Exhibitions Archive 1970 – 1979

Glenside, Pa. – Faculty members of the Beaver College department of fine arts will hold an exhibition in the college’s Richard Eugene Fuller gallery of art, Easton and Church Roads, Glenside, from October 31 through November 14. Opening reception and discussion of work by faculty will be held Wednesday, October 31 at 4:30 p.m.

PARTICIPATING ARTISTS

Jack Davis, chairman; Alma Alabilikian, Leslie Baker, Ann Develin, Gary Fischer, Ron Kalla, Dennis Kuronen, Robert Mauro, Stephanie Tyiska, Ann Williams, and Paula Winokur. 

Glenside, Pa. – An exhibition of recent works by Robert Godfrey, artist-teacher, from New Wilmington, Pennsylvania, will be held from February 21 to March 16 at the Richard Eugene Fuller Gallery of Beaver College, Easton and Church Roads, Glenside. 

The public is invited to the gallery talk Mr. Godfrey will give on Wednesday afternoon, February 21st at 3:00 o’clock and to the opening reception following the talk at 4:30 p.m. in the art gallery. 

Mr. Godfrey works in representational modes which includes figures and landscapes and is an artist interested in extending these scenes beyond the immediate act of mere reproduction. 

Assistant Professor of Art at Westminster College (New Wilmington, Pa.) and Director of the Westminster College Art Gallery, Mr. Godfrey has exhibited extensively– in the Charlottenborg Gallery, Copenhagen, Denmark; Philadelphia College of Art; Indiana University Museum of Art; Krannert Art Museum, University of Illinois; Art Institute of Philadelphia, and the Woodmere Gallery (Chestnut Hill). 

Mr. Godfrey received his B.F.A. degree in painting from the Philadelphia College of Art, his M.F.A. in painting from Indiana University (Bloomington, Ind.) and has studied at the Royal Academy for the Fine Arts, Copenhagen, Denmark where he was a Fulbright-Hays Scholar. He has been the recipient of a Buhl Foundation Grant, two faculty research grants at Westminster College and research and materials grant while at the University of Illinois. 

In the Fall of 1977 Mr. Godfrey was the juror of the Eastern Pennsylvania Regional Drawing Exhibition held at Beaver College’s Fuller Art Gallery. 

This exhibit is sponsored by the Beaver College Fine Arts Department and is part of its program to bring both nationally known artists to Beaver, and those artists, such as Mr. Godfrey, who are building their reputations. 

JUROR: Charles Kalick, studio artist, Philadelphia

Glenside, Pa. – The Second Annual Beaver College Student Art Show will open with a reception from 7 to 9 p.m. on Wednesday, February 7 in the Richard Eugene Fuller Art Gallery, located on the college campus, Easton and Church Roads, Glenside. The exhibition will continue through February 18 from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., Monday through Friday and 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. The public is invited to attend. 

Works created by Beaver College undergraduate classes will be selected by the juror, Charles Kalick, an accomplished Philadelphia artist. Paintings, prints, drawings, photographs, crafts and weaving will be on exhibit. 

Sponsored by the Beaver Association of Fine Arts, the exhibition affords Beaver College students the opportunity to participate in a juried art show before graduating. The show is organized entirely by the undergraduate students. 

Glenside, Pa. – Faculty members of the Beaver College department of fine arts will hold an exhibition of their work in the college’s Richard Eugene Fuller art gallery, Easton and Church Rds., Glenside, from November 13 through November 27. The opening reception will be on November 13 at 4:30 p.m. On Wednesday, November 15 at 4:30 p.m. in the Fuller gallery, the faculty exhibitors will discuss their artwork. Open to the public, gallery hours are 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. daily. 

PARTICIPATING ARTISTS

Jack Davis, chairman; Alma Alabilikian, Patricia Campbell, Ann Develin, Ruth Fine, Gary Fischer, Jean Francksen, Ron Kalla, Robert Mauro, Ann Williams, Paula Winokur, and Martha Zelt. 

Glenside, Pa. – The opening of the annual Senior Art Thesis Exhibition of the Beaver College department of fine arts will be held on Thursday, May 11, from 8:00 to 10:00 p.m. in the Thrall Gallery in the Spruance Art Center on the college campus, Easton and Church Rds., Glenside. The reception, honoring the 33 exhibiting seniors, is open to the public. 

The exhibition of the senior art work of 33 candidates for the degree of bachelor of fine arts also includes a thesis written by each senior relating his work to the traditions of art. The major event of the academic year for the fine arts department, the exhibition covers the areas of graphic design, interior design, painting, printmaking, and crafts. 

PARTICIPATING ARTISTS

Patsy Banham-Natale, William Brown, Darcy Cunningham, Carol Schultz DeLuca, Mark Dittmar, Jan Downs, Cathay Fuchs, and Elsie Hetke. 

Glenside, Pa. – The Beaver College department of fine arts will present the first exhibition by graduate students who are candidates for the degree of master of arts in education with a concentration in the fine arts. The exhibition will be held in the Richard Eugene Fuller Gallery in the Atwood library on the college campus, Easton and Church Roads, Glenside, from April 26 to May 14. An opening reception will be held in the gallery on Wednesday, April 26, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. The public is invited to attend. 

The work shown is primarily in printmaking, with some sewn pieces, embossed prints, and narrative sequences. All exhibitors are presently teaching art. 

Graduate students are Pamela Bodie, of 7936 Montgomery Ave., Elkins Park, teaching at the Silversprings School for the Emotionally [Disturbed] in the Plymouth Meeting School District; Richard Cohen, of 618 Galahad Road, Plymouth Meeting, teaching at the Bartlett Jr. High School in the Philadelphia School District; Rochelle Cohen, of 6429 Brandywine Court, Cornwells Heights, teaching in the Walton Elementary School in the Philadelphia School District; Patricia Crooks, of 8 Walton Drive, New Hope, teaching in the Wrightstown Elementary School in the Council Rock School District; Cindy Morton, of 304 E. Washington Avenue, Newtown, teaching in the Churchville Elementary School in the Council Rock School District; JoAnn Pickert, of 1500 Locust Street, Philadelphia, teaching in the William D. Kelly Elementary School in the Philadelphia School District, and Diane Vernam, of West Trenton, N.J., teaching in the Log College Jr. High School in the Centennial School District. 

Glenside, Pa. – Alex Katz, well-known artist, will exhibit 35 cut-outs of heads on thin aluminum, entitled Rush (1970) at Beaver College, Easton and Church Rds., Glenside, from April 5 through April 21 in the Richard E. Fuller Art Gallery. A gallery talk by Mr. Katz will be held at 4:30 PM and an opening reception in his honor will be held from 7:30 to 9:30 PM in the Fuller Gallery on April 5. The public is cordially invited to attend these events.

The 16-inch-high heads make an environmental experience of the room since the physical reality of the cut-out pieces seem to dissolve into the walls in such a way as to give the observer the experience of a new reality of the heads. As Alex Katz has said, “You look at the people for a while and after a time the people look at you. It’s sort of a weird experience.”

In exhibiting the pieces the idea of a casual environment quality is emphasized by the arrangement of the heads being variable. Which pieces goes next to which is at the discretion of those hanging the show so that each time they are exhibited there is a new grouping, which helps reinforce the concept of a room full of people.

Alex Katz has been identified with a number of artists who became known for their work with recognizable subject matter in the late 60s. Sometimes these artists are grouped under the term “The New Reality.” He was included in a show at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts called “Contemporary Realism” in 1971 and has had over 60 one-artist shows in New York, Los Angeles, California, Helsinki, Paris, Zurich and many other places. His work is currently represented by [Marlborough] Galleries, Inc., 40 West 57th St., New York, N.Y., through whose courtesy this exhibition is shown.

The exhibition [is] supported by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts and by Beaver Association of Fine Arts, the Forum Committee, and the Department of Fine Arts.

Glenside, Pa. – Robert Morris, well-known artist, will exhibit 15 of his drawings at Beaver College, Easton and Church Roads., Glenside, from March 8 through March 18 in the Richard E. Fuller Art Gallery. A gallery talk by Mr. Morris will be held at 4:30 PM and an opening reception in his honor will be held from 7:30 to 9:30 PM in the Fuller Gallery on March 8. Both the talk and the exhibit are open to the public without charge.

The drawings, done from 1969 to 1973, include Drawing for Earth Project 1969, Section of an Enclosed Courtyard 1971, Morning Observatory Exercise Complex 1971, Observatory Makers Equinox – Sunset 1971, and drawings related to the sculptural piece Labyrinth as well as two Blind Time drawings from 1973.

Robert Morris, one of America’s most interesting contemporary artists, has been identified with his participation in “Happenings” as well as with art often labeled Concept Art and Earth Art. He has had forty-seven one-artist exhibitions in New York, Amsterdam, Paris, Los Angeles, Washington, Detroit, London, Munich, Milan, and other world centers. His last show in Philadelphia was at the Institute of Contemporary Art in 1974. He is represented by the Leo Castelli Gallery, 429 West Broadway, New York, N.Y., through whose courtesy the drawings are shown.

The Department of Fine Arts at Beaver College has encouraged interest in drawing with two annual drawing exhibitions in 1976 and 1977 as well as with one-artist shows. The exhibition is supported by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts and by the Beaver Association of Fine Arts, the Forum Committee, and the Department of Fine Arts.

1978 BEAVER NEWS
“Robert Morris Exhibition Planned for March 8-18” by Paula Oram

Fifteen drawings and a public lecture will highlight the Robert Morris Exhibition, to be held in the Fuller Art Gallery March 8-18. The exhibition is supported by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts and by the Beaver Association of Fine Arts, the Forum Committee and the Department of Fine Arts. 

Morris will give the public lecture on Wednesday afternoon, March 8. The opening reception will be held that evening, from 7:30 to 9:30. Morris will also attend the reception.

Mr. Davis commented on Morris’ position in the art world. “Robert Morris is one of America’s most interesting contemporary artists and has been identified with his participation in ‘Happenings’ as well as with art often labeled as ‘concept art’ and ‘earth art’.” He has had 47 one-artist exhibits in New York, London, Amsterdam, Paris, [Los Angeles], Washington, D.C., Detroit, Munich, Milan and other large cities. His last show in Philadelphia was the Institute of Contemporary Art in 1974. 

The relationship between Beaver and Robert Morris was explained by Mr. Davis. “The Department of Fine Arts at Beaver has encouraged interest in drawing with both one artist shows and two annual drawing exhibitions in 1976 and 1977. We are pleased to offer this exciting exhibition of outstanding drawings by Robert Morris.”

The drawings for the exhibition are dated from 1969 to 1973 and include “Drawing for Earth Project” 1969, “Section of an Enclosed Courtyard”, 1971, “Morning Observatory Exercise Complex”, 1971, “Observatory Markers Equinox Sunrise-Sunset”, 1971, drawings related to the sculptural piece “Labyrinth” and two “Blind Time” drawings from 1973. The drawings are being shown through the courtesy of Leo [Castelli] Gallery, 420 West Broadway, New York, New York. 

Juror: Jack Thompson, chairman of ceramics department, Moore College of Art

Glenside, Pa. – The first annual Beaver College Student Art Show will open with a reception from 7 to 9:30 p.m. on Friday, February 17 in the Richard E. Fuller Art Gallery, Easton and Church Rds., Glenside. The public is cordially invited to the reception. The exhibit will continue through March 1. Gallery hours are 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. daily.

Fifty works from Beaver College undergraduate classes will be selected by the juror, Jack Thompson, chairman of the ceramics department at Moore College of Art. Paintings, prints, drawings, ceramics, jewelry and weaving will be on exhibit at the Art Show. 

Sponsored by The Beaver Association of Fine Arts, the exhibition is being held to give Beaver College students an opportunity to participate in a juried art show before graduating. 

Peggy Weaver, of 1472 Osbourne Rd., Roslyn, a junior, is president of The Beaver Association of Fine Arts. Other officers are Jennifer Phillips, of 211 Godshall Rd., Souderton, a sophomore, vice president; Rose Caporaletti, of Drexel Hill, a senior, secretary, and Richard Schubert, of Granby, CT, a sophomore, treasurer. 

Mr. Jack Davis, of 1419 Jericho Rd., Abington, is chairman of the department of fine arts at Beaver College. 

Glenside, Pa. – The opening of the annual Beaver College Fine Arts Department’s senior show will be held on Thursday, May 12 from 8:00 until 10:30 p.m. in the Benton Spruance Art Center, Easton and Church Rds., Glenside. The reception, honoring the 22 exhibiting seniors, is open to the public. 

The exhibit will include the results of each fine arts major’s senior thesis project and will cover the areas of graphic design, interior design, painting, and printmaking. Also included with each student’s project will be the thesis paper which explores the relation of their work of historical and theoretical considerations. The show will close May 27. 

PARTICIPATING ARTISTS

Gina Bresler, Betty Campbell, Katherine Eckfeldt, Ana Kopejka, Jane Korman, Diana Luks, Patricia Meilman, Marsha Moss, Celeste Rocco, Ann Sklar, and Lynda Stockslager. 

Glenside, Pa. – An art exhibition and an art lecture will be held at Beaver College, Easton and Church Rds., Glenside on April 27 and 28. Both programs are open to the public without charge. 

On Wednesday, April 27 at 8:00 p.m. an exhibition of drawings by Dorothea Rockburne will open at the Richard Eugene Fuller gallery of art in the Atwood library and will continue through May 9. Her recent “Drawing Which Makes Itself Series – Indication Drawings” will be on view. Gallery hours are 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. daily. 

There will also be a gallery talk with an informal discussion of the topic “American Art in the 70’s” from 4:30-6:00 p.m. in the Fuller gallery. Joining Miss Rockburne in the discussion will be John Moore, painter and associate professor of art at the Tyler School of Art, and Patricia Stewart, art historian and critic. The discussion is open to the public. The exhibition and discussion are supported by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, and by the Forum Committee and and the Department of Fine Arts at Beaver College. 

On Thursday, April 28, Lady Mander will talk on “The Pre-Raphaelite Movement in Victorian Art” in the college’s Little Theatre at 7:00 p.m.

Miss Rockburne is a native of Verdun, Quebec, and was educated in Canada and the United States. She now lives in New York City. Her work has been seen in numerous groups and one-person shows in the United States and europe. Miss Rockburne is represented by the John Weber Gallery of New York where her most recent show was held in November 1976. She is represented by several new paintings in the 1977 Biennial Exhibition at the Whitney Museum of Art. In 1976 she was awarded the Witkowsky Prize at the 72nd American Exhibition, Art Institute of Chicago.

John Moore is a graduate of Yale University and has been in numerous group and one-person shows, including the [Fischbach] Gallery in New York in 1973 and 1975, the Vick Gallery in Philadelphia, and “The Figure in Recent American Painting” – Pennsylvania Council on the Arts Traveling Exhibition, 1974-75. 

Patricia Stewart has written for “Arts Magazine” and has served as a curator of contemporary art in chicago. 

Lady Mander is a biographer and has written lives of the Shelley Period (Godwin, Mary Shelley, Trelawny) and more recently “Portrait of [Rossetti]” published by the University of Southern Illinois Press. 

At her home in England, she lives in a house given by her late husband, Sir Geoffrey Mander, as a memorial to the works of William Morris and the Pre-Raphaelite painters. As a lecturer on these subjects, Lady Mander often acts as a tour guide in the house. 

Jack Davis, chairman of the Beaver College department of fine arts said, “The Pre-Raphaelite painters are too little known in this country, nor has their role in the formation of modern art been fully appreciated. However, for those who are familiar with their work they provide an unending source of pleasure and Lady Mander’s talk will be an interesting event for all interested in 19th century art.”

1976 BEAVER NEWS
“Faculty Creations”

On Wednesday, November 17, the Art Department will open its annual Faculty Show. Mrs. Judith K. Brodsky explained, “We not only teach, but pursue our own active creative work. The show gives us the opportunity to show new work that hasn’t been seen at Beaver before.” The show will run through to early December. 

The Art Department has two new additions to the faculty. Mr. Ronald Kalla is a painter and is heading the certification program for art education at the elementary and secondary levels. Mrs. Sigrid Weltge is a weaver and she is teaching her art form. Both will be showing their work for the first time on campus. 

The entire department will join Mr. Kalla and Mrs. Weltge in displaying their work. Mr. Jack Davis, Mrs. Ann Williams, and Mr. Harry Naar will show paintings and drawings; Mrs. Brodsky will display her prints; Mr. Gary Fischer will show his work in metals and jewelry; Mrs. Paula Winokur will show her ceramics; Miss Jean Francksen will show prints and drawings; and Miss Alma Alabilikian and Mrs. Ann Devlin will display their recent interior design commissions. 

The opening begins at 4:30 in the Atwood Gallery. Everyone is invited to attend. 

1976 BEAVER NEWS
“Alvin Loving’s show features Powerful and personal mode” by Paula Oram

The works of Alvin Loving will be presented on campus with support from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Forum Committee, and the Beaver Department of Fine Arts. His show will open April 28 in the Atwood Gallery at 7:30 p.m. Preceding the opening at 4:30, Mr. Loving will lecture in the gallery. The show will be open from two to five daily and run through May 11. 

Mr. Loving’s show will feature paintings made from torn paper and canvas. These works are wall-oriented. He has displayed his work in one-man shows at the Whitney and Tyler School of Art, in addition to the Fishbach. About the same time of his Beaver show, Mr. Loving will have a show in New York. 

The artist received his M.F.A. from the University of Michigan. As a graduate student there, he was a graduate instructor of Mrs. Ann Williams. Mrs. Williams, a lecturer in fine arts, feels “he is basically an expressionist painter who employs a full range of colors and [chiaroscuro] (dark to light values) in a powerful and personal mode.”

Mr. Davis, Professor of Fine Arts and Chairman of the Department, explained that “Mr. Loving’s work is a very exciting development in contemporary art with a fresh, vivid approach. Students will enjoy meeting him and talking to about his unusual art.”

This exhibition was funded by the National Endowment of the Arts.

Glenside, Pa. – Alice Neel, one of America’s outstanding painters identified with the figurative tradition, will exhibit her paintings at Beaver College, Easton and Church Roads, Glenside from March 31 through April 16 in the Atwood Gallery of Art in the Library. A gallery talk by Miss Neel will be held at 4:30 PM and an opening reception in her honor will be held from 7:00 to 9:30 PM on March 31 in the art gallery. Sponsored by the Forum Committee and Department of Fine Arts at Beaver College and by the National Endowment of the Arts, Washington, D.C., both the talk and the exhibit are open to the public without charge.

Throughout her long and vigorous career, Alice Neel has maintained a fundamental relation to the excitement of seeing and interpreting the world around her in a manner that is fresh, dynamic, and original. Canvases in the show go back to some of her earliest work in the 1920’s, but most are of the last few years. All show her interest in a personal interpretation of the figure and she has been referred to as a “collector of souls on canvas.” This phrase is apt in describing a certain Dostoievsky-like quality that her work has as it penetrates beyond surface appearance to hint at the harsher and more enduring realities.

1976 BEAVER NEWS
“Atwood Gallery features works by Alice Neel” by Paula Oram

“I stuck to my road,” best describes the art of Alice Neel. Her paintings will be on display in the Atwood Gallery from 2 to 5 p.m. daily. The show opened Wednesday, March 31. The opening was preceded by a warmly received public lecture [at] 4:30 that day. The exhibition is supported by a grant from The National Endowment for the Arts, The Forum Committee, and The Department of Fine Arts, Beaver College and will continue through April 16. 

Ms. Neel is a figurative artist; she is concerned with painting people. She explained, “Man is the first premise. From a painting of a person you can learn about an entire era.”

Although she is a realist, she allows for creativity. “I invent along the way,” she said. She feels the portrait doesn’t have to be a stodgy realism. Her work is autobiographical and each piece has a story behind it. 

A return to figurative work has been relatively recent. This has followed a long reign of Abstract Expressionism in the world of art. however, Ms. Neel said, “I don’t want anything to take complete dominance. All work is legitimate if it’s what you like.”

The painter has experimented in her work. She has used all kinds of media, but is now using paint. She paints people as well as still lifes. 

Ms. Neel is a long-time friend of Rhoda Medary, one of the women who runs the Beaver Art Store. They both attended the Philadelphia College of Design for Women (now Moore College of Art). 

Glenside, Pa. – Harry I. Naar, of Old Chester Rd., Gladstone, N.J., lecturer in fine arts at Beaver College, will hold a one-man show of recent paintings at Beaver College, Easton and Church Rds., Glenside, from February 18 through March 8 in the Art Gallery of the Atwood Library. The opening reception will be held on Wednesday, February 18 from 4:30 to 6:00 p.m. and is open to the public. 

A graduate of the Philadelphia College of Art, Mr. Naar received his master of fine arts degree from Indiana University (Ind.).

In 1967 he was awarded the Aspen Painting Award from the Philadelphia College of Art and in 1968 received a fellowship at Indiana University. 

During his independent study in Paris, France in 1970, Mr. Naar studied with the French painter, Jean Helion. 

He has exhibited at the Indianapolis Museum of Art; Corcoran Gallery, Washington D.C.; The Canton Art Institute; New Jersey State Art Museum and the Hunterdon Art Center. 

Mr. Naar is a member of the College Arts Association of America. 

1976 BEAVER NEWS
“Naar to display seashell paintings in Atwood” by Paula Oram

Harry Naar, a new addition to the art faculty, will display his seashell paintings in an exhibit in the Atwood Gallery. The opening of his show is on February 18, from 4:30 until 6 p.m. The show will run through March 8. 

Mr. Naar’s medium is oil paints on canvas. Most of the paintings are still lives of seashells. He recounted the story behind his keen interest in shells. A few years ago while visiting Florida, he found some shells walking down the beach, “I realized I had never really observed shells,” he said. 

He picked some up, borrowed others from friends, and bought water colors. Naar went back to the house, arranged them on a table, and started painting them in water colors. “From there,” he said, “I developed oil paintings which have been my preoccupation since.”

Naar is most concerned with forms, color, direction and shapes and their interrelationships. The paintings are based on abstract qualities in representational shapes. Each object is painted and repainted, so that it becomes familiar to him. “Every time I paint it, it becomes a new object again. I try to experience the object as if I’ve never seen it before,” he explained. 

The artist employs two tools in his work. Naar develops the painting through drawings of the objects individually and together. He then builds up a larger drawing but allows for change, for, as he said, “the drawings do not confine me.” Secondly, he makes up his own environments. For example, he will pin blue material to a wall and paint the background that way. 

Famous masters of art the painter admires are Piero della Francesca, Ingres, Courbet, Balthus and Derain. In fact, the painting on the poster advertising his show is in homage to Derain. 

Except for two paintings, none of the works in the present show have been exhibited before. His previous shows include “Art From New Jersey” at the Trenton State Museum, the American Federation of Art Traveling Drawing Show, a three man show at Indiana University and Drew University Printmaking Show. In the last show, he did a print of a shell. 

Mr. Naar has had a great deal of training previous to coming to Beaver. He received his B.F.A. at Philadelphia College of Art. He received his masters degree at Indiana University in Bloomington on a fellowship. His study in painting continued in France for a year with painter Jean Helion, who influenced Naar’s artistic theory but not his actual painting technique. 

Mr. Naar has also had teaching experience. Previous to Beaver he taught at the Princeton Art Association, Gill St. Bernard’s Private School and Middlesex County College, where he still teaches on a part-time basis. 

1976 BEAVER NEWS
“Naar displays seashell art” by Maxine Reynolds

My first impression of Harry Naar’s paintings was that they are highly representational. The majority of the paintings are of shells in a still life composition. However, the artist has captured the beauty of their natural setting through his choice of seascape colors. The basic composition of Mr. Naar’s paintings also shows a representational interpretation. The harmony between the tables on which the shells sit and the background is created through a traditional approach to balance. 

This balancing of emphasis between them is made clear through some of the paintings’ titles: “Still Life – Shells on Table with Blue-grey Wall” and “Still Life – Large Table with Blue Wall.” The representational qualities of Naar’s work includes his correct use of perspective and commonplace point of view. The observer is made to feel that he is looking directly at a table in somebody’s hall. The artist’s attention to accurate representation of surface texture is evident in his masterful portrayal of highly polished table tops. His shells all give the viewer a sense of true gravity, for they sit realistically and firmly on the tables. 

In addition to the shell-still lifes, Naar’s exhibit includes two drawings of women, an oil painting of a landscape and a portrait of a woman. To the casual visitor they can only appear as unrelated to the rest of the collection. 

But I urge the visitor to go to the Atwood Art Gallery to look more closely. In this showing there is truly “more than meets the eye.” On my second visit to the gallery, I looked more carefully at Harry Naar’s work. I saw that many of the still lifes which I perceived to be full of shells actually were often dominated by non-shell objects. The titles of the paintings reflect this emphasis; for example “Still Life – Green Tablecloth With Hat” and “Still Life – Shells With Milk Pitcher.”

In my earlier visit to the exhibition my perceptions had been only the forms of the objects, not what the objects represented. The lines and planes of the objects on the tables all have a similar quality of “shellness.” This quality is achieved through attention of the abstract shapes of shells. The artist has represented these abstractions in his depiction of other elements within the composition. Pitchers, bowls, vases, eggplants and butternut squash, and the shadows cast on the backdrop, all reflect the essence of shell form. 

The paintings in this exhibit, dated 1974 through 1975, show a subtle change in the artist’s style. Line becomes stronger and colors bolder. There is a pronounced exaggeration of the repetition of the abstraction of shells. 

“Shells with Figure,” an unfinished oil begun this year is an arresting if not aesthetically pleasing example of this move towards the abstract. In this painting, Mr. Naar continues his fascination with shells through repetition of their form in the contorted figure of a woman. Her position is unnatural and artificial in contrast to the flowing form of the shell. This is symbolic of the shell’s removal from its natural setting. The shell is symbolic of the womb, and so woman is the natural extension of its abstraction. Thus the two abstractions are interrelated through symbolism. 

This understanding makes the inclusion of the two figure drawings of women, the landscape and the woman’s portrait less intrusive. Their addition to the exhibit serves as a natural extension of the womb – woman – fertility motif. Is this motif the product of the reviewer’s or the artist’s imagination? I urge you to visit the exhibit, on display in the Atwood Gallery through March 8, and allow your own perceptions to be your guide. 

From Beaver College press release, October 23, 1975

Glenside, Pa. – Lois M. Johnson, of Philadelphia, will hold a one-woman show of her recent works at Beaver College, Easton and Church Rds., Glenside, from October 30 through November 23 in the art gallery of the Atwood Library. The opening reception will be held on October 30 from 7:30 to 10:00 PM, and the public is invited to attend.

Miss Johnson is chairman of the printmaking department and assistant professor of the Philadelphia College of Art.

She has held numerous shows in the Philadelphia area.

Miss Johnson serves as vice president of the American Color Print Society and is a member of the Rittenhouse Square Exhibition committee, the Society of American Graphic Artists, the Print Club Artists committee. She is also a member of the Philadelphia Art Alliance and a past member of the board of governors of the Philadelphia Water Color Club.

A graduate of the University of North Dakota, Miss Johnson received her master of fine arts from the University of Wisconsin.

1975 BEAVER NEWS

“Lois Johnson’s recent work on Atwood display” by Ellen Ann Stein

With the increasing popularity of the Guinness Book of World Records, to be referred to as a “Who’s Who” in America has become somewhat commonplace[.] However, Lois Johnson, whose art work is presently on display at Beaver, is listed in the 1973 Edition of Who’s Who in American Art. Ms. Johnson’s display of mainly figurative art was greeted with a successful turnout at her opening last Thursday. 

Walt Whitman said, “No two blades of grass are alike.” This also applies to art. Jack Davis, professor of fine arts and chairman of the department explained the uniqueness of Ms. Johnson’s artwork. 

“One of the most interesting things about the show is the way in which a wide range of techniques can be organized into a visual experience which carries emotional authority,” he said. “In a way it seems like the triumph of a person over machines, in that complex attributes of technique and manipulation can result in an image which touches the feelings so surely.”

“For example,” he continued, “her painting ‘From Hand to Mouth’ has a wide range of techniques, all kinds of images, a whole gambit, and comes through with a resonant emotional experience of night, dawn, and some other indescribably time of one’s life.” 

Ms. Johnson compared her work to movies and comic strips. “They are a passage of a sequence of events,” she said. “My artwork is autobiographical about a sequence of time… like a movie frozen within a sequence of footage.” 

Ms. Johnson withheld from giving a comment on her general reaction to the show. However, in doing so, she offered an explanation which proved to be of greater value; Ms. Johnson explained herself as an artist, as well as clarifying one aspect of the philosophy of an artist. “Some people are proficient at intellectually verbalizing their thoughts,” she said. “I do better in painting.”

Ms. Johnson received her master of fine arts degree from the University of Wisconsin – Madison in 1966. Aside from receiving a [graduate] assistantship in printmaking, her works were reproduced in Artists Proof Magazine.

Ms. Johnson has been chairman of the printmaking department and assistant professor at the Philadelphia College of Art, teaching silk screen, lithography, intaglio, and photomedia since 1967. 

She is an active member in numerous professional organizations, including the Rittenhouse Square Exhibition Committee, the Society of American Graphic Artists, the Print Club Artists Committee, Philadelphia Art Alliance-Print Exhibition Committee, Vice-President of the American Color Print Society, the Print Club Board of Governors, and the Philadelphia Water Color Club (Board of Governors 1972-75).

She exhibits frequently and has won awards at the following shows: Prints in America, Graphics – New Mexico, American and the Color Print Society. 

Among her various activities, she has held several guest lectureships at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Beaver College, The Print Club, and Nova Scotia College of Art – Fairfax.

Glenside, Pa.: The opening of the annual Beaver College Fine Arts Department’s senior show will be held on Thursday, May 15 from 8:00 until 10:00 p.m. in the Benton Spruance Art Center, Easton and Churd Rds., Glenside. The reception, honoring the 27 exhibiting seniors, is open to the public. 

The exhibit will include the results of each fine arts major’s senior thesis project and will cover the areas of graphic design, interior design, painting, and printmaking. Also included with each student’s project will be the thesis paper which explores the relation of their work of historical and theoretical considerations.The show will close May 25. 

Students participating in the show are Catherine Brosso, of 501 Montier Rd., Glenside; Susan Evans, of 304 Woods Rd., Glenside, and Madlyn Young, of 1165 Laurel Lane, Huntingdon Valley. 

1975 BEAVER NEWS
“Black feminist to lecture, present artwork” by Karen Schwartz

“After I decided to be an artist, the first thing that I had to believe was that I, a black woman, could penetrate the art scene, and that further, I could do so without sacrificing one iota of my blackness or my femaleness or my humanity.”

The preceding words of black artist, feminist, lecturer, and teacher, Faith Ringgold, reveal the feelings of a determined woman whose talent and creativity have allowed her to cross artistic bridges never crossed before. Ms. Ringgold, for the past ten years, has been exploring the role of the black woman in America, making this private investigation the theme of all her artwork. 

As an artist, she does not attempt to escape into another world through her work, according to an article in Ms. magazine. Rather, Ms. Ringgold uses it as a means to communicate with and educate others. She sees the black woman in desperate need of liberation, and contends that, “if black women are to be liberated, they will have to do it for themselves.”

“Black Light,” a system of painting that Ms. Ringgold herself created, has been a method she has been using since 1967. “I use Black Light in relation to the way I see through myself,” she said. “I work from the blacks and browns and grays that cover my skin and hair and the shades of blues, greens, and reds that create my forms and textures.”

Glenside, Pa. – Members of the Beaver College Fine Arts Department will exhibit paintings, prints, designs and ceramics, a special Faculty Show, in the art gallery of the Eugenia Fuller Atwood Library on the Beaver College campus, Easton and Church Rds., Glenside, from October 2 through November 1. The opening reception will be held on Wednesday, October 2, at 4:30 p.m. in the art gallery. The public is invited to attend.

Mr. Jack Davis, of 1419 Jericho Rd., Abington, is chairman of the Beaver Fine Arts Department. Faculty members are Miss Jean Francksen, of 320 S. Camac St., Philadelphia; Mrs. Judith Brodsky, of 59 Castle Howard Court, Princeton, N.J.; Miss Alma Alabilikian, of 1922 Waverly St., Philadelphia; Mrs. Ann Williams, of 414 Delaware St., New Castle, Del.; Mrs. Paula Winokur, of 435 Norristown Rd., Horsham, and Mrs. Ann W. Develin, of 510 Olympic Ave., Havertown. 

1973 BEAVER NEWS
“Ceramics show to run through December”

Editor’s Note: As a matter of efficient procedure the “News” was extremely sorry it failed to print a notice concerning the November 9 opening of the Michael Smyzer and Edmund Ferszt one man show in the Fuller Art Gallery. After attending the opening last Friday we are more than sorry and would like to take this opportunity to urge all members of the College community to visit this interesting and innovative show before it closes on December 10. 

A joint one man show in painting and ceramics is currently in the Atwood gallery in the library through December 10. The show is the result of joining efforts by Michael Smyzer who received his bachelors and masters degrees from the Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia and was an instructor in ceramics at Beaver last year and painter Edmund Ferszt who has requested no information about him be published. 

For his part Mr. Ferszt has contributed eight large modern paintings illustrating depth and [perspective] through bright colors and geometric shapes. The works are currently on loan to Langman Gallery in Jenkintown and represent “a series of paintings done developed from 1969 to 1972 which have culminated is another series of paintings in several directions which is still currently in progress.”

Mr. Smyzer has contributed a wide range of art pieces representing all forms of ceramics. His show includes two trophies of war ranging from a dead cherebuiclly created dead baby to the bust of a haughty war general to a complete set of ceramic dinnerware. He is exhibiting a wide range of casseroles, mugs, tea pots, plants and even a ceramic wash stand. Using both traditional and modern components, Mr. Smyzer has created several beautiful and provocative bird baths and even a decorative chair. 

Currently a ceramics and sculpture instructor at Montgomery County Community College, Mr. Smyzer has also taught at the Tyler School of Art, [Skidmore] College and the Cheltenham Art Center. He has exhibited in Fall River Denver and Corning Glass of national shows. 

1976 BEAVER NEWS
“Faculty Creations”

On Wednesday, November 17, the Art Department will open its annual Faculty Show. Mrs. Judith K. Brodsky explained, “We not only teach, but pursue our own active creative work. The show gives us the opportunity to show new work that hasn’t been seen at Beaver before.” The show will run through to early December. 

The Art Department has two new additions to the faculty. Mr. Ronald Kalla is a painter and is heading the certification program for art education at the elementary and secondary levels. Mrs. Sigrid Weltge is a weaver and she is teaching her art form. Both will be showing their work for the first time on campus. 

The entire department will join Mr. Kalla and Mrs. Weltge in displaying their work. Mr. Jack Davis, Mrs. Ann Williams, and Mr. Harry Naar will show paintings and drawings; Mrs. Brodsky will display her prints; Mr. Gary Fischer will show his work in metals and jewelry; Mrs. Paula Winokur will show her ceramics; Miss Jean Francksen will show prints and drawings; and Miss Alma Alabilikian and Mrs. Ann Devlin will display their recent interior design commissions. 

The opening begins at 4:30 in the Atwood Gallery. Everyone is invited to attend. 

1973 BEAVER NEWS
“Don Lantzy Show in Atwood Gallery Through March 8”

Don Lantzy, assistant professor of art at the Tyler school of Art and at the Temple University Campus, is holding a one-man show through March 8 at Beaver College in the art gallery of the Atwood Library. The show will feature drawings and paintings most of which were done in Rome. 

A graduate of the Philadelphia College of Art, Lantzy received his master of arts degree from Tyler School of Art, Temple University. He has exhibited extensively in the Philadelphia area and at the [Krannert] Museum, University of Illinois. His work is included in the permanent collections at Temple, West Chester College, and in private collections. 

1971 BEAVER NEWS
“Van Vliet, Spruance Works Shown by Philadelphia Club”

The Print Club of Philadelphia is sponsoring an exhibit of the work of Benton Spruance and Clare Van Vliet from October 8 to 30. The Spruance showing will be inclusive from working studies to finished prints. The Van Vliet display will be of her most recent lithographs. 

Claire Van Vliet is a native of Canada. She received her masters of fine arts degree from Claremont College. She has taught at the Philadelphia College of Art and the University of Wisconsin. After spending five months in Scandinavia, Miss Van Vliet has returned to teach in Philadelphia. Her work has been exhibited throughout the United States. 

Benton Spruance former chairman of the Beaver art department held an unchallenged position as a lithographer, teacher, and administrator until his death in 1967. Both the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Print Club have held retrospective displays of his work to familiarize the public with his artistic development. The present exhibit is aimed at adding new insights into his work. 

On Wednesday, October 27, Miss Van [Vliet’s] works will be put on display in the Gallery of the Eugenia Fuller Atwood Library. The show will deal with developmental processes, including lithographs, drawings, and watercolors. The exhibition is open to the public. Hours of the gallery are 9 to 5 p.m., Monday thru Friday; 2 to 5 p.m., Saturday and Sunday. 

1971 BEAVER NEWS
“Artists Hanson and [Van Vliet] Present discussions of work” by Paula Oram

Late Wednesday afternoon, Jo Hanson showed slides and discussed Crab Orchard Cemetery, her photographic art environment. The environment is a re-creation of a rural cemetery in an area of Illinois. Ms. Hanson lived in the area until the age of 18, but did not begin thinking about the environment until 1968. “There was a wealth of information in the stones if I could learn to understand them. The information that I was getting was a record of changing value systems,” she explained.  Once the concept came together, it took about two years to do. 

She constructed the tombstones out of styrofoam by making rubbings and photographing the rubbings. She uses them to make silk screen stencils that are placed onto the styrofoam. To prepare the styrofoam, she cuts it with a hot wire. 

The cemetery surroundings are captured on photographic murals. She made a 360 degree circle as she took pictures of the view. “I put the negatives together to get the entire scene.” She placed each panel edge to edge. To complete the environment of the rural cemetery, she has included a sound track of the undercurrents of sound in the cemetery. 

The environment is at Peale House, 1811 Chestnut Street, from October 14 until December 5. 

Clare Van Vliet, bookmaker and printmaker, was also on campus last Wednesday. She is involved with the entire book processing operation. Her books consist of the writing of other people, like Kafka or Lorca, plus her own prints and are made in both cloth and paper. 

Ms. Van Vliet also designs the way in which the books are bound. She does not feel they have to be bound in the conventional sense of the word. “The binding is heavier than the paper and takes away from the actual material.” If it is bound, the book follows a controlled sequence. As a result, she places her books in boxes designed with the book in mind or a cover that the book can slip into. In this way, the book allows greater flexibility for the reader. 

Ms. Van Vliet is concerned with the entire feeling her readers get from her books. “The book should serve the type of communication you are trying to project. Everything should serve a mood.” For example, the type should be in tune with the ideas expressed. 

“There are many ways to look at my work; visually, literally, or both.”

* Date is estimated.