January 2011

Appalachian State University in Boone, NC, Offers Abstract Art and the Art of Senegal

Appalachian State University in Boone, NC, will present two new exhibits at the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts including: Robert Goodnough: Abstract Expressionism & Beyond, on view in the Main Gallery from Jan. 17 through June 2, 2012 and Senegal: A Window into Francophone West Africa, on view in the Catwalk Community Gallery, from Jan. 17 through Mar. 31, 2012.

Robert Goodnough (1917-2010) was an American Abstract Expressionist painter. He moved among the second-generation members of the New York School but at the same time stood apart. This exhibition continues the Turchin Center’s tradition of featuring historically important artists and their works. The works featured in this exhibition are from private collections and is made possible by the David Ilya Brandt and Daria Brandt Collection.

The Turchin Center has featured works from the David Ilya Brandt and Daria Brandt Collection in past years. In 2003 the center featured the exhibition: The Omnipotent Dream: Man Ray, Confluences and Influences. This exhibition focused on the work of American artist Man Ray, but placed his important body of work within the context of major movements of the early 20th century. This exhibition held relevance for early 21st century art because, like nearly 100 years ago, the art world values diversity, experimentation and interdisciplinary investigations. Other artists represented in this exhibition included: Arp, Bunuel, Dali, Hoch, Kandinsky, Picasso, Magritte, Miro, Schwitters, Tanning, among many others.

Senegal: A Window into Francophone West Africa, explores the art and culture of Senegal, a country in Francophone West Africa. It is a culminating project of a month-long, French-speaking study and immersion experience of twelve graduate students of French, who traveled to rural and urban regions of Senegal in July 2011. The trip was funded by the US Department of Education’s Fulbright-Hays Program (Group Projects Abroad). The month-long study trip engaged the participants, all of whom teach or will teach French in North Carolina schools, in learning about this Francophone country and culture and developing ways to share what they have learned in K-12 classrooms across the state, as well as on the Appalachian campus.

The project is a partnership with the Department of Foreign Languages & Literatures, where the Fulbright-Hays grant was awarded. The resulting exhibition will feature artwork from artists in Senegal as well as images and research gathered by participants during the Summer of 2011. Children’s art workshops related to the event are also planned.

One of the Turchin Center’s core beliefs places a strong emphasis on partnerships with the university’s academic areas as well as with local, education, social service and economic agencies. Our staff believes the facility and programs to be a key regional, educational and cultural resource that offers a dynamic space where participants can experience and incorporate the power and excitement of the visual arts into their daily lives.

For further information check our NC Institutional Gallery listings, call the Center at 828/262-3017 or visit (www.turchincenter.org).

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