Every child is an artist,” said Pablo Picasso. And we believe, like Picasso, that the
creative impulse starts early, in our schoolchildren. That’s why, as a community
museum, we proudly present two exhibitions each year devoted to the art produced
by students in our schools. This year we’ll be showcasing the work of our K–8
student artists in February and March and then our high school student artists
in April and May.
These exhibitions are a wonderful occasion to celebrate the creativity of a new
generation of artists and the dedication of the art teachers who cultivate artistic
expression in our children. Now an annual event, the Showcase exhibitions are
eagerly anticipated by students, teachers, and families. The works that appear in
the exhibitions are selected by teachers from art class assignments earlier in the
school year.
Lori Lahey, an art teacher at Resurrection and St. Columbkille Elementary, described
the anticipation of last year’s exhibitions: “The students get very excited to learn
that they will have a piece of their art displayed in a real art museum,” she said.
“They’re very proud and enjoy sharing their art with their family and friends.
As a teacher, I also get excited to see our students sharing their artwork with the
community and also seeing them enjoy the artwork of all the other artists in our
schools throughout Dubuque. It is a great experience for all.”
We live in a world of flux. There’s a timorous buzz in the air,” artist Stina Joy Henslee writes. “COVID-19, the Trump era, the Internet age with its constant feeds of information, civil unrest, protests around racial injustice, rising rates of anxiety and panic among youth . . . We do our best to cope and block out the noise—in both healthy and not so healthy ways.”
Henslee’s exhibition, Stretched Thin, represents a healthy way of coping with our current age of anxiety, an artist’s response to unsettled times. In 10 paintings using a variety of materials, she explores visual manifestations of both tension and its relief, excavating and exposing the undercurrent of apprehension in our everyday lives. The figures in her paintings are precariously balanced— on tightropes, under water, in yoga poses, on suspension bridges—with straining muscles, clenched jaws, and a palpable sense of disquiet appropriate to our time.
But Henslee’s work in Stretched Thin is not entirely bleak. Amidst her riotous figures and scenes of instability, viewers can find symbols of peace, humor, and ease: laughter and smiles, dancing, fluidity, weightlessness. These juxtapositions give the work a sense of narrative and development—as well as a sense of hope.
“I hope this exhibition will foster a sense of connection,” Henslee said, “and encourage shared dialogue about personal experiences of tension and release.” Messages of community and persistence emerge from what would appear, in Stinslee’s paintings, to be intractable situations. In these threads of optimism, the artist offers a reminder that even the darkest setting contains light.
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Jenni Brant’s exhibition is sponsored by Rick and Rae Ann Dickinson.
Support for select artist residency and exhibition activities was provided
by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Iowa Arts Council, which
exists within the Iowa Economic Development Authority.
Growing up in East Germany under socialism, Gerit Grimm was exposed to ceramics as a young adult working in a factory as a production potter. This job honed her skills and ignited her desire to study in the United States, where she continued to develop as an artist. Odyssey: The Voyage of Gerit Grimm reflects this journey with 22 works, primarily ceramics, that span 21 years of her career.
When guest curator Hieyler Pimpton first spoke with Grimm in preparation for this exhibition, Grimm told Pimpton of her goal of becoming a Yacht Master. Immediately, The Odyssey, Homer’s epic poem, came to mind. They agreed that it would be a good idea to show her work in a timeline—a journey of her progress. Pimpton asked Grimm, why sailing? Grimm replied that “it all started with a drawing of a sailboat” made by her father. It was his dream to sail around the world, and, as she was very close to her father, it became her dream as well. This dream came closer to reality, when she moved near the Baltic Sea and sailed to Saint Petersburg as a journeyman.
Grimm had a strong desire to become an artist. After trying several times to get into graduate school for sculpture, she finally succeeded; the dream of sailing remained but had to be put on hold for a while, though it did find its way into her work through the subject of movement. When she became a professor in Madison, Wisconsin, she joined a sailing club and finally made her dream come true by becoming a Yacht Master by the age of 50.
Travel is a major inspiration for Grimm. Her experiences emerge in the objects she creates, whether through documenting her travels or photographing herself along the way. While she works intuitively, she also looks at a lot of paintings. Grimm does not think of the viewer when making work; instead, she thinks about impressing herself and pushing objects to the point where they satisfy her artistic instincts. “On my trips, I’m an explorer, researcher, and photographer,” she told Pimpton. “Adventures have become my storybook. Instead of just making clay figures about stories known, I’m telling new stories, a new folklore for grandmas to tell their granddaughters.”
This timely exhibition is a chance for both viewers and Grimm herself to reflect on 33 years of an artistic practice and how she has arrived at this moment—her Voyage.
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Dubuque by Design explores the impact of design on the lived experiences of past, present, and future residents in our region. The exhibition presents an overview of 150 years (1874 to 2024) of designs made in, for, and by this community and is inspired by the 2024 celebration of the Dubuque Museum of Art’s 150th anniversary as well as our future building plans.
The exhibition identifies themes that transcend chronology and extend our understanding of the breadth of media that designers use. The exhibition explores designs related to manufacturing, transportation, graphic design, architecture, urban design, fashion, and interiors, as well as landscape. The exhibition includes objects and artifacts that represent significant local history like the Adams-Farwell automobile and the Tiffany windows in St Luke’s United Methodist Church.
Dubuque by Design elevates often underappreciated designs and highlights the intersection of art and everyday life. Art can be found inside the engines of automobiles, the buttons that fasten our clothes, the bridges that traverse the Mississippi, the multi-use greenways that protect us from floods and improve the quality of our water, and exquisite architectural details seen on our daily walks.
This exhibition is an opportunity to learn from and interact with the creative minds of the past and catalyze larger conversations around place and community expression as we look to the future.
Artist Hieyler Pimpton presents 50 collages on paper for her exhibition I Have Told You 50 Times. The works are part of a series titled If Your Eyes Are Closed, You Cannot See #1-50. Inspired by the collage work of American artist Romare Bearden, Pimpton uses images from vintage magazines and children’s book. She combines these with her own painted and colored papers to create intimate scenes that tell personal stories – from the challenges of personal relationships to nostalgia for the past.
Hieyler Pimpton received a M.F.A. in painting from Savannah College of Art and Design. Her work has been exhibited nationally. She recently relocated to Georgia after living and running an art gallery in Dubuque for several years. She is originally from Southern California and has lived all over the United States.
This annual exhibition presents the culminating student work of a future generation in illustration, animation, digital painting, motion graphics, and digital artwork. Each of the featured students—Jakhari Anderson, Jenna Benzing, Alyssa Classen, Urias Gbarjolo, Dillon Leffler, Carlos Sanchez, Elizabeth Thill, and Kimonte Thomas—chose an independent and specific theme for their collection of artworks, which allowed them to fully express their individual abilities and interests.
“We are honored and privileged in calling our students family,” said Sheila Sabers, head of the Department of Digital Art and Design and assistant professor of digital art and design. “We love the journey of witnessing the development of their creativity and contribution to society through their unique talents and perspectives—some through their four years at the University and some as they return after years away to finish their DART degree.”
Opening in October is Same Old Same Old, which presents a dozen political cartoons from the collection of Ann Ernst of Dubuque. The political cartoon in the United States has its origin in none other than Benjamin Franklin, who drew the first in what would be a long tradition of illustrations that use satire and humor to discuss current events and people. Printed in magazines and newspapers now, such cartoons were originally often posted on walls or passed from hand to hand; they are a glimpse into political persuasion in the days before constant text messages and television ads for candidates.
With this exhibition and as a polling place in this year’s election, DuMA reminds our visitors that an informed citizenry is a cornerstone of democracy. Political cartoons, then and now, play a critical role in condensing and presenting complex events, all in the service of keeping voters informed of the issues of the day.
Features recent 2D and 3D student work from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville.
A celebration of making and makers, the Craft Invitational features more than 50 works by 21 different regional artists, all of whom are pushing the boundaries of forms, processes, and materials while respecting the long lineage of craftmanship.
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