Meticulously rendered oil paintings on wood panels of the twelve astrological symbols and astrological wheel by a talented local artist and art professor. This was the inaugural exhibition of the Dubuque Museum of Art series presenting mini exhibitions of local talent – Amuse Bouche!

Image: Tom Metcalf, Aries, 2006, oil on panel, 10 1/2×15 in., courtesy of the artist

The Dubuque Museum of Art welcomed Steve Gordon’s large-scale oil paintings of the vast and breathtaking Alaskan countryside, providing visitors with a first-hand look at the land of the midnight sun. Mr. Gordon’s focus is the landscapes of south central Alaska portrayed in a painterly, realistic style. “My large-scale paintings enable the viewer to see both the loose brushwork and the realistic image.”

Born in 1956 in Dubuque, he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in biology from Dartmouth College in 1979 and a Master of Fine Arts in painting from the University of Iowa in 1984. He and his wife moved to Alaska in 1984 where he taught art for several years before becoming a full-time artist in 1992.

Image: Steven Gordon, Johnson Pass, Early Fall, 2006, oil on canvas, 33×73 in., courtesy of the artist

The genesis of Legacy and Innovation in Contemporary Clay, was the desire of three area clay artists to showcase the work of other artists who served as significant influences in the development of clay as a fine art form after the Second World War. At the same time they wished to illustrate the work of contemporary artists who they saw as being the “inheritors” of these often radical teachers and aesthetic philosophies. As ideas developed, it seemed there were invited artists whose work has come to influence and epitomize the essential elements of work that followed; some whose work refined the artistic philosophies and techniques of the former; and still others who have learned, and completely absorbed, the techniques of their predecessors and are moving their own work to the very cutting edge of the medium. Often, these artists are producing works that could be included within all three of these generalities – a testament to their creative spirits and energy.

Image: Paul Soldner, Untitled, 2004, low-fired salt, 24x26x10 in., collection of the American Museum of Ceramic Art, Pomona, California

Following the success of the wildy popular debut exhibition last year, Voices 2006 was housed in the same warehouse at 1000 Jackson Street in Dubuque. However this event boasted a six-week run and was open Friday evenings as well as Saturday and Sunday afternoons through the period. Artists from the original exhibition nominated artists for this presentation. They included: Mary Beck and Tom Jewell-Vitale from Dubuque; John Fillwalk from Muncie, Indiana; Mary Koenen Clausen from Tipton, Iowa; Susan Becker from Bellevue, Iowa; Paul Sacaridiz and Gary Justis from Bloomington, Indiana; Stephen Maxon and Doris Park from Kalona, Iowa; and Kenneth Nelson from Platteville, Wisconsin.

Tucked away in a refurbished gallery in the basement of the Wartburg Theological Seminary in Dubuque is a splendid array of art, tools, jewelry, and other items that represent the native cultures of Papua New Guinea. The missionaries from Wartburg Seminary have had extensive interaction with the many different tribes of these islands in the South Pacific, north of Australia, since the early 20th century. A variety of artifacts that have been collected during mission visits were on display in the Dubuque Museum of Art’s lobby. These select artifacts focused on the artistic talents of the people of Papua New Guinea.

Image: Kundu Drum, local wood and snake or lizard skin, collection of the Papua New Guinea Museum, 20-1/180

Much admired as a “new regionalist” this presentation of works by the late Ilze Siltumens-Holzer (1955-2005), who passed away suddenly and unexpectedly in January 2005, highlighted her landscapes of the rural Midwest in the style of which she was so well-known.

Ms. Holzer earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from The Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design in 1992. After two years of study at the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee, she decided to devote her efforts exclusively to oil painting, studying with nationally acclaimed artists Tom Uttech, William Nichols and Adolph Rosenblatt. In 2002, Ms. Holzer moved with her husband, James Holzer, to Hannibal, Missouri where they owned and operated the Red Hat Gallery, now known as The Gallery of Fine Art.

Image: Ilze Holzer, Forest Series #4, 31×25 in., oil on hardboard, courtesy of The Gallery of Fine Art, Hannibal, Missouri

The machine that changed American life and landscape has served as muse for the artist, and the results range from playful to unsettling. “Moved by the Machine” looked at the automobile as inspiration for artwork in a variety of media, including photography, painting, ceramics, embroidery, and mixed media. Art in the exhibition came from private collections, galleries, and museums – artists include Linda Allen, Sharon Bida, Margarita Cabrera, Jeremy Dickinson, Jörg Erichsen, Chris Everts, Shannon Goff, Richard Griesbeck, Louise Herron Halliburton, Charmaine Kaptur, Nina Katchadourian, Paul T. McCarthy, Nam June Paik, Carol Shinn, Alfred Stieglitz, and John Vachon. A special display of mascots entitled “Art for the Automobile: Hood Ornaments From the Wahl Collection” was also on view.

Image: Dennis Clive, Black Beauty, 1987, low-fire ceramic, 7 ½x10x20 ¾ in., private collection, courtesy of the Allan Stone Gallery, New York

John Vachon, a product of the Midwest, was born in St. Paul, Minnesota where he attended St. Thomas College. In 1936, Vachon’s thirst for adventure led him to accept a position with the Farm Security Administration (FSA) in Washington, D.C. In 1940, Vachon’s FSA work took him to Dubuque. Vachon photographed conditions of rural poverty, creating visual records for FSA historical files. His documentation of the living and working environment in this typical Midwestern city served as evidence of the plight of American farmers and laborers. Vachon’s photographs evidence a keen, straightforward observation of life that at times evokes significant emotion.

Image: John Vachon, Farely-Loetscher Building, 1940, black and white photograph, 11×14 in., collection of Dubuque Museum of Art, gift of William G. & Barbara Kruse, 00.08.28

This exhibition featured beautifully crafted vessels that demonstrate the artist’s technical mastery well beyond the simple hobby or pastime. Each piece has a brilliantly decorated, high-finish surface achieved through a variety of sophisticated techniques and materials. In fact, these handsome, turned wood urns borrow much from their ancient Greek predecessors.
Mr. Sinner’s interest in woodworking led to a degree in Industrial Education at Iowa State University. Inspired by Dale Nish’s “Creative Woodworking” in 1975, he attempted woodturning and acquired a passion for the craft. He concentrates on vase forms – difficult because of their deep, hollow interiors. He lives in Bettendorf, Iowa with his wife.

Image: Steve Sinner, Class of ’60 – Faded Memories, March 2002, walnut, ink, and silver leaf, 23 ¼x8 1/8×8 1/8 in., collection of Dubuque Museum of Art, 04.01.003

The Dubuque Museum of Art hosted an exhibition of work by students of Hempstead, Senior, and Wahlert high schools from May 2-21, 2006.

Students contributed two- and three-dimensional work in a variety of mediums including painting, ceramics, sculpture, and textiles. The students helped hang the exhibition under the supervision of Stacy Gage, the Museum’s Collections & Exhibitions Manager and the art specialists of their respective schools. The exhibition also featured artwork by the art specialists.
On Wednesday, May 10, selected art students had the opportunity to participate in enrichment activities. The activities included a critique session lead by Rachel Williams, Assistant Professor of art education at the University of Iowa and a panel discussion of career opportunities in the visual arts. The panelists were Ken Bichell, artist, teacher and owner of Mississippi Mud Studio, Rachel Williams, Assistant Professor of art education at the University of Iowa, Kristin Baum, assistant conservator of the University of Iowa Libraries, and Edwin Ritts, executive director of the Dubuque Museum of Art.

Exhibitions featuring the artwork of Dubuque Community School students happen every two years at the Dubuque Museum of Art, alternating between a high school exhibition and an all school K-12 exhibition.

This exhibition presented a dramatic look at life in the tri-state area from 1993 to 2005 documented by photojournalists from Dubuque’s consummate local newspaper. Area residents remembered many of these moving images but for new generations, newcomers, and visitors the images revealed the vibrancy of Dubuque, then and now.

Curated by Mr. Mark Hirsch of the Telegraph Herald, he explained, “As I selected photographs for this exhibition, I sought feedback from the many staff photographers and interns I have worked with over the last 15 years. Some of the selections were their personal favorites; others are included because they elicited a smile, sparked a laugh, or poignantly captured the ‘moment.’ The common denominator is the photograph’s ability to communicate information while transcending cultural and language barriers. That is photojournalism.”

Image: Dave Kettering, June 23, 2005, 16×20 in., digital print, courtesy of the Telegraph Herald

This exhibition featured ceramic vessels that explore the synthesis of organic form with functional application. Some objects share the fragile, graceful, and elegant appearance of plants and sea life, while others have the solid, rugged, and durable look of stone. Ms. Shriver’s “aim is not to replicate nature but to blend artistic expression with the beauty of the natural world.” Borrowing from clay vessel shapes centuries old, these coil and hand-built objects break from the traditional in surface treatment.

Elizabeth Shriver received her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Iowa in 1987 and was an award winner in the Museum’s 2004 Tri-State Tri-Annual Juried Exhibition. She resides in Coralville, Iowa with her husband and four children.

Image: Elizabeth Shriver, Split Vessel, 2005, Ceramic, 22x18x12 in., courtesy of the artist

The Dubuque Museum of Art proudly welcomed world-renowned photographer and Dubuque native, Louie Psihoyos with an exhibition of his stunning photography. This exhibition featured a collection of Mr. Psihoyos’ greatest hits from his brilliant career as a photojournalist shooting for such distinguished magazines as National Geographic, Smithsonian, and Vanity Fair. The collection boasts a wide array of amazing subjects from around the globe.

Forbes magazine has described Mr. Psihoyos as, “one of the ten top photographers in the world.” He has captured subjects from dinosaur eggs, exotic landscapes, and documentary wonders to lively portraits of some of the most famous people in the world.

Louie Psihoyos was born in Dubuque, Iowa in 1957. He graduated from the University of Missouri with a degree in photojournalism. He has lived and traveled all over the world and currently resides in Colorado with his wife. Mr. Psihoyos has been the subject of a National Geographic Explorer program, as well as segments on CBS Sunday Morning, Good Morning American, and has been invited to speak on NPR several times.

Image: Louie Psihoyos, Guardian, 1989, color photograph, 44×46 in., courtesy of the artist