A photographer draws inspiration from historical and contemporary depictions of Arab women, exploring change and tradition. Her own work is the newest display at the Weatherspoon Art Museum, and she will be there this spring to share how her own lens provides context to these women’s lives around the world.
The artist will give a talk about her work as part of the Falk Visiting Artist program and the University Concert and Lecture Series, a collaboration between the museum and UNC Greensboro’s School of Art, on April 4 from 4:30-5:30 p.m. It will be followed by the Spring 2024 Open House.
This art museum at UNC Greensboro is excited to welcome people to check out its Spring 2024 exhibitions, new and old. Stroll through the galleries and grab a cup of coffee from the Borough Coffee cart to top off your experience with the art.
EXHIBITIONS
Lalla Essaydi: Falk Visiting Artist
Through May 25, 2024
Artist Lalla Essaydi’s work sits at the crossroads of past and present, East and West, tradition and transformation. Her exhibition draws from three different photographic series that explore the ways in which these intersecting ideas inform the lived experiences of contemporary Arab women.
In each of her images, Essaydi stages female subjects in carefully selected environments including her family home in Morocco, her Boston studio, and a historic Moroccan palace. The women’s poses reference those of the imagined figures in Orientalist paintings while at the same time claiming their own space in the present.
Making Room: Familiar Art, New Stories
Through April 6, 2024
Explore four galleries that together contain the Making Room: Familiar Art, New Stories exhibition.
These 43 artworks come from the Weatherspoon’s collection of more than 6,500. Each was chosen in response to what more than 4,000 community members told us they care about – with themes of family, community, place, and memory.
Art on Paper 2023: The 47th Exhibition
Through April 6, 2024
A time-honored museum tradition, Art on Paper 2023: The 47th Exhibition features the work of artists who demonstrate the breadth of ways in which one can deploy the humble medium of paper to extraordinary ends.
From layering colorful strips as one might on a piñata, to precisely cutting through an elongated page until its image appears as if made by lace, to densely coating giant sheets with shellac and walnut ink until they appear as weighty as stone, these artists harness the seemingly infinite ability of paper to take on myriad forms. Simultaneously, they use those forms to explore a rich array of topics–from the links and tensions between humans and the natural environment to the beauty found in the often-overlooked materials of our daily lives, to the complexity of heritage tracked across centuries of global migrations.
On Thursday, January 25 at 6 p.m. the artists – Maria Britton from Carrboro, North Carolina; Krystal Hart from Greensboro; and Kelley O’Brien from Greensboro – will give a talk on their work, discussing everything from language to community to ecology, as well as the range of ways they have used paper.
EVENTS
Drawn to Dance
Thursday, February 1, 6:30 – 7:30 p.m.
The Dance Lab is a pilot program developed by Liz Anderson and Tiffany Moss, graduate students in the UNCG School of Dance, with the goal of creating collaborative spaces and opportunities for students across the visual and performing arts to come together and create. Drawn to Dance invites museum visitors to observe these students in their practice.
Community Collection Study Sessions
Friday, February 16, 3 – 5 p.m.
Thursday, March 11, 5 – 7 p.m.
The community can join in a discussion centered around items selected from the museum collection, not currently on view in the galleries. Each study session will focus on a different theme.
The event is free, but registration is required.
WAM Spring Open House
Thursday, April 4, 5:30 – 7 p.m.
Sculpture Courtyard
Following the artist talk by Falk Visiting Artist Lalla Essaydi, the Weatherspoon welcomes the community to the second annual Spring Open House. Please join us for food, music, conversation, and gallery tours; this will be one of the last times to see Art on Paper and Making Room before the exhibits close.
Science Everywhere
Saturday, April 13, noon – 4 p.m.
College Avenue & Weatherspoon Art Museum
This springtime event, which is organized by UNCG’s RISE Network, brings together various disciplines at the University to help the community appreciate how science plays a role in all aspects of life, including art. Hands-on activities, science and technology exhibits, music, and more will engage the minds of children and families. Weatherspoon’s staff will lead visitors in interactive projects centered around this year’s theme: “State of Innovation.”
AND MORE…
Borough Coffee
This popular coffee stand is back in business in the Weatherspoon Atrium. Pop in to see what’s in the gallery and grab some java!
Hours this semester:
Monday & Friday: 8:30 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Tuesday-Thursday: 8:30 a.m. – 4 p.m.
The Weatherspoon Art Museum is at 1005 Spring Garden Street in Greensboro. Visitors, including museum members, can park for free by using the designated parking spaces and requesting a museum-visitor tag from the welcome desk inside. Visitors who use disability parking tags or accessible parking spaces do not need a visitor tag.
Anyone interested in keeping up with all exhibits and events at the Weatherspoon can sign up for a free membership by emailing weatherspoon@uncg.edu. Read more about the exhibits and calendar of events at the museum website.
Story by Janet Imrick, University Communications
Photography by Sean Norona and Martin W. Kane, University Communications
