Convivium: MSU Art in Italy

The Helen E. Copeland Gallery invites everyone to attend the student exhibition Convivium, work by the MSU undergraduates who studied in Italy during the spring semester of 2009.  Thursday, November 19th from 7-9 p.m, there will be an opening reception and talk with retired director and professor of the School of Art, Richard Helzer. The opening reception with the artists is free and open to the public.

The exhibition, which runs from November 12th – November 20th showcases works by Montana State University students who spent Spring 2009 studying art and art history in Italy.  Instructed by MSU professors Regina Gee and Richard Helzer, the students traveled extensively throughout the country and spent several weeks working on drawing and ceramics while staying at an Umbrian villa. The students worked in a professional Italian ceramic studio with the intention of designing work for the dining room. Convivium, from the Latin banquet or feast, is an exhibition of the ceramic work as well as different drawing projects that the students worked on throughout their stay in Italy.

The Helen E. Copeland Gallery is located on the second floor of Haynes Hall on the MSU-Bozeman campus.  Haynes Hall is on 11th Avenue across from the duck pond.  For more information, please call Erin W. Anderson at 994-2562.

Drawing on Main: Paul Heaston sketches @ Story Mansion

On November 12, 13, and 14, Paul Heaston will exhibit his complete Main Street artwork and share his artistic experiences as “Main Street Chronicler” at the Story Mansion with support from the MSU School of Art, the Friends of the Story Mansion, and the Downtown Bozeman Partnership.

Beginning in September of 2008 and through the winter of 2009, Montana State University MFA student Paul Heaston spent time sitting with a sketchbook along Main Street with the intention of documenting the buildings in every block of Bozeman’s historic downtown core from Grand to Rouse Avenues. Heaston described his drawings as “less rigorous studies of architecture than they are an attempt to emphasize and amplify the character of the various buildings and cars.”

On March 6, 2009, just after 8 a.m., a massive explosion ripped through the 200 block of East Main Street, killing one person, destroying buildings that dated to the 1880s, and displacing businesses and residents. It was a tragedy that Bozeman residents felt deeply. After the explosion, a buzz began building at the MSU School of Art and throughout the community about “that guy who drew Main Street before the explosion.” Many have visited his website www.paulheaston.com, others have seen prints of his sketchbook at a local gallery, but his original sketchbook and a full set of prints have not been exhibited.

Heaston will be selling copies of his sketches as prints, posters and postcards. A percentage of the proceeds from the sale and any donations received from the events will support the Friends of the Story Mansion and the MSU School of Art.

Scheduled Events

Thursday, November 12
7:00pm to 9:00pm Opening of The Paul Heaston: Main Street at Story Mansion
A reception for invited guests from the Downtown and University Communities featuring a gallery talk by the artist, refreshments, and music by Jawbone Railroad

Friday, November 13th
12:00pm to 5:00pm The Paul Heaston: Main Street Exhibit at Story Mansion
7:00pm to 9:00pm The Paul Heaston: Main Street Exhibit Public Reception, featuring a gallery talk by the artist, refreshments and music

Saturday, November 14th
10:00am to 5:00pm Open Mansion to view the exhibit
10:00am to 12:00pm Coffee, doughnuts and Story Mansion tours
12:00pm to 4:00pm “Sketch Crawl” a free drawing workshop in the BonTon Historic District with Paul Heaston and other MSU School of Art faculty

Brooke Karath @ Wild Joe’s

An exhibit of Brooke Karath’s Native American portraits will be on display at Wild Joe’s Coffee on Main Street through the month of November. Although Karath has lived in Bozeman for over 15 years, she has always been drawn to the beauty and spirit of northern New Mexico. She’s inspired by its rich regional heritage, majestic landscapes, and hypnotic night skies. She’s also dazzled by its people, their passion, artistry, and creativity. The driving force behind Karath’s work is the desire to honor the heritage, beauty, and heart of New Mexico and its people.

Karath prefers to work with pine and uses a combination of charcoal, watercolor, and acrylic. This particular exhibit will also feature several collaborative pieces with David Vargas, a talented wood carver from Abiquiu, New Mexico. 20% of sales will go to the Gallatin Valley Food Bank to provide assistance for families in need this holiday season.

Landscapes: Prints by Gesine Janzen @ Exit Gallery

ASMSU Campus Entertainment presents Landscapes, a collection of new prints by Gesine Janzen. Janzen, Associate Professor of Art and Head of Printmaking at MSU, received a Scholarship and Creativity Grant from the University to help support the work. The exhibit will be showing in the Exit Gallery November 2 – 13. There will be a free public artist reception Wednesday, November 4 from 5-7pm.

The Exit Gallery is located in Strand Union Building room 212, Montana State University, Bozeman. Hours are Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm.

Paul Fortin lecture @ MSU

The MSU School of Art is proud to present another visiting artist lecture.  Paul Fortin, a Canadian based artist will give a slide lecture in Cheever 215 on Tuesday, November 3, at 7:00 in the evening.

Fortin’s work spans a variety of methodologies, including painting, sculpture and installation.  He has exhibited his work widely, with numerous solo and group exhibitions in Canada, the U.S., Iceland, Norway and more.  As well as giving a lecture, Fortin will also work with MSU graduate and undergraduate students in their studio practices.

The lecture is free and open to the public.  Cheever Hall is on 11th Avenue near the duck pond on the MSU Campus.  For more information, please call Erin W. Anderson at 994-2562.

UC Art Gallery call for artists

The University Center Art Gallery at The University of Montana has issued its annual art call for the gallery’s 2010 exhibition calendar. The UC Art Gallery exhibits visual arts from local, regional and national artists, while functioning as an accessible space for UM students to exhibit and learn. Applications are available online (PDF). The deadline to apply is Wednesday, Nov. 18.

For more information, contact Samantha Guenthner, UC Art Gallery director, at 406-243-4991 or ucartgallery@mso.umt.edu.

Tibetan Sand Mandala Project at the Helen E. Copeland Gallery

The MSU School of Art is proud to present a Tibetan Sand Mandala Project at the Helen E. Copeland Gallery. The Venerable Ngawang Chojor, who is a senior monk from Namgyal Monastery, will construct the mandala, a sacred Buddhist practice, in the Helen E. Copeland Gallery at the School of Art. The presentation begins Thursday, October 29 at 11 a.m. with a blessing ceremony. Chojor will work on the mandala, an intricate design “painted” with various colors of fine sand, continuously on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Sunday from 12-noon to 3:00 p.m., for public viewing. Chojor’s visit to Bozeman concludes with the traditional destruction of the mandala and the burial of the sand in the ground outside Haynes Hall. Chojor will be on hand to answer visitors’ questions about the mandala. A lecture will be held, Thursday, October 29 from 5:10-6:00pm in Cheever 215 that will discuss the project.  There will also be a special presentation by the Tibetan Children’s Education Foundation at the Bozeman High School Cafeteria, Thursday, from 7-9pm. Admission to all events is free and open to the public.

Created meticulously by hand, sand mandalas follow traditional patterns and are objects of meditation that represent the universal qualities of harmony, balance, community, and pure wisdom. The construction of the sand mandala begins with an opening ceremony in which the Tibetan monks bless the area. After drawing an outline of the mandala on a wood backing, the monks carefully lay colored sands over the design using traditional metal funnels called chak-pur. There are many types of mandala images, each with it’s own cosmology, symbols, and meanings. Traditionally, most sand mandalas are destroyed shortly after completion, as a metaphor for the impermanence of life. The intricate geometric design is swept up and the sands placed in an urn and dispersed, a process, which Tibetans believe carries the mandala’s blessing throughout the world. Chojor will bury the sand from the gallery’s mandala at the conclusion of the demonstration on Sunday at 3:00 p.m.

The Venerable Ngawang Chojor is the most accomplished sand mandala constructor alive today and is the primary teacher of the monks who construct sand mandalas. His visit is made possible by the Tibetan Children’s Education Foundation in Helena, serving Tibetan refugees.

The Helen E. Copeland Gallery is located on the second floor of Haynes Hall on the MSU-Bozeman campus.  Haynes Hall is on 11th Avenue near the duck pond.  For more information, please call Erin W. Anderson at 994-2562.

Forty Years! Student Print Sale @ MSU

The MSU School of Art is proud to present a Forty Years! Student Print Sale: 1970 – 2009.  Forty years of student prints will be on sale at the Helen E. Copeland Gallery on Thursday, November 5, from 10:00am – 7:00pm. Prints will be priced from $5 – $20, and the proceeds will go towards visiting artists in printmaking. There will be a reception with music from 5 – 7pm in the gallery.

The Helen E. Copeland Gallery is located on the second floor of Haynes Hall on the MSU-Bozeman campus.  Haynes Hall is on 11th Avenue near the duck pond.  For more information, please call Erin W. Anderson at 994-2562.

Exit Gallery Call for Entries!!!

ASMSU Arts and Exhibits is now accepting applications for exhibits in the Exit Gallery during the Spring 2010 semester. We’re looking for anyone and everyone, whether you are a student or an established artist. If accepted you will show your artwork in a two week solo exhibit with paid advertising and reception. This is a chance to promote yourself as an artist, promote the arts on campus, and sell your work! Seven spots are available. For an application or for more information please contact Stacey Ray, ASMSU Arts and Exhibits Director at  exhibits@montana.edu. Applications are due December 15, 2009.

jROD and Pyper Hugos: “The Creative Life”

Living an inspired life isn’t always easy, making a living off inspiration can be even harder. So, is the creative life worth it? Jarrod Eastman (aka jROD) and Pyper Hugos think so. They are the husband and wife behind jRODaRT and You Got Mojo. They met 11 years ago in Granada, Spain. Magnetized by their mutual love of life and creativity, they have been pursuing careers in the arts ever since they met. Jarrod has always been drawn to painting while Pyper’s love for anything old and rusty, especially metal, has led her to jewelry. jROD’s work leans towards an urban aesthetic while holding true to a painterly style. His paintings appear kinetic and surreal with the essence of a story just beginning or of one in progress. Pyper’s jewelry is beautiful in its simplicity of design and color. Using reclaimed automotive steel, found objects, and sterling silver, she reinvents pieces that transcend time and genres, creating art that is at once retro yet modern.

These two artists have teamed up with Amy Kirkland of Altitude Gallery to bring you a one night art extravaganza…“The Creative Life”. They will be showing new artwork from the last few months in the studio. jROD will also be releasing a new 16 x 20 limited edition print series, and Pyper will be unveiling new bracelets and rings in her line of jewelry. This event is sponsored by Altitude Gallery and Montana Ale Works and will take place at the gallery located at 134 E. Main St. from 5 to 9pm on November 6th, 2009. Stop by for some great art and libations.

For more information contact Amy @ 406.582.4472 or visit www.altitudegallerybozeman.com, www.yougotmojo.com, or www.jrodart.com.