Ulrich Museum of Art - Wichita State University

CURRENT EXHIBITIONS

Crossroads: The Art of Gordon Parks
on view through April 11, 2010

This nationally touring exhibition celebrates the life work of one of America's most accomplished 20th-century artists. Photographer, poet, novelist, composer, musician, and filmmaker, Gordon Parks (1912-2006) spent a lifetime shattering barriers in his pursuit of truth, beauty, social justice, and artistic expression. This retrospective includes examples of Parks' work in black-and-white documentary and fashion photography as well as his later color work. The photos are paired with highlights from the Gordon Parks Papers, the artist's archive recently acquired by WSU and part of Special Collections and University Archives at Ablah Library.

Freedom to Expand: Contemporary African American Art from the Collection
on view through April 18, 2010

With paintings, prints, and mixed-media artworks from the Ulrich's collection--including pieces by Kerry James Marshall, Kara Walker, Mark Bradford, and others--this installation highlights the creative practices of contemporary African American artists. From the legacies of the Civil War and the 1960s civil rights movement to the late-20th-century African Diaspora and complex questions about national and ethnic identity in an increasingly globalized America, one finds in their work deeply thoughtful considerations of historic events and popular culture.

The Weight of Words: Artists Work with Language
on view through Sunday, May 23

Love. Rage. Solace. Three of the artists in this installation have focused on these deceptively simple words and the ways they function as signs for complex thoughts. Other artists have invented stories told with rich combinations of pictures and texts. Dating as far back as the inscriptions in ancient art and the illuminated manuscripts of the middle ages, language has played an important role in the visual arts. Today, the use of words is a particularly compelling feature of many contemporary artistic practices. This installation explores those practices with highlights from the Ulrich's permanent collection.

Lee Krasner, 'Free Space,' 1979. Serigraph on paper, 28 x 36 in. Collection of the Ulrich Museum of Art, Wichita State University, Wichita, Gift of Komodo Associates Make It New: Abstract Art from the Collection
on view through Sunday, July 25

The dominant artistic approach of the 20th century, and still vital today, abstraction gives artists license to see the world anew and calls upon them to develop new ways of expressing that view to others. From the gestural canvases of Robert Motherwell to the exacting geometric prints of Sol LeWitt, the Ulrich's collection is rich with significant examples of abstract art. This installation highlights that strength and explores the breadth of the abstract tradition and its continuing evolution.

UPCOMING EXHIBITIONS

Art of Our Time: Selections from the Ulrich Museum of Art Collection
April 24 - August 8, 2010

The Ulrich Museum of Art boasts a nationally significant collection of modern and contemporary artworks and has amassed a 20th- and 21st-century art collection valuable for both its breadth and quality. In addition to paintings, photographs, and video, the collection includes sculptures, prints, and drawings that provide rich examples of such key artistic movements as early American modernism, abstract expressionism, pop, and minimalism. This exhibition includes more than 40 works, the treasures culled from a collection of more than 6,300. The exhibition offers a significant opportunity for lifelong learners to explore the sweep of artmaking over the past one hundred years and to develop a deeper knowledge of its key artists and masterworks.

WSU School of Art and Design Master of Fine Arts Thesis Exhibition
May 1 - 30, 2010
Graduate candidates from the School of Art and Design mount an exhibition of work completed during thesis semesters.

PREVIOUS EXHIBITIONS

www.ulrich.wichita.edu/pastexhibitions
Click here for a list of past exhibitions.






CURRENT EXHIBITIONS Crossroads: The Art of Gordon Parks on view through April 11, 2010 This nationally touring exhibition celebrates the life work of one of America's most accomplished 20th-century artists. Photographer, poet, novelist, composer, musician, and filmmaker, Gordon Parks (1912-2006) spent a lifetime shattering barriers in his pursuit of truth, beauty, social justice, and artistic expression. This retrospective includes examples of Parks' work in black-and-white documentary and fashion photography as well as his later color work. The photos are paired with highlights from the Gordon Parks Papers, the artist's archive recently acquired by WSU and part of Special Collections and University Archives at Ablah Library. Freedom to Expand: Contemporary African American Art from the Collection on view through April 18, 2010 With paintings, prints, and mixed-media artworks from the Ulrich's collection--including pieces by Kerry James Marshall, Kara Walker, Mark Bradford, and others--this installation highlights the creative practices of contemporary African American artists. From the legacies of the Civil War and the 1960s civil rights movement to the late-20th-century African Diaspora and complex questions about national and ethnic identity in an increasingly globalized America, one finds in their work deeply thoughtful considerations of historic events and popular culture. The Weight of Words: Artists Work with Language on view through Sunday, May 23 Love. Rage. Solace. Three of the artists in this installation have focused on these deceptively simple words and the ways they function as signs for complex thoughts. Other artists have invented stories told with rich combinations of pictures and texts. Dating as far back as the inscriptions in ancient art and the illuminated manuscripts of the middle ages, language has played an important role in the visual arts. Today, the use of words is a particularly compelling feature of many contemporary artistic practices. This installation explores those practices with highlights from the Ulrich's permanent collection. Make It New: Abstract Art from the Collection on view through Sunday, July 25 The dominant artistic approach of the 20th century, and still vital today, abstraction gives artists license to see the world anew and calls upon them to develop new ways of expressing that view to others. From the gestural canvases of Robert Motherwell to the exacting geometric prints of Sol LeWitt, the Ulrich's collection is rich with significant examples of abstract art. This installation highlights that strength and explores the breadth of the abstract tradition and its continuing evolution. UPCOMING EXHIBITIONS Art of Our Time: Selections from the Ulrich Museum of Art Collection April 24 - August 8, 2010 The Ulrich Museum of Art boasts a nationally significant collection of modern and contemporary artworks and has amassed a 20th- and 21st-century art collection valuable for both its breadth and quality. In addition to paintings, photographs, and video, the collection includes sculptures, prints, and drawings that provide rich examples of such key artistic movements as early American modernism, abstract expressionism, pop, and minimalism. This exhibition includes more than 40 works, the treasures culled from a collection of more than 6,300. The exhibition offers a significant opportunity for lifelong learners to explore the sweep of artmaking over the past one hundred years and to develop a deeper knowledge of its key artists and masterworks. WSU School of Art and Design Master of Fine Arts Thesis Exhibition May 1 - 30, 2010 Graduate candidates from the School of Art and Design mount an exhibition of work completed during thesis semesters. PREVIOUS EXHIBITIONS www.ulrich.wichita.edu/pastexhibitions Click here for a list of past exhibitions.