Current Exhibitions
Downloads: Spring + Summer poster (PDF)
The second part of this exhibition will focus on both the story and the original art of the classic book Goodnight Moon, published by HarperCollins Children’s Books. Over the past 60 years, Goodnight Moon has become the quintessential bedtime story, selling more than 11 million copies worldwide. Featuring illustrations created by world-renowned artist Clement Hurd and written by Hollins alumna and perennial favorite Margaret Wise Brown, the original artwork from the book is paired with artifacts from the book’s production from the Kerlan Collection at the University of Minnesota. This exhibition concludes Hollins’ yearlong festival celebrating the life and work of Margaret Wise Brown. The festival has included a musical stage production of Goodnight Moon; a performance of The Runaway Bunny; a presentation of Goodnight Moon, a lullaby for orchestra and voice; as well as workshops, story hours, and lectures. This exhibition is included in the statewide initiative Virginians for the Arts 2012 MINDS WIDE OPEN theme of “Virginia Celebrates Children and the Arts.” This continuing celebration is the first of its kind to be offered to the mid-Atlantic region. With references to both the visual arts and literature, the Eleanor D. Wilson Museum and Hollins University will help children and parents explore how the arts on all levels shape families, generations, and communities.
Margaret Wise Brown (1910–1952) was one of the first authors to write specifically for children ages two to five, and created some of the most enduring and well-loved children’s books of all time, in addition to developing the concept of the first durable board book. Clement Hurd (1908–1988) is recognized worldwide for his work as a children’s book illustrator. He studied with Fernand Léger, a French painter who was a forerunner of the Pop Art movement. This experience translated into his classic style using flat colors and simple, elegant shapes in such books as The Runaway Bunny and Goodnight Moon.
Funding has been generously provided in part by the City of Roanoke through the Roanoke Arts Commission, Roanoke County, and Wells Fargo.
Goodnight Moon © 1947 by Harper & Row, Publishers, Inc. Text copyright © renewed 1975 by Roberta Brown Rauch. Illustrations copyright © renewed 1975 by Edith T. Hurd, Clement Hurd, John Thacher Hurd, and George Hellyer, as trustees of the Edith and Clement Hurd 1982 Trust. Used by permission of HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
Reunion 2012
Ceramicist Alice Hohenberg Federico draws inspiration from ancient Greek vessels, traditional Japanese techniques, and modern English pottery to create sensuous sculptures. Her rounded vases feature elaborate handles, highlighting the contrast between the functionality and delicacy of her work. Lance Esplund of The Wall Street Journal writes, “Federico’s vases evoke classical antiquity; her handles bring those forms into the here and now.” In addition to these works, Federico has also created new vessels for this exhibition. These streamlined vases showcase the artist’s continued dedication to the exploration of form.
Born in 1945, Alice Federico has been making pots for over 40 years. She graduated from Hollins in 1967 with a major in American history. In 1969, she moved to Norfolk, VA to study clay at the Chrysler Museum School. She received her M.F.A. from East Carolina University in 1975. Federico went back to school in 1981 to study with Ken Ferguson at the Kansas City Art Institute. Her work has been shown in the Vallauris Biennial, the First Mino International, and the 28th Ceramic National at the Everson Museum. In 2002, she spent six weeks working at the Archie Bray Foundation. Since 2004, she has been represented by the George Billis Gallery in New York City and Los Angeles. She is married to Salvatore Federico, a geometric abstract painter. They live and work in New York City and Sullivan County, NY.
To commemorate their 20th anniversary, the Andy Warhol Foundation donated nearly 30,000 of Warhol’s Polaroids and black and white prints to more than 180 educational institutions across the country, including Stanair Gallery at Washington and Lee University,Olin Hall Galleries at Roanoke College, and the Eleanor D. Wilson Museum at Hollins University. These institutions have collaborated to present highlights from their individual collections in a three-part exhibition. In this final edition, the Wilson Museum pairs selections from the photographic legacy gift with work by Warhol’s contemporaries as well as examples by artists who inspired him.
