Workshops
Eells Gallery:
Artistic Expression Unhindered
August 8 – September 6, 2015
Broadbent Gallery | Sara Hume, Curator
The flapper is widely seen as the epitome of 1920s glamor and decadence. The term refers to the generation of young women who came to age just as World War I ended and shocked the older generation with their short hair and short skirts, their drinking and smoking and swearing. Flappers faced a world strikingly different from the one their mothers knew and their clothing reflected this dramatic break with the past.
The “Roaring Twenties” is renowned for its exuberant parties and jazz music, which were reflected in the glittering fringed fashion that women wore. However, this exhibition looks beyond the quintessential beaded dress to explore the range of influences on fashion from sportswear to artistic movements such as Bauhaus and Art Deco. Standards of beauty in the 1920s shifted to celebrate youth with a fashionable silhouette that was slim and boyish.
The exhibition includes more than forty pieces including dresses, evening wraps, sportswear, menswear and footwear. To learn more visit the exhibition website at flapperstyle.wordpress.com.
reception: Sept. 10, 5-7 PM
20th Century Textile Artist Luella “Waddy” Williams Gets Kent State Exhibit
KENT, Ohio – The Kent State University School of Art Galleries will display “Fortuitous Nature: The Textiles of Luella ‘Waddy’ Williams” at the Downtown Gallery September 3-26. There will be an opening reception September 10 from 5 to 7 p.m. Both the gallery and reception are free and open to the public.
Luella Williams was a textile artist active in Ithaca, New York, during the 1950s and ’60s. Her artworks were primarily weavings that incorporated found or harvested plant materials. During her lifetime, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London acquired one of her hangings for its permanent collection, and Williams was represented in shows at Corning Glass Center, Pennsylvania State University, Cornell University and the Worcester Art Museum.
We would like to thank Dr. Linda McDonald, special academic faculty at Kent State’s Center for International and Intercultural Education. Dr. McDonald is the widow of Luella Williams’s nephew Peter McDonald and has kept a significant amount of William’s work safe in archival boxes and on display throughout her home.
This exhibition has been researched and curated by the School of Art’s Director of Galleries Anderson Turner. It is Mr. Turner’s hope that putting Luella “Waddy” Williams work on display will help to foster interest in her work and in the textile artists who taught and worked with her in the greater Ithaca Area.
The Downtown Gallery is located at 141 E. Main St., Kent, Ohio. Gallery hours are Monday – Wednesday, 9:30 a.m. – 6 p.m.; Thursday 9:30 a.m. – 8 p.m.; Friday 9:30 a.m. – 7 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.; and Sunday noon – 5 p.m.
Contact: Anderson Turner, Director of Galleries, haturner@kent.edu, 330-672-1369
Focus: Fiber 2016 is a juried exhibition of contemporary fiber art coordinated by Textile Art Alliance. Textile Art Alliance (TAA), an affiliate group of the Cleveland Museum of Art, is an active organization of artists, designers, craftspeople, educators and collectors with a common interest in the textile and fiber arts.
TAA has mounted an exhibition of members’ work since 1936. In 1967 it became a juried show. In 1970 a decision was made to restrict the show to fiber art. Focus: Fiber has become a significant biennial event in contemporary fiber art. The show expanded to a regional juried show in 1977. In 2014 the decision was made to turn the show into a national competition.
Forty-seven artists have provided fifty-six works of contemporary fiber art, including weaving, basketry, quilts, tapestry, felting, embroidery and much more. The juror was Jane Sauer, renowned artist and former gallery owner of Jane Sauer Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Friday, May 6, 2016 - 6:30 p.m.
Center for the Visual Arts, Room 165
Socially engaged conceptual artist Mel Chin will appear as the “Legacy and Prospect” keynote speaker at Kent State University on Friday, May 6, 2016, at 6:30 p.m. Chin’s free, public lecture in the School of Art will coincide with the grand opening of the Center for the Visual Arts, the School of Art’s new facility and home.
Chin, who is noted for his wit and warmth, will discuss his diverse and far-reaching work during the lecture, beginning at 6:30 p.m. in the Center for the Visual Arts, Room 165. The lecture is preceded by the CVA’s grand opening ceremonies, which begin at 3 p.m. and include building tours, live entertainment, student exhibitions and refreshments.
The School of Art Jewelry Co-Op will hold a sale April 5 and 6, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m., in the Center for the Visual Arts, at the corner of Terrace Drive and the Lefton Esplanade. The Jewelry Co-Op also has a trunk show April 7-9, noon - 7 p.m., at the Kent State Fashion School Store (201 E. Erie St., Suite B, downtown Kent).
Meanwhile, Glass Club will have its sale April 5 and 6, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., in the (old) Art Building lobby; and April 6 and 7, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., in the Center for the Visual Arts lobby.
Don't miss these great opportunities to find one-of-a-kind artworks and gifts and support Kent State's incredible student artists!
The Center for the Visual Arts, the new facility and home of the Kent State University School of Art, will celebrate its grand opening on May 6, 2016. The festivities begin at 3 p.m. with a short program, immediately followed by building tours, live entertainment, student exhibitions and refreshments.
Concluding the grand opening events, a lecture by distinguished visiting artist Mel Chin will begin at 6:30 p.m. in Room 165. The opening program and events, as well as the keynote lecture, are free and open to the public. RSVPs are appreciated.
See the complete news release for more information.
The finalists of the 2016 Stratosphere Juried Art Competition will have their work on display April 20-30 at Kent State University’s Downtown Gallery, located at 141 E. Main St. in Kent. A reception and awards ceremony will take place on Thursday, April 21, from 5 to 7 p.m., with competition winners announced at 6 p.m. Both the gallery and reception are free and open to the public.
Visitors to the exhibition on April 20 (noon - 7 p.m.) and 21 (noon - 6 p.m.) will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite artwork in the People’s Choice Award category, which carries a $500 prize. That award, along with Best in Show ($1,000), First Runner-Up ($500) and Second Runner-Up ($250) will be presented during the April 21 reception.
Visitors to the Stratosphere exhibition on April 20 (noon - 7 p.m.) and 21 (noon - 6 p.m.) will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite artwork in the People’s Choice Award category, which carries a $500 prize. That award, along with Best in Show ($1,000), First Runner-Up ($500) and Second Runner-Up ($250) will be presented at 6 p.m. on April 21 during the exhibit's opening reception.
Visitors to the Stratosphere exhibition on April 20 (noon - 7 p.m.) and 21 (noon - 6 p.m.) will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite artwork in the People’s Choice Award category, which carries a $500 prize. That award, along with Best in Show ($1,000), First Runner-Up ($500) and Second Runner-Up ($250) will be presented at 6 p.m. on April 21 during the exhibit's opening reception.
