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January 14, 2002
February 2002 Visual
Arts
Mary and Leigh Block
Museum of Art: 1967 S. Campus Drive, Arts Circle, Evanston campus.
The Block Museum has
four gallery spaces so patrons can view multiple exhibitions. The
building can accommodate a broad range of educational opportunities
by means of the 150-seat James B. Pick and Rosalyn M. Laudati Auditorium
and the Ellen Philips Katz and Howard C. Katz Gallery. The Print,
Drawing and Photography Study Center houses the Block Museum’s
collection of approximately 4,000 works of art on paper. The center
is designed to allow students, faculty, scholars and the general
public to conduct hands-on study of collection works. It also serves
as a small gallery in which highly focused, scholarly exhibitions
are mounted in conjunction with University courses and special programs.
A reference library contains art history resources.
The Block Museum is
open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday;
10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday; and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. Admission
is free. It is closed on Mondays. For information regarding Block
Museum programs or location, phone (847) 491-4000. Or go to the
Block Museum Web site at www.blockmuseum.northwestern.edu.
BLOCK MUSEUM EXHIBITIONS
"selfportrait.map,"
Jan. 11 through Feb. 24, 2002, Alsdorf Gallery. A projection,
in cartographic terms, is the transference of details from a three-dimensional
object, such as the earth, onto a single plane, such as a map. Artists
Lilla LoCurto and William Outcault collaborate with scientists and
computer programmers to make three-dimensional digital scans of
their bodies and convert their volume into two dimensions. The results
are the monumental digital computer prints featured in the exhibition.
"Adja Yunkers,"
Feb. 1 through March 31, 2002, Main Gallery. This is the most
comprehensive retrospective to date of work by artist Adja Yunkers
(1900-1983). Yunkers is recognized for his lyrical sense of color
and inventive printing techniques. His career, which spanned the
1920s to 1970s, was in dialogue with some of the leading avant-garde
movements of the 20th century. The artist, who was himself a poet,
also created numerous portfolios based on the work of leading contemporary
poets, including Octavio Paz, whom he collaborated with on several
occasions. This exhibition, curated by Marek Baretlik, professor
of art history at The Cooper Union, examines Yunkers’ drawings,
prints, paintings and collaborations with poets in depth.
"Jacob Lawrence:
Prints from the Series, The Life of Toussaint L’Ouverture,"
Feb. 1 through March 31, 2002, Print, Drawing and Photography Study
Center. American artist Jacob Lawrence (1917-2000) is best known
for his series of paintings depicting African and African-American
life and history. In 1937-38 in Harlem, Lawrence painted the first
of these series, "The Life of Toussaint L’
Overture," which chronicles the life of the individual who
led the Haitian slave revolt of 1791-1804 and helped found the Republic
of Haiti. From 1986 to 1997, the artist created 15 color screen
prints based on the painting series. The prints, which were published
by the Amistad Research Center in New Orleans, are recent additions
to the Block Museum’s collection.
LECTURE/DEMONSTRATION
"selfportrait.map"
Artists Demonstration, 3 p.m. Friday, Feb. 1, John J. Louis Hall
Auditorium (Studio Building), 1975 S. Campus Drive. "selfportrait.map"
exhibition artists Lilla LoCurto and William Outcault will present
their work and demonstrate some of the computer programs used to
create it at the Art and Technology colloquium. The event is open
to the public, but seating is limited.
To reserve a seat, call (847) 491-4852.
"Portal,"
Jan. 11 to March 17, Block Museum Foyer, First Floor. "Portal"
is an interactive, multimedia installation created for the Block
Museum foyer by Northwestern students and faculty in the Center
for Art and Technology. It consists of a projected computer display
that uses a camera pointed at arriving visitors in the museum entrance
to create source images, which are then processed in the computer
to create an immersive visual and aural environment. The project
shares authorship with each visitor, whose presence generates patterns
on the computer which are translated into sounds changing according
to the way in which one moves through the entrance space. These
images and sounds provide the basis for an ongoing implementation
of John Conway’s Game of Life, invented in 1970, in which visitors
cause the "life" or "death" of cells in a matrix.
FILM SHOWING
"Sugar Cane
Alley," (Euzhan Palcy, Martinique/France, 1984, 107 minutes),
7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb.
5, Pick-Laudati Auditorium.
A presentation of Euzhan Palcy’s highly acclaimed film set
in poverty-stricken 1930s Martinique, focusing on a young boy and
his grandmother’s sacrifices to provide a better life for him.
Dorris Garraway, assistant professor of French at Northwestern,
will provide a brief introduction to the film. Organized in cooperation
with African American Student Affairs in conjunction with the Block
Museum exhibition "Jacob Lawrence: Prints from the Series,
The Life of Toussaint L’Ouverture," Feb. 1 through March
31, 2002, Print, Drawing and Photography Study Center. Admission
is free.
ARTIST LECTURE
Faith Ringgold, 6
p.m. Feb. 8, Pick-Laudati Auditorium. Artist Faith Ringgold
will present a slide presentation of her work entitled, "More
Than Thirty-Five Years of Making Art." Ringgold, whose work
is in the permanent collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art
and the Museum of Modern Art, among other institutions, has exhibited
her story quilts in major museums all over the world, and written
and illustrated five children’s books, including the award-winning
"Tar Beach." This program will include a reception and
book signing and has been organized in conjunction with African
American Student Affairs. This event has not yet been confirmed.
For more information, call (847) 491-4852 or go to the Block Museum
Web site at www.blockmuseum.northwestern.edu.
STORYTELLING
Storytelling, 10:30
a.m. Saturday, Feb. 9, Print, Drawing and Study Center. This
storytelling event was inspired by American artist Jacob Lawrence’s
"Toussaint L’Ouverture" prints and a children’s
book based on the artist’s original painting series. The program
will feature the telling of several Haitian folktales and a brief
tour of the Block Museum’s "Jacob Lawrence: Prints from
the Series, The Life of Toussaint L’Ouverture," exhibition
on view in the Print, Drawing and Photography Center from Feb. 1
through March 31, 2002. Lawrence (1917-2000) was renowned for his
historical series of paintings depicting African and African-American
life and history. This event has been organized in conjunction with
students of the Northwestern University theatre department’s
storytelling program. It is recommended for fifth- to seventh-grade
audiences. This event will be repeated at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Feb.
13. Admission is free. Space is limited. Reservations are required.
Call (847) 491-4852 to make a reservation.
BLOCK MUSEUM GALLERY
TOURS
Block Museum Gallery
Tours, 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 2, Feb. 9; Feb. 16; Feb. 23; March
2; March 9; and March 16. The public is invited to join one
of the weekly scheduled Saturday afternoon staff and docent-led
gallery tours of the Block Museum’s special exhibitions. Admission
is free. For more information, call (847) 491-4000.
BENEFIT EVENT
Northwestern University
Suitcase Party Benefit for Children’s Place Association, 6
p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 6, Block Museum. The Children’s Place
Association is dedicated to helping children confronted by health,
economic and social barriers, improve their quality of life and
achieve their full individual potential. The not-for-profit agency
is a pioneer of innovative programs aimed at assisting HIV/AIDS-affected
children and families in the Chicago area. This benefit, which is
sponsored by a Northwestern University student-run philanthropic
organization, will include a silent auction and gallery tours of
special Block Museum exhibitions. Tickets are $20 to $25. For advance
tickets or for more information, call (847) 467-2833.
THE DARKER MUSE
The Darker Muse:
Black Chicago and Creative Suggestion Conversation: "The Contemporary
Scene," 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 13, Pick-Laudati Auditorium.
Ifa Bayeza, artistic director, Duncan YMCA Chernin Center for the
Arts; Maggie Brown, vocal artist and founder of the independent
record label Mag Pie Records; and Kahil El Zabar, founder and leader,
Ritual Trio, will address the contemporary local cultural scene.
Moderated and hosted by Adam Green, assistant professor, history
and African-American Studies, Northwestern University, and guest
curator, The Darker Muse series.
POETRY READING
Poetry Reading, 6
p.m., Thursday, Feb. 28, Pick-Laudati Auditorium. Artist Adja
Yunkers, who himself wrote poetry, was inspired by and collaborated
with leading poets, including Nobel Laureate Octavio Paz. Reginald
Gibbons, fiction writer, translator, author of seven poetry collections,
and professor of English at Northwestern, and others will present
a reading of Paz’s poetry. This event has been organized in
conjunction with the Block Museum’s "Adja Yunkers"
exhibition that includes two stunning portfolios Yunkers created
with Paz. The Yunkers exhibition will be on view in the Block Museum’s
Main Gallery from Feb. 1 through March 31, 2002. Admission is free.
Call (847) 491-4852 for further details.
BLOCK CINEMA
Block Cinema, a collaboration
of the School of Speech and the Block Museum of Art, screens classic
and contemporary films three nights a week in the Block Museum’s
James B. Pick and Rosalyn M. Laudati Auditorium.
Block Cinema will feature a series on three different themes, directors
or countries during each quarter of the academic year. The series
is programmed by student members of the Northwestern University
Film Society, an organization dedicated to providing the campus,
the North Shore and Chicago with another quality venue for repertory.
Block Cinema general
admission is $6, or $4 with a Northwestern WildCard, Block Museum
membership or student identification. Special events are $10. A
season pass is $25, but does not include admission to special events.
Tickets and season passes are available at the door 30 minutes before
showtime. Dates and titles are subject to change. For more information,
call the Block Cinema Hotline at (847) 491-4000, or go to the Block
Cinema’s Web site at www.blockmuseum.northwestern.edu/education/nufilms.
The following Block
Cinema screenings will be held in the Pick-Laudati Auditorium.
Block Cinema: Special
Weekend Series, 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 1, Neo-Noir Detectives: "Bullitt,"
(Peter Yates, 1968, United States, 113 minutes). Before Harry
Callahan, before Popeye Doyle, the toughest cop on the streets was
Bullitt. This film features one of the best car chases in film history.
Block Cinema: Special
Weekend Series, 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 2, Neo-Noir Detectives: "Klute,"
(Alan J. Pakula, 1971, United States, 114 minutes). A small-town
detective tracks down a big-city call girl in search of his missing
friend, only to find that she is in grave danger.
Block Cinema, 8 p.m.
Thursday, Feb. 7, For Love and/or Money: Cash and Courtship in Screwball
Comedy – "The Gilded Lily," (Wesley Ruggles, 1935,
United States, 80 minutes). Working girl Claudette Colbert’s
love life becomes front-page news in an exploration of those sacred
institutions, marriage and celebrity.
Block Cinema, 10
p.m. Friday, Feb. 8, Téchiné, Tsai, Araki – "Rebels
of the Neon God," (Tsai Ming-ling, 1992, Taiwan, 106 minutes).
Tsai’s first feature explores the life of a lost young
man as he comes to grips with confused feelings about a slightly
older crook.
REELTIME FILM SERIES
REELTIME is an
independent film and video forum jointly sponsored by Northwestern
University’s Mary and Leigh Block Museum of Art and the Evanston
Public Library, in partnership with project coordinators Andrea
Leland and Kathy Berger of Leland/Berger Productions. The free admission,
monthly series of award-winning independent features, documentaries
and short subject videos is held either at the main branch of the
Evanston Public Library, 1703 Orrington Ave., in downtown Evanston,
or the Block Museum, 1967 S. Campus Drive, Arts Circle, Evanston
campus. Each screening will be followed by a discussion between
filmmakers and the audience.
The Reeltime program
is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council,
a state agency, the Playboy Foundation, and many individual donations.
Free parking is available on Northwestern’s Evanston campus
after 5 p.m. weekdays and all weekend. For more information, call
the Block Museum at (847) 491-4000 or the Evanston Public Library
at (847) 866-0300.
REELTIME: "Windhorse,"
(Paul Wagner and Thupten Tsering, 97 minutes), 7:30 p.m., Wednesday,
Feb. 20, Block Museum, Pick-Laudati Auditorium. Based on true
events, this dramatic film tells the urgent, contemporary story
of an aspiring Tibetan pop singer who wins favor with the Chinese
government of occupied Tibet. She faces a crisis of conscience when
her cousin, a Buddhist nun, is imprisoned and tortured for her religious
beliefs. Produced by Paul Wagner in English, Chinese and Tibetan
with English subtitles. A cultural presentation and discussion with
Tsering Tashi Phuri from the Tibet Center of Chicago will follow
the screening.
BLOCK SCULPTURE GARDEN
In 1987, Leigh Block,
one of the Museum’s inaugural donors and a preeminent collector
of modern art, bequested a large group of outdoor bronze sculptures
to the Block Museum. These pieces formed the core of the collection,
which now features monumental sculptures by some of the 20th century’s
most renowned European and American sculptors, including Jean (Hans)
Arp, Barbara Hepworth, Jacques Lipchitz, Joan Miró and Henry
Moore. Open year-round, admission is free.
DITTMAR MEMORIAL
GALLERY
Dittmar Memorial
Gallery: Norris University Center, 1999 S. Campus Drive, Evanston
campus. The gallery is open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. Admission
is free. The Dittmar Memorial Gallery places emphasis on ethnic
cultural art, art by emerging artists, art by or about women, artwork
by Northwestern undergraduate and graduate art students and traveling
art shows. For information, call the Dittmar Gallery at (847) 491-2348
or Norris University Center at (847) 491-2300.
"Paintings and
Drawings," Jan. 7 through Feb. 3, Dittmar Memorial Gallery.
Painter and art therapist Dan Anthon and artist Bob Gilliam
have exhibited together for the past six years and have been friends
for more than a decade. Gilliam, who has been dealing with schizophrenia
for a number of years, has been an artist most of his life. Art
is a fundamental part of both of their lives. Though different in
focus and style, their work has an underlying common thread that
is discernible. Anthon works in oils on canvas with chalk pastels,
using organic abstract shapes alive with color and form that deal
with the inner conflict of a therapist working in the mental health
field. Gilliam’s intricately layered pencil and marker drawings
depict the powerful inner struggles of someone dealing with schizophrenia.
They both fight the stigma that society gives people with mental
illness -- Anthon on a professional level -- and Gilliam on a personal
level. Their hope is this Dittmar exhibition will inspire enthusiasm
for art and for life. A reception from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Jan.
10, is free and open to the public. Both artists will speak during
the reception about "Experiences With Mental Illness In College."
"The Odus Of
Ifa," Feb. 6 through March 14, Dittmar Memorial Gallery. The
subject of this body of work by artist Ifakolade Obafemi is the
interpretation of the Odus of Ifa, the indigenous ancient African
religion underlying Santeria, Candomble, and Voodun, in oil on canvas.
Incorporated into the project are symbolic images recalling the
Adinkra symbols from the Akan of Ghana. The project also incorporates
the Vee-Vee symbols found in the Voodun tradition, and the color
symbolism inherent to the Orisha tradition as practiced by Lucuumi,
Candomble and Santeria traditions of the Americas as well as the
Yoruba-speaking areas of Nigeria and the Republic of Benin in West
Africa.
African symbolism has
been the focus of the artist’s work for the past two years.
Within the last two years, Obafemi, a Northwestern alumnus, has
worked exclusively on the cultural and religious art of the Yoruba
of Nigeria. He was initiated into the Orisa priesthood in 1996 in
Chicago. In June 1999, he was initiated into the Ifa priesthood
in Oyo, Nigeria. African symbols can be painted by anyone, however
traditionalists believe, when prepared by a priest with prayers
and incantations, the symbols come to life and have ritual significance
and function. The paintings are designed to stand on their own aesthetic
and compositional merit, exploring ideas of space, movement, time,
depth, coolness and warmth. A 6 to 8 p.m. reception for Obafami
on Thursday, Feb. 14, is open to the public.
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