Trapster Race @UW @UWArtSci
Students in Assistant Professor Magnus Feil’s intermediate Industrial Design studio class (Art 317) have designed small vehicles powered solely by off-the-shelf mouse traps. They will be racing the trapsters on Thursday, 02 February 2012, to see which one functions best. The race will be in rooms 327/329 of the Art Building from 9:30-11:20am. Note that this is a different day than was originally shown on the School of Art calendar. Read an article or watch a video about the first Trapster Race in 2009. Below are pictures of three of this year’s vehicles during the design process.
Anderson is 2012 DSA Nominee @UW
The list of nominees for the 2012 University of Washington Distinguished Staff Award was published yesterday. Topping the list, literally (and, in our opinion, figuratively), is Kris Anderson. He is the Director of the School of Art’s Jacob Lawrence Gallery. A reception honoring all the nominees is being held on Thursday, 16 February 2012, from 2:30-4pm at UW Tower. If you plan to attend, be sure to bring your Husky Card or a photo ID since this is a secure building.
Sean Johnson (MFA 2005) and Susie Lee (MFA 2006) are among the thirty artists whose work is being displayed in The 10th Northwest Biennial. The Tacoma Art Museum exhibition opened on 21 January 2012 and runs through 20 May 2012. The artists were chosen from among 179 applications, and one of the two jurors was Rock Hushka (BA/BFA 1991). He is Director of Curatorial Administration and Curator of Contemporary and Northwest Art at Tacoma Art Museum. He gave a curator’s talk about the exhibition on Wednesday, 25 January 2012.
Food and Faith in Japan
Art History Associate Professor Cynthea Bogel presents a lecture titled “Call the Gods: Temple and Shrine Altars” on Thursday, 26 January 2012, at 7pm. This is the first of a four-lecture series at the Seattle Asian Art Museum on the theme of “Food and Faith in Japan,” which was co-organized by Julia Harrison (MFA 2004). Harrison’s presentation takes place on Thursday, 02 February 2012, at 7pm, and it is titled “Modernizing Mochi: From Divine Mirror to Frozen Treat.” The other two lectures will be given by Professor Akira Takagishi and Professor Satomi Yamamoto who are visiting from Japan. This series is sponsored by the Seattle Art Museum, the Simpson Center for the Humanities at University of Washington, and the Japan Foundation. A SAM blog post summarizes information about all the lectures.
Bogel and Harrison will also give lectures at KOBO at HIGO. Bogel’s presentation, titled “Buddhist Ceremonies, Offerings, and the Materials of Ritual Culture (Past and Present),” will be from 5-7pm on Saturday, 04 February 2012. Harrison’s lecture will be on Saturday, 10 March 2012, from 6-8pm. Its title is “A Sugar-Coated History? Japanese Seattle as Seen Through SweetMap, an Interactive Website.”
Zirpel, Emeriti, Alums @ MoNA
Two exhibitions currently at the Museum of Northwest Art in La Conner have strong connections to the UW School of Art. Yesterday’s Tomorrow includes work by 3D4M Assistant Professor Mark Zirpel and these alumni: David Kane (BFA 1976), Kristen Ramirez (MFA 2004), Tim Roda (MFA 2004), and Evelyn Woods (MFA 1993). A second show, of work from the museum’s permanent collection, is titled Study in Blue. Featured in that exhibition are one alumna, Victoria Adams (BFA 1979), and four former faculty: Francis Celentano, Michael Dailey, Ambrose Patterson, and Robert Sperry. Both shows close on 14 March 2012.
Instructional Technician Kim Van Someren and Associate Professor Curt Labitzke have an exhibition opening on Monday, 09 January 2012. Titled Two Printmakers: Recent Works, the show is at Everett Community College’s Russell Day Gallery. The artists will give a tour of the exhibition at 3pm on Tuesday, 10 January, followed by a reception starting at 4pm. The show will remain up through 03 February 2012.
These two are squaring off in a Drypoint Duel on Saturday, 28 January 2012, starting at 1pm, in an event sponsored by Seattle Print Arts. Their website says: “Come and witness the battle between the different styles of two printmaking beasts! Watch experimental techniques and demonstrations on making and printing drypoint intaglio plates.” It will be in room 210 of the Art Building. Note that parking on the UW Seattle campus is free after noon on Saturdays.
Labitzke also has work in an exhibition titled Journeys at SAM Gallery, which opens on 12 January and closes 11 February 2012. The reception is the first day from 5-7pm. Kathy Hastings (MFA 1974) has work in the show as well.
Art 381, “Introduction to Interaction Design,” is one of the first classes Assistant Professor Tad Hirsch has taught in the School of Art, but he is already involving students in generating ideas to improve their community. Read the UW Today article that was just posted to learn more about this class project and the involvement of UW Housing and Food Services.
Garvens + Alumni in Prographica Show
Photomedia Professor Ellen Garvens will have work in a group exhibition opening at Prographica on Saturday, 10 December 2011, with a reception from 2-4pm. Titled The Human Figure or Parts Thereof, the show will remain up through 21 January 2012. This exhibition marks the first anniversary of Prographica. Also included in the show are several alumni: Phillip Levine (MFA 1961), Maxine Martell (MFA 1964), Sean McElroy (MFA 2011), Anne Petty (MFA 2009, and Linda Thomas (BFA 1985, MFA 1996).
Each year, United States Artists chooses fifty USA Fellows. 3D4M Professor Akio Takamori was chosen from among 311 applicants as a 2011 USA Ford Fellow. Each fellow receives an unrestricted grant of $50,000. Also chosen as a USA Ford Fellow this year was Roger Shimomura (BFA 1961). He lives and works in Lawrence, Kansas, where he taught at the University of Kansas for over thirty years. Jenny Sabin (BA/BFA 1998) was selected as a USA Knight Fellow. She now lives and works in Philadelphia.
An article in the Seattle Times has additional information about Seattle winners.
Barbara Johns, a PhD student in Art History, already has an impressive publication record. She has written for the Seattle Art Museum and the Tacoma Art Museum as well as published four books through University of Washington Press. Recently released by them is Signs of Home: The Paintings and Wartime Diary of Kamekichi Tokita. UW Today posted an article about this book in October. A companion project for Johns was curating an exhibit at the Seattle Asian Art Museum titled Painting Seattle: Kamekichi Tokita and Kenjiro Nomura. The exhibit opened on 22 October 2011 and will run through 19 February 2012.
