Installation View Uses of the Real

USES OF THE REAL

January 2008 -December 2009

“WHAT’S NEW NOW?”
 
              The Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art at Utah State University has received a major gift of 31 new works from the Kathryn C. Wanlass Foundation and Marie Eccles Caine Foundation. The new works are on display as part of the exhibition “Uses of the Real,” an exhibit that explores what constitutes art in today’s world.

               Newly remodeled gallery spaces have also allowed the museum staff to bring out the collection in a way not experienced before. Walls have been knocked down and new fixtures have been installed to allow approximately 500 more objects to be put on display, including more than 100 photographs and 250 ceramic works usually stored away and inaccessible to the public.

“We hope the next time our visitors walk through the galleries they will be as delighted as we are because many of their favorite objects are now out of storage and available to enjoy,” said museum director Victoria Rowe Berry.

               The newly installed exhibition of “Uses of the Real” includes many new contemporary artists who explore the themes of postmodernism and reality. Artists in the exhibition take objects from the everyday world and transform them into art. From vintage upholstery fabric to a sparkling skeleton or chunks of cement to discarded musical instruments, museum visitors can see a wide variety of images and ideas.

“These new works are exciting additions to our permanent collection because they highlight the relevance and wide range of important art we have here,” said Deb Banerjee, the art museum’s curator of programs and exhibitions. “Contemporary art can be challenging, but it is also lively and surprising. It can change ordinary objects into something extraordinary, creating an unexpected experience in many of our viewers. You can always travel to Los Angeles or San Francisco to see what is happening in the art world, or you can find it right here in Logan.”

Artists new to the museum include Manny Farber, Takako Yamaguchi, Don Suggs, Frances Celentano, Eric Orr, Michael McMillan, Michael Todd, William Wiley and M.A. Peers.

The Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art continues to exhibit Klompen — wooden shoes that dance midair.

Klompen, is a sculpture consisting of 96 Dutch wooden clogs that “dance” a different rhythmic pattern each time the sculpture is activated. The sound sculpture was created by Seattle-based artist Trimpin.

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New Ceramic Cases in the Lobby

The Nora Eccles Treadwll Harrison Ceramics Collection is now housed in the museum lobby.

New Study Center

The Study Center is located on the upper level of the museum and provides a specialized display gallery with storage files to allow access to the museum's collection of works on paper.