02/08/08
From contemporary art to pueblo pottery, a variety of important art artifacts are now on display at the Holt-Russell Gallery located in Parmenter Hall.
The exhibit “Celebrating Our Generous Friends,” which opened Tuesday evening, is a tribute to patrons who have contributed to the Baker art department. The gallery will be open every afternoon the university holds classes Monday through Friday until March 7.
Walt Bailey, special assistant to the president for development of the arts, said the new gallery holds a variety of art, which will interest and draw a variety of people.
For those interested in history, many art pieces will tweak your curiosity.
Two pueblo pottery pots, which former Baker students brought back from an expedition to Mexico, dating back to the 19th Century are on display.
Traditional Russian Ikons, which are spiritual pieces of art, a clay bust of Abraham Lincoln and many paintings are also on display.
For outdoorsy types, several pieces featuring animals and plants are presented.
Those who enjoy looking at contemporary art will not be disappointed. Works by Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dali and Simone Gad are also hanging from the walls.
Because of inclement weather, many people didn’t show up to Tuesday’s grand opening. However, the low turnout didn’t faze Lee Mann, chair of the art department.
“Sometimes they show up, sometimes they don’t,” she said. She said the art gallery in Holt-Russell usually draws people, but attendance can depend on other factors such as the weather.
Bailey hopes more people, especially students, will drop by in the future.
“This gallery is an important place on campus that extends everyone’s educational experience,” he said. “When you give someone someone else’s credit card, you spend it as soon as you can. But when you offer a resource like this, few take advantage of it.”
Bailey feels the gallery is an instructional space for everyone on campus to see and appreciate artwork.
Freshman Sashay Marshall braved the weather and took time out to look at the pieces featured in the gallery.
“I liked it a lot,” Marshall said. “There’s a wide range of different types of art.”
Mann is also enjoying the new feature in Holt-Russell.
“I love having this exhibit to walk past every day,” she said. “It is such a wonderful exhibit.”
The next opening will be the Conebox Show April 1.