-8pm; Sat. & Sun. 12-6pm. Admission is free. For more information about this exhibition and others at the Forsyth Center Galleries, call (979) 845-9251 or visit http://forsyth.tamu.edu.

Photographs of the Athenian Acropolis: The Restoration Project
Thursday, February 28 – Sunday, April 13, 2008, J. Wayne Stark University Center Galleries;
This exhibit will consist of over 50 photographs taken by Socratis Mavrommatis, the official photographer of the Acropolis Restoration Project. Renovations on several of the buildings on the Acropolis are captured through the photos. On opening night at 7:00 p.m., Drs. Nancy Klein and Kevin Glowacki of the College of Architecture, Texas A&M University, will introduce the exhibit and give a gallery talk in regards to the photographs and the importance of the Acropolis. Restoration on the Acropolis began in 1975 under the Committee for the Conservation of the Acropolis Museum. The collection of photographs captures the progress of the restoration on the Acropolis. The exhibition is divided into four sections: the reasons why the Acropolis needed to be renovated, the preparation for renovation, the main works, and the monuments throughout various phases of the restoration. “The photographs had to show the corresponding, incomparable beauty of the monuments and, at the same time, the difficulty of working on large pieces of marble of artistic and historical importance,” said Mavrommatis. Catherine Hastedt, director of the J. Wayne Stark Galleries is very excited about the exhibit and hopes that students take the time to see it. “This exhibit is a wonderful learning experience,” she said. “The Gallery is sure to open minds about Greek architectural design and its restoration through the photographs especially because it gives you a chance to actually walk on the Acropolis.”
The J. Wayne Stark University Center Galleries are located at the northeast corner of the Memorial Student Center on the Texas A&M University campus. Gallery hours are Tues.-Fri. 9am-8pm; Sat. & Sun. 12-6pm. Admission is free. Or, for more information about this exhibition and others at the Stark Galleries, please call (979) 845-6081 or visit http://stark.tamu.edu.

The Ashcan School: A Revolution in Painting
Monday, January 14, 2008 - Monday, May 12, 2008, MSC Forsyth Center Galleries;
The Runyon Collections include one or more works of art from each of the “Ashcan School,” also known as “The Eight.” Influenced by their earlier experiences as newspaper illustrators and by their contemporaries, such as writer Upton Sinclair, these artists wanted to present the American scene as it really was, “ash cans” and all. Organizers say this exhibition traces these early 20th Century artists, their revolutionary approach to depicting city streets and the urban poor and their response to Impressionism and the galvanizing force of abstract art. The exhibition is organized and curated by Interim Director Cory Arcak. A web-based version of the exhibition will be available at http://forsyth.tamu.edu. The MSC Forsyth Center Galleries are located across from the post office in the Memorial Student Center. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday, noon to 6 p.m. Admission is free.
For more information, call (979) 845-9251 or visit http://forsyth.tamu.edu.

Annual Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit featuring Herb Alpert
Monday, August 27, 2007 - Sunday, August 24, 2008, Cain Park and West Campus;
MSC Visual Arts Committee will exhibit four sculptures by internationally known artist, Herb Alpert. The sculptures are installed in Cain Park and on West Campus.
For more information, visit http://vac.tamu.edu/herbalpert.

CAMPUS EVENTS

To add an event, please contact us at academy-arts@tamu.edu or (979) 847-ARTS[2787].

SEP 07 | OCT 07 | NOV 07 | DEC 07 | JAN 08 | FEB 08 | MAR 08 | APR 08 | MAY 08 | JUN 08 | JUL 08 | AUG 08

UNIVERSITY ARTS CALENDAR