The Stark Museum of Art in Orange, Texas, presents a new special exhibition Explore Art: Materials and Methods Revealed, on display from July 3 – September 22, 2012. Visitors will discover the techniques and tools artists use and have the opportunity to create their own art in hands-on areas.
Gustave Baumann (1881-1971), Mountain Gold (final print), c. 1920-1926, woodcut on flax fiber paper, 13.75 x 17 in., Stark Museum of Art, Orange, Texas. 31.216.10.O.
The exhibition will display art from the collections of the Stark Museum of Art and The W.H. Stark House arranged by medium. Visitors will have the opportunity to explore paintings, cast and carved sculpture, glass, ceramics, woven baskets and rugs and prints. Finished and unfinished sculptures by Andy Anderson, a recognized master of 20th century woodcarving, will show the artist’s steps in carving wood. Woodblocks used in the printmaking process of artist Gustave Baumann will be exhibited alongside his finished prints. In addition, exhibited works from The W.H. Stark House will be on display, including ceramics by the Fulper Pottery Company and glass by Gillinder & Sons.
Interactive areas within the exhibition at the Museum will offer visitors the chance to create and display their own drawings and coil pots, sit and weave on a Navajo-style loom in the gallery and explore touchable displays of the tools that artists use to make prints and sculptures. Videos in the exhibition will demonstrate glassmaking and printmaking techniques. A tablet computer will allow visitors to digitally flip through scanned pages of the sketchbook by artist Ernest Martin Hennings, who was an early member of the Taos Society of Artists in New Mexico. Also in this exhibition, the Museum’s set of screenprints created by artist Charley Harper, best known for his highly stylized wildlife prints, posters and book illustrations, will be on display for the first time.
Amelia Wiggins, Educator for Studio and Family Programs, invites visitors to the exhibition. “How are woven tapestries similar to handmade baskets? How are glass vessels constructed differently than clay ones? Why do artists create multiple versions of artworks? We invite viewers to explore these questions and more in the exhibition. We also hope visitors are inspired to create their own art, both at the hands-on areas in the gallery, and at Artists Family Day.” Family Day, a free event on July 14, 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m., will feature artist demonstrations at the Museum and art-making opportunities for all ages. As always, children accompanied by an adult are welcome.
In relation to the Explore Art exhibitition at the Museum, beginning July 10, The W.H. Stark House will display a complementary exhibit of cut glass and cast silver in the adjacent Carriage House. A printed guide will direct visitors to view other examples of artistic materials in the Museum and The House.
Located at 712 Green Avenue in Orange, Texas, the Stark Museum of Art is open to the public Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Group tours are available by appointment. For more information, call 409.886.ARTS (2787) or visit www.starkmuseum.org