MEDIA CONTACT: Judy Moore at (847) 491-4819 or jkm229@northwestern.edu

March 2, 2004

April 2004 Visual Arts Calendar

Mary and Leigh Block Museum of Art, 40 Arts Circle Drive, Evanston campus. The museum hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, and noon to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The museum is closed on Monday. Admission is free. For information regarding Block Museum exhibitions, programs or location, phone (847) 491-4000 or go to the Block Museum Web site at www.blockmuseum.northwestern.edu.

BLOCK SPRING EXHIBITIONS

“American Expressionism: Art and Social Change, 1920s-1950s,” through May 9, Main Gallery. This exhibition critically re-examines artists of early 20th century America and represents the blending of European and American sensibilities in an art that used the innovations of modernism to support those whose fortunes were crushed by circumstance, backbreaking labor or brutality of war. “American Expressionism,” organized by the Columbus Museum of Art and curated by Bram Dijkstra from his book “American Expressionism: Art and Social Change, 1920-1950” (Harry N. Abrams, 2003), the exhibition includes more than 70 paintings by such artists as Ivan Albright, Elaine de Kooning, Arthur Dove, Marsden Hartley, Franz Klein, Jacob Lawrence, Archibald Motley, Jr. and Georgia O’Keeffe.

“Working Conditions: Depression-Era American Prints,” through May 9, Print, Drawing and Photography Study Center. This exhibition explores the conditions of urban industrial labor during the Great Depression. Drawn from the Block Museum’s collection of American prints from the 1930s, it addresses some of the critical issues facing the working class, ranging from work hazards to the devastating impact of unemployment. Curated by Northwestern art history doctoral student Meredith TeGrotenhuis, this exhibition explores “how artists used stylistic and compositional devices to heighten the emotive effect of their subject matter, to elicit viewers’ empathy, and to raise awareness of the relentless struggles of the working classes.”

“American Diorama: A Video Installation by Charles Woodman,” through May 9, Ellen Philips Katz and Howard C. Katz Gallery/Classroom. Charles Woodman’s five-channel video installation, “American Diorama,” follows a long tradition of representing the American landscape, from large-scale painting to panoramic photography. Shot on location across the United States, Woodman’s video is both a document of and a poetic response to the natural landscape, exercising the medium’s capacity to portray time, movement and space. Woodman has been working in the field of video art for more than 20 years.

“MFA Thesis Exhibition from the Department of Art Theory and Practice,” April 16 to June 20, Alsdorf Gallery. This exhibition presents the work of graduate art students as they finish their intensive two-year program leading to a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree. This year’s exhibition features the realist paintings of Michael Ellis and David Gracie, abstract paintings by Alexander Herzog and Philip Vanderhyden, and Katrina Pycha’s multi-media installation. The Block Museum recognizes and celebrates their achievements as they prepare for professional careers. An MFA Preview Party, from 5 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 15, is free and open to the public. Support for the MFA Thesis Exhibition is provided by the Myers Foundations.

ONGOING EXHIBITION

“Theo Leffmann: Weaving a Life into Art,” ongoing exhibition, Theo Leffmann Gallery. Theo Leffmann is recognized as a rich contributor to the American fiber art movement in the late 20th century. For more than 30 years, she liberated textiles from practical and decorative applications by using them as a means of personal expression. The Theo Leffmann Gallery highlights selections from the more than 75 fiber constructions by Leffmann in the Block Museum’s permanent collection.

BLOCK MUSEUM EXHIBITION TOURS

Exhibition Tours, 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, through May 9. Reservations are not required. To schedule a private or group tour for your organization or school, call the education department at (847) 491-4852.

SYMPOSIA

“American Culture from the Margins” Symposium, 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday, April 3, Mary and Leigh Block Museum of Art. In response to the Block Museum’s current exhibitions, Northwestern University humanities faculty will assemble for this symposium on issues relating to the disenfranchised and marginalized in America. Stephen Eisenman of the art history department will chair the panel. Speakers include Josef Barton of the history department, Brian Edwards of the English department, Martha Biondi of the history and African American studies departments, and Micaela di Leonardo of the anthropology department and Gender Studies Program. Support for this event is provided by the American Studies Program and the Alice Berline Kaplan Center for the Humanities. Admission is free.

Graduate Student Symposium, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 24, James B Pick and Rosalyn M. Laudati Auditorium. The 15th annual Northwestern University Graduate Symposium on the history of art features keynote speaker Professor Darcy Grimaldo Grigsby, University of California, Berkeley. Admission is free.

BLOCK MUSEUM CHILDREN AND FAMILY PROGRAM

“American Landscapes,” 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday, April 25. Throughout our nation’s history, American artists have depicted the land in very different ways. The Block Museum exhibitions “American Expressionism” and Charles Woodman’s “American Diorama” span 80 years of this subject. This program, for children aged 5 to 12 and their parents, will explore the exhibitions and include hands-on opportunities to create one’s own ideal landscape. Admission is free for museum members; $5 per family for non-members. Since space is limited, reservations are required by calling (847) 491-4852.

BLOCK SCULPTURE GARDEN

The Sculpture Garden of the Mary and Leigh Block Museum of Art constitutes one of the most significant groupings of modern sculpture in the region. 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 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. They include Jean (Hans) Arp, Barbara Hepworth, Jacques Lipchitz, Joan Miró and Henry Moore.

In 1989, the Block Museum opened its Sculpture Garden with nine of the monumental bronzes donated by Block. The Sculpture Garden was designed by Chicago architect John Vinci and has grown to 22 pieces through donations and acquisitions. Profiles of the artists and their works, and a brochure detailing the sculpture collection, are available online on the Block Museum Web site at www.blockmuseum.northwestern.edu/exhibitions/sculpture.html. The Sculpture Garden is open year-round. To arrange a free, docent-guided tour of the Sculpture Garden, call (847) 491-4852.

DITTMAR MEMORIAL GALLERY

Dittmar Memorial Gallery, Norris University Center, 1999 Campus Drive, Evanston campus. The gallery is open from 8 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, or e-mail dittmargallery@northwestern.eduor go to the Norris Center Web site at www.northwestern.edu/norris/dittmar.html.

Undergraduate Art Exhibit, April 1 to April 30, Dittmar Memorial Gallery. This exhibition will feature works of art by Northwestern University undergraduate students. A 6 to 8 p.m. opening reception Thursday, April 8, hosted by the Dittmar Memorial Gallery, is free and open to the public.