School of FIne Arts

First-ever faculty exhibition at the Spencer Art Gallery

In these early days of the 21 st century, change often seems to move at such breakneck speed that we begin to grasp the present only as it begins to vanish and the next big thing approaches. By thoughtfully considering change, however, we can better understand our world and ourselves. So it is that for the first time, a faculty exhibition will occur at the Spencer. The show, a collaboration of the museum and KU’s School of Fine Arts—guest curator Elizabeth Dunbar selected the topic of “transitions.” Dunbar, curator for the Kemper Museum of contemporary Art in Kansas City, thought the exhibition’s theme would be particularly timely given recent changes in KU’s School of Fine Arts—with new faculty in the department of art and new leadership in the department of design and at the Spencer.

As Dunbar notes, a working artist can interpret the idea of “transitions” in a variety of ways. For some, it could address a new direction in a continuing body of work. For others, it could concern a change in material, process or technique. For others still, it could relate to an underlying theme or concept for a specific piece or series. More than 20 KU faculty artists responded to the Spencer’s call for submissions last fall, and from that group, Dunbar selected five artists for inclusion. She chose to focus on a smaller number or artists in order to investigate their work in more depth. “It was a really trough choice given the number of excellent proposals I reviewed,” Dunbar says. “I settled on five artists that I think best represent the quality and diversity of the work being made in the school of Finer Arts.”

The artists are: Elissa Armstrong, assistant professor of design (ceramics); Mary Anne Jordan, associate professor of design (textiles); Michael Drueger, associate professor of art (digital art, drawing, and printmaking); Pok Chi Lau, professor of design (photography); and So Yeon Park, assistant professor of art (expanded media).

The exhibition will include a modest gallery guide with an essay by Dunbar, illustrations and artists’ biographical information.

Visit the School of Fine Arts website for more information.