Amherst College: Events

Opening Reception for "The Juncture: Ukrainian Artists in Search of Modernity and Identity"

cmurtishaw — Thu, 02 May 2024 21:45:09 +0000

Opening Reception for "The Juncture: Ukrainian Artists in Search of Modernity and Identity" Charlotte Murtishaw Thursday, 5/2/2024, at 5:45 PM

Please join us for an opening reception celebrating The Juncture: Ukrainian Artists in Search of Modernity and Identity. Curated by the celebrated Ukrainian and Eastern European art specialist Dr. Konstantin Akinsha, the exhibition assesses the careers and legacies of Alexander Archipenko (1887–1964), Oleksandr Bohomazov (1880–1930), and Vasyl Yermilov (1894–1968), three of Ukraine's leading Modernists. There will be refreshments, as well as remarks by Dr. Akinsha (live) and Oleksandra Matviichuk (pre-taped).

Dr. Akinsha will also give a lecture the next day, May 24th, titled "Who Stole Ukrainian Art? A Short History of Modernism in Ukraine" in Stirn Auditorium from 2:30 to 4pm. You can find more information about the talk on the Mead's events page, or in the College calendar.

Thu, May 23, 2024, 6 - 8pm

Open to the Public

About "The Juncture: Ukrainian Artists in Search of Modernity and Identity"

https://www.amherst.edu/museums/mead/exhibitions/2024/the-juncture-ukrainian-artists-in-search-of-modernity-and-identity

Charlotte Murtishaw

(413) 542-2155

cmurtishaw@amherst.edu

Please be aware Amherst College's Commencement Weekend begins Friday, May 24th, and therefore there may be closures or obstructions to certain campus roads. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Who Stole Ukrainian Art? A Short Survey of Modernism in Ukraine, by Konstantin Akinsha

admin — Thu, 02 May 2024 21:48:37 +0000

Who Stole Ukrainian Art? A Short Survey of Modernism in Ukraine, by Konstantin Akinsha Administrator Thursday, 5/2/2024, at 5:48 PM

Guest curator Konstantin Akinsha presents this lecture in connection with the opening of The Juncture: Ukrainian Artists in Search of Modernity and Identity at the Mead Art Museum. The short life of Ukrainian modernism reflects the tragic events of the history of Ukraine in the 20th century. As works by Ukrainian modernists were discovered decades later, they were often labeled as “Russian” and interpreted through a Russian cultural framework. After the fall of the USSR, the Western all-inclusive conception of Russian avant-garde was appropriated by the Russian propaganda machine and turned into an imperialist tool. Conversely, the objective of Ukrainian art historians is the reclaiming of Ukrainian art appropriated by Russians. In the situation of a fierce Ukrainian-Russian kulturkampf, the lecture will shed light on the validity of Ukrainian claims and the Russian response to them.

About the Speaker: Konstantin Akinsha is among the foremost scholars and curators of Russian and Ukrainian Art. Since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, he has been documenting the destruction of its cultural heritage and has been writing for such publications as The Wall Street Journal and for his own website. In 2022, he developed the traveling exhibition In the Eye of the Storm: Modernism in Ukraine, 1900-1930s, which offers a panoramic view of Modernism in the region and provides an opportunity for museums in Europe to support the safekeeping of works from Ukrainian museums endangered by the Russian invasion. In 2024, he curated the exhibition The Juncture: Ukrainian Artists in Search of Modernity and Identity at the Mead Art Museum at Amherst College, bringing together rare works by three of the leading Modern Ukrainian artists: Oleksandr Bohomazov (1880—1930), Alexander Archipenko (1887—1964), and Vasyl Yermilov (1894—1968).

Fri, May 24, 2024, 2:30 - 4pm

Open to the Public

About "The Juncture: Ukrainian Artists in Search of Modernity and Identity"

https://www.amherst.edu/museums/mead/exhibitions/2024/the-juncture-ukrainian-artists-in-search-of-modernity-and-identity

Charlotte Murtishaw

(413) 542-2155

cmurtishaw@amherst.edu

Boundless: Heid E. Erdrich and Kohar Avakian in conversation

admin — Mon, 22 Apr 2024 20:55:31 +0000

Boundless: Heid E. Erdrich and Kohar Avakian in conversation Administrator Monday, 4/22/2024, at 4:55 PM

In connection with Boundless, guest curator Heid E. Erdrich and contributing artist and writer Kohar Avakian will speak from 5:30-7 in Stirn Auditorium, immediately adjacent to the Mead Art Museum.

The Boundless project launched in August 2023, rooted in the celebration of the abundant texts and artwork produced by Indigenous writers and artists stretching from the 18th century through the present, welling from the Northeast and rippling around the globe. Following a Fall exhibition, a second, updated installation is on view at the Mead through July 7, 2024. A publication combining the exhibition catalog and collected writings is forthcoming through Amherst College Press, and a digital curriculum and teaching resources designed for elementary education will also be released soon.

Kohar Avakian is a Nipmuc, Black, and Armenian multimedia artist, visual storyteller, and scholar from Worcester, Massachusetts. She holds a B.A. in History (modified with Native American Studies) from Dartmouth College and is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in American Studies at Yale. As a descendant of genocide survivors still awaiting reparations, she uses oral history and visual art as an outlet to explore the intersection of race, recognition, reparations, kinship, and ancestral presence. Her artwork is featured in the second part of the Boundless exhibition, and she contributed writing to the forthcoming publication.

Heid E. Erdrich (Ojibwe) is author of Little Big Bully and many books of poetry and prose. She is an interdisciplinary artist who has curated dozens of Native arts exhibitions. Erdrich is an enrolled member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa who lives in Minnesota. Erdrich served as guest curator at the Mead Art Museum from 2020 to 2024 as she worked on Boundless.

Image credit: Kohar Avakian. U.S. Deaths Near an Incalculable Loss, 2022. Digital collage [Portraits in the collage: Diné student Tom Torlino in 1882 (left) and in 1885 (right) taken at Carlisle Industrial School]. Courtesy of artist.

Thu, May 16, 2024, 5:30 - 7pm

Open to the Public

About the Boundless exhibition

https://www.amherst.edu/museums/mead/exhibitions/2024/boundless

Charlotte Murtishaw

(413) 542-2551

cmurtishaw@amherst.edu

Alicia Grullón in Conversation with Elizabeth Ferrer

cmurtishaw — Wed, 20 Mar 2024 00:23:26 +0000

Alicia Grullón in Conversation with Elizabeth Ferrer Charlotte Murtishaw Tuesday, 3/19/2024, at 8:23 PM

Artist Alicia Grullón speaks with art historian and curator Elizabeth Ferrer in connection with Grullón's current solo exhibition at the Mead, Like a Slow Walk with Trees. Reflecting research on recent protests in a range of industries, such as mining, shipping, and entertainment, Grullón poetically knits together the direct language often used in protests with other references that layer and complicate associations while addressing current issues.

Alicia Grullón uses performance and self-portrait (re)composing popular histories as a critique on the politics of presence- an argument for the inclusion of marginalized communities in political and social spheres. Grullón has participated in exhibitions including The 8th Floor; Bronx Museum of the Arts; BRIC House for Arts and Media; El Museo del Barrio; and Columbia University, and has been honored with a number of fellowships and residencies.

Elizabeth Ferrer is a curator and writer specializing in Latinx and Mexican art and photography. She is the author of the critically acclaimed Latinx Photography in the United States: A Visual History (University of Washington Press, 2021), as well as of the forthcoming book, Louis Carlos Bernal: Retrospectiva (Aperture). The book will accompany a major retrospective on Bernal's work that she is curating.

Tue, Apr 23, 2024, 6 - 7pm

Open to the Public

"Like a Slow Walk with Trees" exhibition page

https://www.amherst.edu/museums/mead/exhibitions/2024/like-a-slow-walk-with-trees-alicia-grullon

Charlotte Murtishaw

(413) 542-2551

cmurtishaw@amherst.edu

Deep Dive in "Tropical Is Political"

admin — Thu, 14 Mar 2024 20:36:27 +0000

Deep Dive in "Tropical Is Political" Administrator Thursday, 3/14/2024, at 4:36 PM

Join the Mead's Student Museum Educators for close-looking and discussion about one artwork from the exhibition Tropical Is Political: Caribbean Art Under the Visitor Economy Regime. In addition to discussion, there may be sketching and interactive writing prompts. Each Deep Dive features a different artwork.

FREE + Open to All Ages. Materials Provided.

Thu, Apr 18, 2024, 6 - 6:30pm

Olivia Feal

(413) 542-2000

ofeal@amherst.edu

Deep Dive in "Tropical Is Political"

admin — Thu, 14 Mar 2024 20:34:58 +0000

Deep Dive in "Tropical Is Political" Administrator Thursday, 3/14/2024, at 4:34 PM

FREE + Open to All Ages. Materials Provided.

Thu, Apr 11, 2024, 6 - 6:30pm

Olivia Feal

(413) 542-2000

ofeal@amherst.edu

“other islands originated in the ocean, but the island is also the origin, radical and absolute” -a borrowed phrase from Deleuze’s Desert Islands for this choreographic event (and yes, all of this is the title). [a performance by nibia pastrana santiago]

admin — Tue, 19 Mar 2024 17:55:09 +0000

“other islands originated in the ocean, but the island is also the origin, radical and absolute” -a borrowed phrase from Deleuze’s Desert Islands for this choreographic event (and yes, all of this is the title). [a performance by nibia pastrana santiago] Administrator Tuesday, 3/19/2024, at 1:55 PM

Register to attend (via SignUpGenius)

The Mead Art Museum is excited to host nibia pastrana santiago for a very special performance connected to her artwork in the Spring 2024 exhibition Trópico es Político: Caribbean Art Under the Visitor Economy Regime, curated by Marina Reyes Franco (Curator, Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Puerto Rico).

This "choreographic event" will draw on the artist's on-going improvisational practice, which is rooted in contemporary dance and is repurposed to create events that present the audience with a series of actions, or lack of the, as performance. Considering the tropics as a watery space for resistance, pleasure and flow, pastrana santiago pursues a submarine future which is both metaphorical and urgent, since climate change and the tourist economy are accelerating factors demanding visionary alternatives.

Registration: As space in the gallery is very limited, registration is highly encouraged to ensure an spot. Priority will be given to audience members who pre-register (via SignUpGenius), with drop-in space potentially available on a rolling basis but not guaranteed. The performance will last from 5 to 7 PM, followed by a short reception. The Mead's galleries will be open throughout the evening, and visitors are welcome to spend time with the exhibitions on view, or leave and return for the reception. (The Mead is very close to downtown Amherst.)

This visit is co-sponsored by the Arts at Amherst Initiative, and the Departments of Theater and Dance and Spanish.

Wed, Apr 3, 2024, 5 - 7:45pm

Registration Required

Open to the Public

More about the event

https://www.amherst.edu/museums/mead/events/nibia-pastrana-santiago

Charlotte Murtishaw

(413) 542-2335

cmurtishaw@amherst.edu

When on campus, it's easy to get turned around--if confused, we recommend heading toward the stone spire of Stearns Steeple, which is located right next to the front entrance of the Mead. The "Visit" webpage has some helpful directions and maps for traveling to the Mead regionally and locally.

Parking
Parking is free on the Amherst College campus after 4:30pm. The closest parking is around the College Quadrangle, including accessible parking is available directly in front of the Mead. Another option is the Converse Parking Lot, which is a few minutes down a moderate hill from the museum and across the street from the Town Common.

Public Transit
The closest PVTA bus stop is the Amherst College stop, located by Converse Hall across from the town Common. It is serviced by the B43 and 38 lines; 31 and R29 lines also stop nearby on the Amherst Town Common. More information on PVTA schedules and routes is available here: https://www.pvta.com/schedules.php

Deep Dive in "Tropical Is Political"

admin — Thu, 14 Mar 2024 20:26:44 +0000

Deep Dive in "Tropical Is Political" Administrator Thursday, 3/14/2024, at 4:26 PM

FREE and open to all ages. Materials provided.

Thu, Mar 28, 2024, 6 - 6:30pm

Open to the Public

Olivia Feal

(413) 542-2000

ofeal@amherst.edu

Deep Dive

admin — Mon, 04 Mar 2024 21:31:11 +0000

Deep Dive Administrator Monday, 3/4/2024, at 4:31 PM

Join the Mead's Student Museum Educators for close-looking and discussion about one artwork from the exhibtion "Tropical is Political: Caribbean Art Under the Visitor Economy Regime. In addition to discussion, there may be sketching and interactive writing prompts.

Free and open to all ages. Materials provided.

Thu, Mar 7, 2024, 6 - 6:30pm

Olivia Feal

(413) 542-5123

ofeal@amherst.edu

Curator Talk: Marina Reyes Franco (Trópico es Político: Caribbean Art in the Visitor Economy Regime)

admin — Mon, 26 Feb 2024 16:01:16 +0000

Curator Talk: Marina Reyes Franco (Trópico es Político: Caribbean Art in the Visitor Economy Regime) Administrator Monday, 2/26/2024, at 11:01 AM

Please join us for a talk with Marina Reyes Franco, curator of "Trópico es Político: Caribbean Art in the Visitor Economy Regime", now on view at the Mead Art Museum. After the talk, there will be an opening reception for the exhibition and three other shows from 6 to 8pm at the Mead. Free and open to the public. Spanish interpretation available.

Thu, Feb 29, 2024, 5 - 6pm

About "Trópico es Político"

https://www.amherst.edu/museums/mead/exhibitions/2024/tropico-es-politico-caribbean-art-under-the-visitor-economy-regime-

Charlotte Murtishaw

(413) 542-2155

cmurtishaw@amherst.edu