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Exhibits

Ann Arbor Women Artists Fall 2018 Juried Exhibition

Tuesday October 16, 2018: 9:00am to Tuesday November 27, 2018
Downtown Library: 3rd Floor Exhibit, Downtown Library: Lower Level Display Cases, Downtown Library: Multi-Purpose Room Exhibit

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Blog Post

Happy Birthday Mark Rothko!

by PhoebeH

Mark Rothko (1903-1970) was an Abstract Expressionist painter, famously known for his color field paintings: six or seven foot canvases painted with large rectangle swaths of color. The subjects of his paintings appear simple, and often people view them with the thought “well, I could do that.” However, Rothko’s paintings are not necessarily about the technical skill involved, they are about the way the painting makes the viewer feel, the emotions that the work elicits in the observer, and about creating the illusion of spatial infinity. Abstract Expressionism as a movement came about in New York in the 1940s, and focused on the "sublime," defined as working to capture and portray the unspeakable, be it emotion, the divine, or the cosmic. For some abstract expressionists like Jackson Pollock, the art of their work is in the emotion expressed during the act of painting. For Rothko, the art is in the relationship between his painting and the viewer, in being overwhelmed by the sensation of the colors, and becoming emerged in the painting. The artist is known for saying the viewer should ideally experience his work from 18 inches away, as to become one with the painting. While our art prints are not to scale, they still do an excellent job of eliciting emotion and are available for check out here. (For the full viewing experience, be sure to check out Orange, Brown which is on display at the Detroit Institute of Arts!) To read more about the artist, check out this book written by his son, or this biography. You can also find books about Abstract Expressionism here.

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Blog Post

Covert to Overt : The Under/Overground Art of Shepard Fairey

by manz

Covert to Overt is a beautiful full-sized art book that features Shepard Fairey’s post-Obama HOPE poster (2008) work and activities. It’s a wonderfully presented collection of posters, murals, and street art from this time period. If you’re a fan, or are curious about the man and his work, you must peruse this book.

In the book Fairey touches upon how his art isn’t so underground anymore, and yet he still holds those principles true in the work he does today.

“My friend and curator Pedro Alonzo once said that I’m too street for the corporate world and too corporate for the street world. Either way I hope I’m breaking someone’s rules.”

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Writing & Publishing

Kids Comics Workshop: Write With Images

Saturday December 16, 2017: 1:00pm to 2:30pm
Malletts Creek Branch: Program Room
Grade 1-5

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Exhibits

Viewpoints: Photographs by Gwendolyn Roth

Tuesday August 1, 2017: 9:00am to Thursday September 14, 2017
Malletts Creek Branch: Exhibits

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Crafts

Origami with Beth Johnson

Tuesday October 17, 2017: 7:00pm to 8:30pm
Downtown Library: Secret Lab
Grade 6 - Adult

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Crafts

Origami with Beth Johnson

Tuesday September 19, 2017: 7:00pm to 8:30pm
Downtown Library: Secret Lab
Grade 6 - Adult

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Blog Post

Happy Birthday Gustav Klimt!

by PhoebeH

Today is artist Gustav Klimt’s 155th birthday! What better way to celebrate, than to appreciate some of his incredible work. We have a selection of his paintings in our art print collection available to check out, including my favorite, and one of his most popular pieces, The Kiss. The Kiss is a glowing portrait of two lovers in a tight embrace, painted using oil paints and layers of gold leaf - actual gold that has been hammered down into thin, delicate sheets used for gilding.

Also available for check out is The Woman in Gold, a 2014 film starring Helen Mirren and Ryan Reynolds, that tells the story of Klimt’s famous Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I, which was stolen by Nazi’s during the second World War, and Adele's niece, Maria Altmann's decade long fight to reclaim the precious artwork. To read more about the true story, you can check out The Lady in Gold, or for a fictionalized version, be sure to read the novel Stolen Beauty.

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Exhibits

View Points

Tuesday June 20, 2017: 9:00am to Thursday July 27, 2017
Malletts Creek Branch: Exhibits

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Blog Post

Update: Deadline Extended! Call for Entries from Gifts of Art

by monkk

Gifts of Art at the University of Michigan Health System is currently accepting proposals for the 2017/18 exhibition year!

As one of the first and most comprehensive arts in healthcare programs nationwide, Gifts of Art brings the world of art & music to the University of Michigan Health System. Nine galleries display over 50 exhibits a year. They include 2-D and 3-D spaces that are viewed by approximately 10,000 people a day. The galleries are some of the most widely visited indoor, non-museum exhibit spaces in the state.

Gifts of Art is seeking both solo exhibits by individual artists and group exhibits by arts organizations. Submissions may be entered here. The deadline for the Call for Exhibits has been extended until May 31st. They are especially in need of quality 3D artists.

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS:

Enough artwork to fill an entire gallery
Resume/CV
A description of the exhibit
A minimum of 15 quality JPEG images for solo artists
A minimum of 24 quality JPEG images for group shows
No application fee

Questions? Call (734) 936-ARTS (2787) or email GiftsofArt@umich.edu.