2008 Woodie Awards
Women of metal
LeAnne Rudy
Issue date: 9/17/08 Section: Arts & Entertainment
| |
| |
|
The gallery is open for viewing from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday; 6-8 p.m., Monday through Thursday; and 1-4 p.m. on Saturdays.
The exhibit, which opened Tuesday, offers many different styles of art based on metal.
Holly Cohn, a metal crafter since 1971, explained that her images are her own view of infinity and her connection to it.
Each piece has an element of time, she uses architectural structures to create separation.
"It gives me a sense of place," Cohn said.
Yevegiya Kaganovich started making jewelry as a child, and was hired as a jeweler at the age of 16. Kaganovich said that the art she creates comes from her own curiosity in the human body and its function.
"Functional objects, and their function beyond utility is what I think about a lot," Kaganovich said.
Agnes Chwae, a metal artist for 27 years, finds inspiration in different cultures' ancient artwork.
Her piece "Night" is based on a Mayan glyph, and "In the Form of a Korean Rice Bowl" is a pewter representation of an older bowl used traditionally to wash rice that Chwae saw in a museum.
"I found it interesting, because without context, some might take it as a modernist piece," Chwae said. "Even the wooden version looked very modern."
Junior Tasha Mills, who is studying studio art with an emphasis in metals, said she found the relationships between the artists to each other interesting.
"I'm amazed at the bonds between the metal smiths," Mills said.
The "Women of Metal" exhibit was planned by Michael Flanagan and Susan Messer, who first thought of the idea eight years ago.
They procured a $25,000 grant from the National Endowment of the Arts to help fund the project, as well as an Art Forum Jewelry grant.
According to the UW-Whitewater Web site, the purpose of the exhibit is "to represent and celebrate the art work of past and present women metal smiths, to inspire and educate the artists of the future and to increase public awareness of the contributions of these artists to the cultural history of Wisconsin."
To help accomplish that goal, a catalogue of the exhibit is being formed. Each item will have an essay written about it as well as an oral explanation delivered by the artist. This will be used to form an archive for the future.
Another part of the future will be for the next generation of metal smiths.
All students got a chance to discuss things with their favorite artists. The metal students got their photograph taken along with the artists featured in the exhibit.
The opening night for the event attracted lines of students. So many people attended that the requirement to sign in as they entered was waived.
The gallery is located at 950 W. Main St. and is open to the public.
Be the first to comment on this story