Spring Exhibitions Will Open Jan. 30 at UW Art Museum

Works by African-American artist Kara Walker and Winslow Homer’s Harper’s Weekly illustrations are among exhibitions that can be seen beginning Saturday, Jan. 30, at the University of Wyoming Art Museum. An opening reception for the spring exhibitions is scheduled Friday, Feb. 12, from 6-8 p.m.

“Emancipating the Past: Kara Walker’s Tales of Slavery and Power” will be on view through May 14. It explores Walker’s transformation of historical materials through a range of different projects including Walker’s works on paper, a video, wall painting and sculpture. Walker is a contemporary African-American artist known for engaging with issues of race, gender, sexuality, media and power. The exhibition will highlight Walker’s artistic process with the aim to make her challenging approach accessible to a diverse audience.

“The Harper’s Weekly Illustrations: Winslow Homer’s Americana” will be on view through April 23. It is composed of Winslow Homer’s illustrations for Harper’s Weekly, a monthly magazine that highlighted literature, politics, culture, finance and the arts. These illustrations, drawn from the UW Art Museum’s collection, span Homer’s early career and provide an unparalleled glimpse into the 19th century American experience.

Winslow Homer’s “Snap the Whip” appeared in Harper’s Weekly in 1873. (Friends of the UW Art Museum)

The Pat Guthrie Special Exhibitions Teaching Gallery is on view through June 4. Included are “Philosophy 4000/5000 - The Sublime”; “Honors Program 3153 - Art and Environment”; “Honors Program 2151 - The Empire Strikes Back: Postcolonial Studies with a Focus on Africa”; and “Elementary Education 3170 - Art in the Elementary School.” These works continue the successful teaching gallery model by working closely with faculty from the Honors Program, the College of Education and Department of Philosophy for their specific courses on issues of art and the environment, the notion of the sublime, elementary school art education and concepts of postcolonial society.

The artwork is available to students throughout the semester for use during the museum’s public hours and divided into four sections, one wall for each course. While the gallery is designed to meet the needs of the academic community, it also is open to the public to demonstrate connections between the Art Museum and teaching across the curriculum, supporting UW’s academic mission.

For more information, call the Art Museum at (307) 766-6622, visit the website at www.uwyo.edu/artmuseum, or follow the museum on Facebook and Instagram.

Through its “Museum as Classroom” approach, the UW Art Museum places art at the center of learning for all ages. Located in the Centennial Complex at 2111 Willett Drive in Laramie, the museum is open Mondays through Saturdays from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday hours are extended to 7 p.m. February through April and September through November. Admission is free.