UW Art Museum to Host Fall Opening Reception Sept. 20

The University of Wyoming Art Museum will celebrate the opening of its fall exhibitions with a free public reception Friday, Sept. 20, from 5-8 p.m.

Light appetizers will be served, and a cash bar will be available. The Garret Guitar Quartet will provide a special performance at 6:30 p.m. in the museum galleries.

Exhibitions on view are “Harold Garde at 100: The Unseen Works in Two Acts”; “Binnie in Context: Woodblock Prints from the Collection”; “Neltje: The Collector”; “Brian Burkhardt: Take-Heed”; and four installations in the Pat Guthrie Special Exhibitions Teaching Gallery.

“Harold Garde at 100: The Unseen Works in Two Acts” 

The exhibition features 100 never-before-exhibited works by painter and UW alumnus Garde. He was a distinguished American artist known for his innovative “strappo” technique and his influential contributions to the world of contemporary art. With a career spanning over seven decades, Garde’s work has been exhibited globally and has earned numerous awards and accolades.

Garde died in October 2022 at the age of 99. In May 2023, he was awarded an honorary doctoral degree from UW.

“Binnie in Context: Woodblock Prints from the Collection”

Often brightly colored and meticulously detailed, woodblock prints gained initial prominence in Japan as an accessible art form during the Edo Period (1603-1868). Prints made during this period are called ukiyo-e, which loosely translates to “floating world.”

The exhibition features works by Paul Binnie, a Scottish painter and printmaker, alongside the ukiyo-e works he draws inspiration from.

“Neltje: The Collector”

Wyoming icon Neltje was a renowned painter, businesswoman and philanthropist. She also was a prolific collector, traveling the globe and acquiring works of art.

The exhibition provides a glimpse into Neltje’s home and life as a collector and curator by sharing eight vignettes of her personal collections and how she arranged them.

“Brian Burkhardt: Take-Heed” 

For his solo UW exhibition in 2009, Burkhardt created a new work inspired by Wyoming’s environment. “Take-Heed” is a collection of two different caterpillar forms -- a male and female species -- one with the word “take” and the other with the word “heed” inscribed on their bodies in Braille. Separately, the words infer opposing actions: “Take” implies the human ability to take from nature without forethought or concern for long-term consequences, while “heed” suggests a more cautionary approach. The expression “take heed” suggests a calling for awareness about our interactions with and actions upon our environment.

Pat Guthrie Special Exhibitions Teaching Gallery

The teaching gallery features four installations -- each specific to a UW course taught this fall. Faculty members selected artwork from the museum’s permanent collection to support the content and learning goals of their respective classes.

For more information about the reception, call Will Bowling, education and public programs coordinator at the UW Art Museum, at (307) 766-3496 or email wbowling@uwyo.edu.

About the University of Wyoming Art Museum

The UW Art Museum exhibits, preserves and interprets visual culture from around the world to engage academic, local, state, national and global communities. The museum is located in the Centennial Complex at 2111 E. Willett Drive in Laramie. Hours are Tuesdays through Saturdays from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Thursday hours are extended to 7 p.m. Admission is free.

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

Contact Us

Institutional Communications
Bureau of Mines Building, Room 137
Laramie, WY 82071
Phone: (307) 766-2929
Email: cbaldwin@uwyo.edu


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