Monday, August 15, 2016

New exhibitions at the Hilliard Museum


Friday, September 9, 2016Fall Exhibition Opening Reception 

6:00-8:00 PM

 Join us in celebration of five new exhibitions at the Hilliard Museum!

Free and open to the public
RSVP: artmuseum@louisiana.edu or (337) 482-0817


 Sneak Peek “Behind the Scenes” Artist Talks
Oliver Wasow and Francie Bishop Good
6:00 PM, Wednesday, September 7th


Lafayette, LA, August 10, 2016- The Hilliard University Art Museum is pleased to announce the opening of its Fall 2016 season with a series of five new exhibitions. The public is invited to celebrate and view the new gallery installations on Friday, September 9, at a reception from 6:00 to 8:00 PM.

Three of the exhibitions this Fall are organized by guest curator Jane Hart, who has over thirty years of experience working in contemporary art. “This is my first time working in Louisiana and the rich culture of the people here has been very inspiring,” says Hart. “Each of the exhibits I curated for the Hilliard Museum focuses on the genre of portraiture, and essentially, they are studies on the universality of the human condition, as well as the uniqueness of individuals in a global society.” Harts past projects have been presented in New York, London, Los Angeles and South Florida.

Hart will be in attendance at the reception September 9, and joined by a number of artists whose work will be on display this Fall, including Francie Bishop Good, Oliver Wasow, Philip Gould, and other Louisiana-based artists included in "Face to Face". Additionally, the museum is offering offer a sneak peek at the exhibitions with two “Behind the Scenes” Artist Talks on September 7 – as a part of the free Wednesday Nights at the Hilliard program series, now offered on a weekly basis starting at 6:00 PM.

Face to Face: A Survey of Contemporary Portraiture by Louisiana Artists features work by twelve nationally and internationally acclaimed artists working in a variety of media. It includes Willie Birch, Douglas Bourgeois, George Dureau, Elizabeth Kleinveld & Epaul Julien, Aubrey Edwards, Deborah Luster, Rashaad Newsome, Tameka Norris, Gina Phillips, Jennifer Shaw, Jonathan Traviesa, and Heather Weathers. This exhibition of visually powerful and evocative work is accompanied by an essay in which Miami-based independent curator Jane Hart states: During this present moment, we are increasingly witness to social unrest and an escalating violent state of affairs, both at home and abroad. These disturbing conflicts often can be attributed to a lack of understanding amongst us based upon ethnicity, race, religion and other differences. Through depictions of people created by artists, seeing
our shared humanity, we can collectively come together with a greater tolerance and acceptance.

 September 9, 2016 – January 7, 2017.l



Francie Bishop Good: Comus explores a hybrid form of portraiture that is based on an accumulative layering of digital processes and found imagery. Source material for the series originated in the 1942 and 1967 high school senior yearbooks of the artist and her mother, entitled “Comus”, from Allentown, Pennsylvania. Comprised of 70 works on canvas, Bishop Goods installation of media-saturated
‘paintings’ forge an intergenerational exchange, as classmates appearing in yearbooks from the 1940s and 1960s are merged to encapsulate a new collective identity. This solo exhibition marks a first in Louisiana for South Florida-based Bishop Good, and was organized by guest curator Jane Hart.

September 9 – December 10, 2016.



Oliver Wasow: Hudson Valley Studio Portraits. New York based artist Oliver Wasow has been widely recognized for his pioneering use of digital compositing to create sublime imaginary landscapes. In this grouping of recent portraits, Wasow embraces a new approach with his sitters – family, friends and neighbors – who pose as subjects before a green screen background of virtual painterly landscapes. The resulting formal, yet intimate portraits evoke a romanticized patina of a bygone era. This solo exhibition marks a first in Louisiana for Upstate New York-based Wasow, and is organized by guest curator Jane Hart. September 2, 2016 – January 14, 2017.



Spotlight on the Collection: Portraiture juxtaposes academic and vernacular art practices, while foregrounding a visual conversation on the museums collection – particularly as a vehicle that illuminates the unique narratives and cultural histories specific to our region. This provocative exhibition gathers together two 19th century paintings of unnamed Louisiana women, a ritualistic object, and
eleven examples of folk art. It features pieces by the artists Delaney Burgess, MC "5 Cent" Jones, Jules Lion, Sister Gertrude Morgan, Sultan Rogers, Adolf Rinck, James "Son" Thomas, and a ceremonial mask from Mali in the museums permanent collection. This exhibition is organized by Laura Blereau, curator of the Hilliard University Art Museum. August 5 – December 3, 2016.

Cajun Dance Halls and Zydeco Clubs: Then and Now is photographic portrayal, past and present, of south Louisiana Dance Halls. It combines the research of two ongoing projects about the subject: The Center for Louisiana Studies' Louisiana Dancehalls Project, directed by John "Pudd" Sharp, which showcases visual artifacts and memorabilia from archive; And pictures by Philip Gould that are drawn from his upcoming photography book, Ghosts of Good Time: South Louisiana Dance Halls Past and Present, published by UL Press. Included in the exhibit are recent architectural images of clubs, open and closed, as well as a selection from Gould's four-decade career documenting Louisiana. Additional archival materials from the Center for Louisiana Studies come from a variety of sources including collections by club owners, musicians, family members and patrons. This exhibition is presented in partnership with Festivals Acadiens et Créoles. September 9, 2016 – October 16, 2016.

Acknowledgements
The museum wishes to express gratitude for the support and partnerships that have made this season of exhibitions possible: The Hilliard Society, Bon Temps Grill, Donner-Peltier Distillers, and Festivals Acadiens et Créoles.

Upon request, high-resolution images & biographies are available. Interviews may also be arranged.


Museum Hours, Admission & General Information
The Hilliard University Art Museum is located at 710 East Saint Mary Boulevard, on the campus of
University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Museum Hours are: Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 9:00 AM to
5:00 PM; Wednesday, 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM; Saturday, 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM; closed Sunday and Monday. General Admission: $5 Adults, $4 Seniors (62+), $3 Students (5-17). FREE for Members, UL Students/Staff/Faculty with identification, and visitors under 5. Guided tours of the galleries are available Friday & Saturday at 2 PM, complimentary with admission. For general information, please visit hillliardmuseum.org or call (337) 482-2278.

  

About the Hilliard
The Hilliard University Art Museum operates on the campus of University of Louisiana at Lafayette, and was originally founded in 1964 as the Art Center for Southwest Louisiana. Featuring a state-of-the-art modern facility that was erected in 2004, the museum houses more than 2,200 objects in its permanent collection, and is the largest art exhibition space between New Orleans and Houston. The Hilliard serves a wide range of educational and cultural needs by fostering cross-disciplinary intellectual discourse on campus, and throughout the region. At the core of the Hilliard's mission is to collect, preserve, interpret, and exhibit the art of our time, while celebrating the great diversity of Louisiana's heritage.





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