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Graphics by 20th Century Masters from the Cochran Collection

December 10, 2004 - January 28, 2005
Opening Reception: Friday December 10, 5:00-7:00 p.m.

Alex Katz
Alex (detail),1970
lithograph

The Gallery of Contemporary Art at the University of Colorado in Colorado Springs is pleased to present Graphics by 20th Century Masters from the Cochran Collection. The traveling show consists of 61 works collected by Wes and Missy Cochran of LaGrange, Georgia. Over the past three decades the Cochrans have amassed some of the finest examples of 20th century European and American printmaking. This collection is a comprehesive cross section of contemporary artsits and printmaking techniques. Here among works by Picasso, Chagall, Dali, and others is an etching by sculptor Hery Moore, a mixed media work by sculptor Louise Nevelson and a lithograph by mobile artist Alexander Calder. These are some of the artists who may not be widely known for their prints or associated with the art of printmaking. Among the women artists in this collection are Isabel Bishop, G.H. Rothe, and Joan Mitchell. A silk-screen by Jacob Lawrence is a curious and unusual representation among works by other African American artists.

Printmaking techniques, in the first half of the century, had been long established by European artists, now referred to as old masters. Many American printmakers were influenced by the, then popular, Ashcan School and remained devoted to the old traditions and continued their conventional, realistic depictions of the American Scene. Other artists, after having been inspired by the Armory Show of 1913, broke away from European methods and began to research, experiment and invent new printmaking processes to create new forms of multi-origionals. By the mid-40’s the art of printmaking had been totally redefined.

Silkscreen printmaking (serigraphy) was rediscovered and accepted as a significant medium in American Art. After 1960 serigraphs were seen the world over as an American innovation. Pop artist Andy Warhol mastered the technique and made the silk-screen print a highly regarded commodity, internationally exhibited and collected. Robert Rauschenberg, Robert Indiana, Claes Oldenburg and others also made use of the silk-screen process.

From modern industrial research, new materials were invented which changed the art of lithography and etching forever. The heavy, bulky stones traditionally used for lithography have been overshadowed by chemically treated zinc plates allowing much larger images than previously possible. Copper plates, still the preferred medium for etching, were often replaced by cheaper and more readily available zinc plates, which because of their hardness, allow larger editions to be printed. Lithographs by Man Ray, Larry Rivers and Joan Miro, among others are presented here along with etchings or techniques derived from etching (aka: intaglio), by David Hockney (etching), Jim Dine (drypoint), and a mezzotint by G.H. Rothe. New printing inks and inking methods were developed making much of the previous drudgery involved in printmaking a thing of the past.

this traveling exhibition from the cochran’s extensive art collections is both outstanding and informative. it makes a positive statement about collecting art while highlighting some of the best known artists who witnessed and recorded the 20th century experience.

The exhibition in Colorado Springs is part of a 13 city tour over a two and a half year period, featuring fifty renowned artists. the tour was developed and managed by Smith-Kramer Fine Arts Services, of Kansas City, Missouri. The Gallery of Contemporary Art has booked shows with Smith-Kramer on an almost annual basis over the past 23 years, since its founding at UCCS in 1981.

Support for the exhibition was provided by the Bee Vrandenburg Foundation; the Colorado Council on the Arts with assistance from the Colorado General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts; the CU Student Government Association on behalf of the student body’s cultural awareness: and the museum’s loyal patrons and members.

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3 Local Collectors

Highlights from the Brasch, Lehrer and Wenderski Collections

October 15-November 23, 2004
Opening Reception: Friday, Oct 15,5-7 pm.

Miguel Martinez
oil on canvas
Courtesy of the Lehrer Collection

3 Local Collectors, Highlights from the Brasch, Lehrer and Wenderski Collections featuring works selected from prominent Colorado Springs collections will open at the Gallery of Contemporary Art, the art museum at the University of Colorado in Colorado Springs. Each collector was asked to lend 30 or more contemporary works, resulting in a visually stunning show of approximately 100 diverse works.

The local Collectors are realtors Ron Brasch and Rich Lehrer, and fiber artist and special education teacher Kathryn Wenderski. Kathryn had previously participated in a symposium on collecting at the museum in 1992.

Each of the participating collectors has distinctly different taste in their art acquisitions, and this is clearly reflected in the show. The show idea originated with Ron Brasch’s offer, in 2002, to exhibit works from his collection. In order to round the show out, it was decided to approach two other local collectors, who had extensive holdings and a similar obsession for acquiring art.

Rich Lehrer began collecting Native American and Southwest influenced art decades ago, and gradually shifted his focus to include more contemporary and regional work in a range of mediums. Ron moved here from Florida and his collecting focus was influenced by its bright sun drenched color, and pop sensibilities. His collection is primarily original graphics on paper by established modern and pop artists, but includes some paintings and sculpture. Kathryn, an artist herself, built her collection through direct relationship with regional artists. Her collection is especially strong in photography, but includes many of the best known contemporary Colorado artists working in drawing, painting and sculpture.

Well known national/ international artists included in the show are: Francis Bacon, Larry Rivers, James Rosenquist, Tom Wesselmann, Roy Lichtenstein, Karel Appel, David Hockney, Alden Mason and Miquel Martinez. Well known Colorado Artists include Floyd Tunson, Albert Chong, Nora Krogman, Louis Recchia, Zoa Ace, Paul Schroeder, Wes Kennedy, Scott Chamberlin, Dale Chisman, and Bethany Kreigsman.

The exhibition and the public symposium were supported by the participating collectors as well as the Colorado Council on the Arts, a state agency funded by the colorado General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts: the Bee Vradenburg Foundation; museum benefactors Al Metzger and Esther Beynon; the CU Colorado Springs Student Government Association, and the museum’s loyal patrons.

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Open Press

a 15 Year Retrospective

August 13-October 1, 2004
Opening Reception: Friday, Aug. 13,5-7 pm.

Homare Ikeda
monotype

The Gallery of Contemporary Art proudly presents an exhibit in which 30 regional artists working through master printer Mark Lunning’s Denver based print studio, Open Press Limited, will show selected prints produced between 1989 and 2004. The origional Open Press studio opened it’s doors in Denver durring December of 1988. The first print was co-produced by Mark Lunning and Dale Chrisman from a found piece of wood in January of 1989, marking the beginning of Lunning’s vision of offering a studio open to any artsist wishing to produce hand-pulled prints. There are few places for artists to work with master printers, in Colorado or anywhere, apart from the few university based art departments that offer print making. Lunning saw Open Press as an entity that could bridge this gap by allowing area artists the opportunity to work through a master printer to produce origional multiples. The underlying rationale is that because prints are generally multiples, they are a viable alternative to the more expensive mediums of painting or sculpture.

Dale Chisman continued to work with Lunning, and both have become celebrated figures in Colorado’s art scene, with Chisman generally regarded as one of Colorado’s top abstract artists. While hundreds of artists have produced work through Open Press, Lunning invited 30 professional artists to participate in this retrospective exhibition. Each invited artist was asked to contribute up to 7 works produced at Open Press. Works by both Chisman and Lunning are featured, as well as works by Sharon Strasburg, Geoffrey Ridge, Lynn Heitler, Doris Laughton, Homare Ikeda, Randy Hughes, Joe Higgins, Dave Yust, Mark Dickson, Joellyn Duesberry, Louis Nyiri, Lonnie Hanson, Jesus Polanco, Steve Cramm, Brian Comber, Duke Berdsley, Audra Knutson, Beatriz Pestanna, Reed Weimer, Tony Ortega, Mark Sink, Shelly Williamson, Grant Williams, Ken Elliot, Dismas Rotta, Mary Macky, Dennis Pendleton, and Viviane Le Courtis.

Open Press has changed locations 4 times over the years. the first three locations were in Denver’s lower downtown,commonly known as LoDo. Due to the rise of this area’s popularity, largely due to artists and galleries moving into what was once primarily a warehouse district, property values have escalated to the point that only a few galleries remain. Most have moved to less expensive digs, and this is certainly the case for Open Press Ltd., which is now located in Denver off of Broadway, at 40 W. Bayoud Ave. This location has been the longest running home of Open Press Ltd., which is both a print studio and commercial gallery.

Many of the featured artists have worked at several, or all of the Open Press locations. Each was chosen to participate because they exemplify technical and aethetic diversity. The Gallery of Contemporary Art has had a long-standing working relationship with Mark Lunning, starting in 1993, when Lunning was an officer for the Alternative Arts Alliance, known as AAA, a currently defunct coalition of artists and artist friendly venues. The museum has sponsored two AAA based exhibitions (Aug. 1993, Dec. 1995) featuring contemporary Colorado artists, thanks largely to personal introductions through Lunning and his ongoing participation in the Denver art scene. The museum had always planned to undertake an overview of work produced at Open Press, but had been waiting for enough time to pass to include as many established artists as possible.

Support for the exhibition was provided by the Bee Vandenburg Foundation; the Colorado Council on the Arts, as state agency funded by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Colorado General Assembly; The CU Colorado Springs Student Govenment Association on the behalf of the Student Body’s cultural awareness; and the Gallery’s patrons.

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2004 Student Art Exhibit

April 26-May 24, 2004
Opening Reception: Friday, April 26, 5:00-7:30 pm.

The Gallery of Contemporary Art will host the opening of the 2004 Student Art Exhibition with a public reception on Friday, Friday, April 26, 5:00-7:30 pm. The “Salon des Refuses”, which consists of work not accepted into the museum exhibit, may be seen in conjuction with the juried Student Exhibition. The Salon des Refuses is named after the show sanctioned by Napoleaon III in 1863, as a result of public outcry at the Impressionist’s exclusion from the annual French Academies Beaux Arts Salon. Students may opt to have their work included in this exhibit if they wish. The spin-off exhibit at CU has become very popular in recent years and invites comparison with the “accepted” works included in the juried exhibit.

Submissions to this annual juried exhibition are open to any student enrolled at CU Colorado Springs. These exhibits are typically very exciting as they include a broad range of experimental work executed by UCCS students in virtually all media. The exhibition is often the first opportunity for emerging artists to exhibit their work in a museum setting. The annual student showalso provides a means for the public to spot potential talent and to aquire origional art inexpensively before an artist’s career is established.

Jurors for this years show are Rodney Wood, artist, teacher, former gallery owner and BAC Director, and Jina Pierce, former Tri-Lakes Art Center Director and current Curator at the Sangre de Cristo Art and Conference Center in Pueblo.

A special fund from the University Center, the Visual and Performing Arts Department and the Chancelor’s office at UCCS has been used in the past years to allow the acquisition of student work from the exhibit. Representatives of each entity collaboratively select these works. Works aquired through this fund are displayed in various public areas within the University Center and Administrative offices.

Support for the exhibitions provided by the Students’ Art Connection, the campus art club; the Institute of Museum and Library Services, a federal agency; Colorado Council on the Arts, a state agency funded by the Colorado General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts; UCCS Student Government Association on behalf of the Student Body; the Gallery’s Membership Organization; Springs Magazine; Phantom Canyon Brewing Company; and Bristol Brewing Company.

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AKA – Also Known As

January 16-March 19, 2004
Opening Reception: Friday, Jan. 16, 5:00-7:00 pm.

The theme of anonymity was proposed as a show idea by local artist and independent curator Liz Szabo more than a year ago. Liz and UCCS Sculpture Instructor Sean O’Meallie assisted Director Gerry Riggs in inviting 150 regional artists to participate. 85 artists were versatile enough to hear the call and deliver the 102 works that make up the show.

The artists were asked to produce work outside of their usual style or medium and to register each work under a separate pseudonym. They were also asked to price their work reasonably to encourage sales. All proceeds go directly to the artists, in keeping with museum’s mission of providing a forum for contemporary art and artists. When a purchase occurs, the artists have been asked to donate 25% back to the museum to assist the museum through the current state and national cuts in art funding, allowing the artists to deduct that amount from their income taxes. For this show, we are posting prices on the labels to encourage viewers to become collectors.

Exhibition support was provided by the Colorado Council on the Arts, a state agency funded through the National Endowment for the Arts; the UCCS Student Government Association on behalf of the Student Body; Gallery Advisory Council member Esther Beynon Metzger and Alfred Metzger; Elaine Bean of the Stonehouse Agency; Springs Magazine; and the Gallery’s membership.

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