Fall 2023 Fine Arts News

ART SPOTLIGHT

Nestled on the corner of West Berry Street and Greene Avenue, the Fort Worth Contemporary Arts building featured a special exhibition that attracted hundreds of visitors and alumni. Old friends hugged and greeted one another, reminiscing on their time at TCU and celebrating the legacy and future of the visual arts on campus. “People have said it was like a family reunion,” said Richard Lane, director of the School of Art. “I saw one of my students from 1992, and it was wonderful to see them still actively involved in the art community.” The School of Art and The Arts Galleries at TCU brought the university’s 150th anniversary to life through “150 Years /150 Artists,” a group exhibition featuring current students, faculty and alumni who have contributed to the artistic spirit of TCU. The opening reception boasted over 350 attendees, making it one of the largest events of all time for the School of Art. Sara-Jayne Parsons, Ph.D., director of The Art Galleries at TCU, curated the event. “My favorite part of being a curator is getting a creative spark,” said Parsons. “And, at the end of the process, there is a gathering of artwork and people for a specific reason.” Parsons has developed forward-thinking exhibitions and panel discussions for the community since her arrival on campus in 2014. Her time as curator of visual programming at the Bluecoat, a contemporary arts center in Liverpool, England, instilled a keen understanding of becoming a caretaker not only of the past, but also of the future. Artists at Work As part of the university’s Sesquicentennial celebration, the 150th Executive Committee provided $7,000 in funding to each college and school to highlight TCU’s past, present and future research and creative activities. Parsons saw the funding as the perfect opportunity to develop an innovative idea that began percolating last summer. “I remember discussing my idea with Lane and then asking him, ‘What if?’” said Parsons. “I envisioned creating a dynamic exhibition featuring 150 artists that told TCU’s story through their approach, technique and style.” Parsons researched and compiled resources to develop the exhibition: an alumni list dating to the late 1960s, archival material from the gallery and a thesis on the School of Art’s history from 1873 to 1969 written by Leon Wilson ’55 (MFA ’70). At her desk, Parsons marked up the alumni list and highlighted artists she knew or whose work she thought would be important to include in the exhibition. “With that process, I got to about 80 artists and was surprised I knew that many,” Parsons said. “I then asked Lane and other faculty for their recommendations.” The list quickly grew with Parsons creating criteria to select the artists: • Is the artist producing original work? • Is the artist making an impact in the fine arts? • Is the artist actively involved in the art community where they reside?

Undergraduate student and Curatorial Assistant Alissa Diehnelt worked alongside Parsons to gather the artists’ contact information and invite each of them to participate in the exhibition. “Out of the original list of artists we invited, maybe three people were unable to do it,” Parsons said. Parsons asked each artist to submit three pieces of work, which she carefully reviewed, selecting the one she thought showcased the artist’s depth of talent, either conceptually or through their use of materials. “Some decisions were practical— such as size— while others came from a conversation with the artists to hear their insight and share perspectives,” Parsons said. “As the show grew, I started making connections to the other submitted works.” Parsons also mentored Diehnelt throughout the development of the exhibition in understanding what it is to be a curator and the duty of care to the artwork and the artists. “I wanted our students and alumni to know we are part of their art community,” Parsons said. “They can always lean on us for advice and connections.” A Celebration of the Arts Beginning the first week of March 2023, all 150 artists shipped or dropped off their artwork at Fort Worth Contemporary Arts. Parsons, along with Gallery Manager Kay Seedig, Diehnelt, and a team of gallery attendants and technicians, spent the following week installing the exhibition. Parsons selected the “salon style hang,” a clustering of artwork from floor to ceiling, to display the eclectic collection that ranged in scale and medium from video, sculpture, bronze, oil on canvas, drawing and photography. “I selected to hang the work in this way to create an interesting and engaging experience for our visitors,” Parsons said. “This goes back to the original idea of showcasing a diversity of practices that are still current and tell the story of the fine arts on campus.” Artwork from the TCU Permanent Collection was also featured in the exhibition to fill in the broader story and history of the visual arts. It was part of Parsons’ goal to highlight the little-known collection as a valuable on-campus resource for students. “It was an organic collaboration with the artists to create the exhibition,” Parsons said. “It was wonderful to have students, faculty and alumni join our celebration.” Along with the exhibition, Parsons developed a publication to include images of each artwork and a historical essay on the School of Art sourced from Wilson’s thesis paper. She hopes the publication will serve as a valuable document in the future to showcase the creative identity and community currently found at the School of Art. v

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