Architectonic Logic: Silt-cast Stoneware by Chris Gryder
May 5 - June 27, 2009

In the artist's words, "within the shallow bas-relief surface of my work, is a compressed amalgam of the natural world and the human world." Gryder earned his Bachelor of Architecture at Tulane University, New Orleans, and his M.F.A. in ceramics at the Rhode Island School of Design, Providence. He also studied for five years with Paolo Soleri at Arconsanti in Mayer, Arizona, where he refined his silt casting technique. Gryder has exhibited internationally, and his work is in numerous public and private collections. With this exhibition, the Eleanor D. Wilson Museum is pleased to debut Ecliptic, a major commission that will be installed in July 2009 at Florida State University/Panama City.

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Reunion 2009: Exhibition of Recent Work by Mary Page Evans '59, Landscape Artist
May 28 - September 5, 2009

The Eleanor D. Wilson Museum at Hollins University is proud to feature a solo exhibition by nationally known artist Mary Page Evans. In the exhibition From Nature, Evans will present paintings and works on paper focusing on the elements of nature with a significant emphasis on the Roanoke Valley. Working directly in nature (en plein air), Evans relates her work to music-each element working in harmony to create masterful works of art. Since the early 1970s, Mary Page Evans’ work has been the focus of numerous solo and group exhibitions in galleries, art museums and universities as well as in United States Embassies around the world. Her work is in the collections of several public and corporate collections such as the DuPont Company, MBNA, and National Museum of Women in the Arts, State Museum of Pennsylvania, University of Delaware, Delaware Art Museum, and the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. Evans is a graduate of Hollins University (formerly Hollins College) and returned to campus for the opening of the exhibition, which will take place during Hollins’ Reunion Weekend. Evans gave a gallery talk to her class (1959), and other returning alumni as part of the festivities.

Barry Masteller: Boulevards
May 29 - August 22, 2009

Barry Masteller's ephemeral paintings evade precise portrayals of time and place. In his series Boulevards, the glow of twilight transforms the cityscape into a haunting, dreamlike apparition. Silhouetted streets, buildings, and people are arranged to create a conflicting sense of community and isolation. Masteller’s work has been shown extensively in both group and solo exhibitions, including solo exhibitions at the San Jose Museum of Art and at Caldwell/Snyder Gallery in New York.

Barbara Bernstein: Things are not what they seem, nor are they otherwise
July 16 - August 22, 2009

The Eleanor D. Wilson Museum will originate the first major site-specific exhibition in the region by artist Barbara Bernstein. Things are not what they seem, nor are they otherwise will encompass the largest space of the museum, incorporating architectural references culled from Hollins University's historic campus. Familiar elements of columns, streams, benches and walkways will be interpreted in two and three dimensions. Bernstein creates her site-specific works with simple, manufactured, predominately black and white materials such as electrical tape, contact paper, construction paper and foam core. The viewer is invited to see and experience a familiar environment in unfamiliar, surprising ways. Barbara Bernstein is the Artist in Residence at the Virginia Creative Center for the Arts (VCCA) in Amherst, Virginia. Bernstein taught at Yale University, the Rhode Island School of Design and Carnegie-Mellon University, among others. Her work has been shown in national and international exhibitions, including at the Carnegie Museum of Art in Pittsburgh, the Torpedo Factory in Alexandria, Virginia, and the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, China.

Artist Lecture
Richard Wetherill Visual Arts Center Auditorium July 16, 2009, 6 pm
Barbara Bernstein will give an artist lecture about her work and processes in conjunction with the opening of the exhibition. Reception immediately to follow.

Grant Writing for Artists
Richard Wetherill Visual Arts Center, Room 119
August 8, 2009, 10 am - 12:30 pm
Barbara Bernstein will present a workshop titled “Grant Writing for Artists.” The workshop will demystify the process of grant writing for both individual artists and collaborative projects. In a step-by-step approach, it will cover the complete cycle of grant writing, including preparative research, interaction with funders, budget development, writing proposals, and assessment of the process. The workshop is co-sponsored by the Eleanor D. Wilson Museum and the Arts Council of the Blue Ridge. For information about the workshop and to register, please contact Laura Jane Ramsburg at 540/362-6081 or email lramsburg@hollins.edu. Registration fee is $15.

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Taliaferro Logan: Georgianna Waxes
January 8 - 31, 2009

This site-specific encaustic installation by nationally known artist Taliaferro Logan that is inspired by the book "Georgianna" written by the artist's grandmother Fay L. Logan. Loosely written as a fictional saga of a family drama in the Roanoke Valley during the early part of the 20th century, the exhibition explores the family's confessional tale of tragedy and redemption and the blurred lines between history and fiction. The resulting works focus on each chapter of the book, each hauntingly beautiful and together form a powerful visual drama of familial dynamics.

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distaff (dis´taf´) n. 1 a staff on which fibers, as flax or wool, are wound before being spun into thread 2 women’s work or concerns 3 [Archaic] woman, or women in general (Webster’s New World College Dictionary, Fourth Edition)

The artists featured in this exhibition investigate the tools traditionally used by women. A distaff is a now-obsolete device traditionally used for yarn making; as technology progressed, it was incorporated into spinning wheels, which also later became obsolete. The word “distaff” was used to refer to women and their work for years after the tool itself became outdated. Tom Cohen, Judith Hoyt, Alison Saar, Bettye Saar, Marie Watt and others use once-common objects to question and comment on the roles women assume through history. “Each work of art in Reimagining the Distaff toolkit has, at its visible core, a tool that was important for women’s domestic labor in the past. The old tool becomes the fulcrum for a contemporary work of art,” says Rickie Solinger, Curator. This exhibition was organized by WAKEUP/Arts.

The Light Fantastic: Irish Stained Glass Art
February 19 – April 25, 2009

The Light Fantastic: Irish Stained Glass Art represents the work of 12 leading contemporary Irish glass artists and highlights the importance of traditional stained, painted and etched glass in Ireland. These artists are pushing conceptual and structural boundaries for stained glass installations.

Here, contemporary glass artists explore the flexibility of their medium. Although each piece in this exhibition is fundamentally a rectangular glass panel or series of panels, the different technical approaches used by each artist define his or her concept of the medium. Through various methods of production, these works provide an opportunity for viewers to see the way light can transform art.

Originally on view at the Crafts Council of Ireland, this exhibition was organized by International Arts & Artists. The Eleanor D. Wilson Museum is pleased to be the first venue to present this exhibition in the United States.