Art E-News  

arts_enews_mastheadSpring 2013 Issue
Additional News and Perspectives for Friends of the Arts
Get the latest news on upcoming art and community events, reception openings and informational essays that were not listed in the printed newsletter.

 

UMUC Art Advisory Board Welcomes Three New Members

The Arts Program at UMUC welcomes Nina Chung Dwyer, Jeannette Glover and Dianne Whitfield-Locke to its advisory board. These new members bring a wealth of experience to the board to help advance the university's Arts program.

Nina Chung Dwyer is an artist whose works have been shown in galleries in Maryland, Washington, D.C., and New York. She also teaches drawing, watercolor, and oil painting at Montgomery College, The George Washington University and the Smithsonian. Jeannette Glover is a program manager for the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission and a visual artist. She has had nine solo exhibitions and participated in many juried and invitational shows. Dianne Whitfield-Locke, a dentist practicing in Washington, D.C., and Capital Heights, Maryland, is known throughout the region as an avid art collector and arts patron. She spends her time outside of her dental practice learning about art, artists and art history; supporting local artists; and advocating for art initiatives and philanthropic causes.

Managing Your Art Collection in 2013

As we step into 2013, you may want to take time for some basic upkeep related to your art collection, says Genice Lee, owner of Harvest Estate and Appraisal Services. She recommends the following actions to help maintain control of your collection:

  1. Conduct a complete, room-by-room inventory of your art.
  2. Obtain or update insurance coverage to ensure your collection is appropriately protected from loss or damage.
  3. Consider donating pieces that no longer interest you.

Lee also suggests finding a qualified appraisal professional to help you with these tasks.

Caring for UMUC's Art Collection

UMUC's art collection is a tremendous asset to be cared for, shared publicly and preserved for generations to come. The nearly 2,000-piece collection includes extensive holdings by Gladys Goldstein, Selma Oppenheimer, Raoul Middleman, Joseph Sheppard and other Maryland luminaries, as well as works from Japan and China.

Taking care of this esteemed collection requires continuous effort. Arts program staff use computerized records and physical inventory to make sure the location of each piece in the collection is carefully noted at all times, whether on display or placed temporarily in storage. To help ensure the overall safety of the collection, the Arts program staff encourages all members of the UMUC community to consider themselves stewards of the collection. If you see artwork being mistreated or moved without cause, please notify security immediately.

Diaspora Dialogue: Art of Kwabena Ampofo-Anti, Alexander "Skunder" Boghossian, and Victor Ekpuk

This exhibition presents the work of three local artists who were born in Africa. Kwabena Ampofo-Anti is a visual artist from Ghana. His ceramic sculptures draw upon African architecture. The late Alexander "Skunder" Boghossian was born in Ethiopia, studied in London and Paris, and later taught at Howard University. He created his artwork using a variety of techniques and materials, such as mixed media, oils, and brush and ink. Victor Ekpuk is a respected artist from Nigeria. Inspired by the country’s graphic and writing systems, he creates universal themes to communicate contemporary human experiences and conditions.

The exhibition is on display beginning February 12 through May 12, 2013, in the Arts Program Gallery, lower level, UMUC Inn and Conference Center. An opening reception is scheduled for Sunday, February 24, 2013, from 3 to 5 p.m. in the Arts Program Gallery. Visit the Diaspora Web page for more information.

Joseph Sheppard's Series of Art: Fourth Exhibition

This exhibition opens Monday, April 1, 2013, in The Leroy Merritt Center for the Art of Joseph Sheppard. It will be on display through March 30, 2014.

An opening reception is scheduled for Thursday, April 11, 2013, from 6 to 8 p.m., in the Dorothy and Henry Rosenberg Painting Gallery, The Leroy Merritt Center for the Art of Joseph Sheppard.

Join the Friends of the Arts Program!

Help support arts programming at UMUC that brings the world to Maryland and Maryland to the world. There are unique benefits at six levels of membership.