The Scribe - Page 10

PARTNER STORY BGSU Announces a Student- Curated Exhibition: “Italy in the Artist’s Imagination” BOWLING GREEN, Ohio — Students at Bowling Green State University are bringing centuries of artistic inspiration to life in a new exhibition that explores how Italy has captivated the creative imagination of artists from the Renaissance to today. “Italy in the Artist’s Imagination,” curated entirely by students in Professor Dr. Allie Terry-Fritsch’s Professional Practices in Art History course, will open Nov. 21 at the Dorothy Uber Bryan Gallery on BGSU’s main campus. The exhibition features works by nearly 100 artists spanning the United States and Europe, from Renaissance master Albrecht Dürer to distinguished contemporary creators. The student curators conducted original research on pieces from BGSU’s permanent collection and juried submissions from university faculty, students and alumni to assemble the show. Their work uncovered rarely seen treasures that have never been displayed publicly. “The exhibition features incredibly high-quality works of art from the permanent collection that have never been displayed to the public,” said Terry-Fritsch, a professor of art history at BGSU. “Every visitor will find something that will appeal to their sensibilities, from Old Master prints to mid-century modern artists and representatives from the American glass movement.” Beyond celebrating Italian artistic influence, the exhibition highlights BGSU’s connections with Florence art schools and study abroad opportunities available to students. The works on display portray both personal experiences of Italy and imagined perceptions of what the country represents to artists. Alex Suttles, a student curator and art history major, said the project provided invaluable professional experience. “This course has given my peers and me incredible insights into what goes into curatorial work, and an opportunity to create the first exhibition of our careers,” Suttles said. “While fast-paced and challenging for all of us, this experience will undoubtedly help us with our futures in Art History.” The students performed archival research combined with art-historical scholarship to uncover the histories of the works and contextualize them within the theme of Italian artistic inspiration. “We are hoping that this exhibition will set a standard of excellence for student-curated shows for the future,” Terry-Fritsch said. A free public reception will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. on Nov. 21. The exhibition will remain on display through Dec. 10. The Dorothy Uber Bryan Gallery is open Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Thursday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Student curators will offer free tours during ArtsX on Saturday, Dec. 6, from 6 to 9 p.m.