The 2018 Department of Art, Art History, and Design Faculty Triennial Exhibition showcases the recent work of twenty studio art & design faculty members. Recognized nationally and internationally, Michigan State University studio art & design faculty member’s creative research is regularly exhibited in venues all over the world. Collectively they have received recognition and support from Fulbright, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Pollack-Krasner Foundation. Representing a broad-range of media and contemporary art and design approaches, the exhibition highlights the faculty’s dedication to actively pursuing creative research.
The 2018 MSU Department of Art, Art History, and Design Faculty Triennial exhibition is organized by the Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum at MSU and guest curated by Christopher Atkins, Curator of Exhibitions & Public Programs at the Minnesota Museum of American Art. Support for this exhibition is provided by the John and Susan Berding Family Endowment.
Curator Statement
Artists are teachers, scholars, and experts. Their work and creative inspiration are demonstrative of connections to departments throughout the university. So, it’s interesting, yet no surprise, to see how the artworks submitted by MSU Fine Art and Design faculty in this exhibition utilize such diverse bodies of knowledge, such as computer science, history, religious studies, and literature. Visitors will find many ways to connect with the work, especially those pieces that focus on personal histories and memories, technology, the American landscape, and, yes, beauty.
I organized this exhibition as if it were a Faculty Meeting. Everyone, as represented by their artwork, is here; together as a group yet still their individual selves. Installed in this way, everyone has the space or time for their voice to be heard. It was a pleasure to survey such a rich set of submissions, some of which are a few years old, a few that have never been seen before, and others that were inspired by or responded to the challenging architectural features of the Broad galleries.
I would like to thank the Broad staff for inviting me to curate this exhibition. It’s been a pleasure. And to the MSU faculty, thank you for trusting me with your work.