March 29, 2024

McClung Museum hosts historically inspired artists

On Monday Feb. 2, McClung Museum hosted a printmaking artist panel for the “Drawn from the McClung Museum” exhibit. This exhibit is where print makers chose museum artifacts to inspire their art and will be up until May 24.

A re-imagining of Charles Willson Peale's by BJ Alumbaugh.

A re-imagining of Charles Willson Peale's  by BJ Alumbaugh.
A re-imagining of Charles Willson Peale’s by BJ Alumbaugh.

On Monday Feb. 2, McClung Museum hosted a printmaking artist panel for the “Drawn from the McClung Museum” exhibit.  This exhibit is where print makers chose museum artifacts to inspire their art and will be up until May 24.

The panelists included Professor Tanja Softić, Professor Beauvais Lyons, Associate Professor Koichi Yamamoto and Associate Professor Althea Murphy-Price. Professor Softić teaches art at the University of Richmond while the other professors are at the University of Tennessee. The hosts for the events were Coordinator of Academic Programs, Lindsey Waugh and the Curator and Head of Web and Media Catherine Shteynberg.

Professor Softić used a fossil of a flower-like animal. This fossil was closed so she said that she found juxtaposition by putting a more open artwork on top of this fist like representation.Professor Yamamoto used the re-creation of an artifact that represented a lost loved one. He said that the impact and symmetry were what led him to use it.

Professor Price chose the hair or mourning necklace as the inspiration for her work as hair has always influenced her interest, and this hair was used to memorialize a person. Professor Lyons talked on how he used his love of pottery and hybridity and was inspired by an Italian goat man clay pottery and made it into a print work with help from Managed Printing Services.

The panelist as they talk on their artwork.
The panelists talked about their artwork.

Lindsey Waugh said that “these are living objects” and that this is a way to add more meaning and life to these objects. Both Professor Softić and Professor Lyons said that museums are “public repositories,” and they have used museums for inspiration before.

This exhibit is being held during the Southern Graphic Council International Conference which will be held in Knoxville in March. The panelist and host said they are excited to see how the McClung Museum inspired art will inspire others.

Edited by Maggie Jones

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