ULRICH MUSEUM OF ART PRESENTS 'POETS ON PAINTERS'

Friday, 06 April 2007 19:17

WICHITA, KAN — From April 22 to August 5, 2007, the Ulrich Museum of Art will present the exhibition Poets on Painters.  This visual and literary exhibition pairs 20 contemporary poets with 20 contemporary paintings.  Each poet’s response to a painting will be displayed alongside the artwork.  A sampling of today’s written and visual arts, Poets on Painters focuses on the intrinsic and fascinating connections between two of the oldest art forms as seen by some of their newest practitioners.

Poets on Painters recalls 20^th- century collaborations between Apollinaire and Duchamp, Stein and Picasso, and O’Hara and Rivers in its playful examination of how poetry and painting converge and diverge in the 21^st century.  The internationally recognized visual and literary artists included in the exhibition represent a vast array of styles and approaches, both traditional and experimental.

A timely survey of contemporary painting and poetry, the exhibition instigates collaboration between established and emerging artists.  The exhibition is a cross section of contemporary painting, a sampling that reflects a deeper understanding on the state of this artistic medium today.  The project includes such notables as painters Mark Grotjahn, Laura Owens, Monique Prieto and Dana Schutz, and poets Jeff Clark, Noah Eli Gordon and Sawako Nakayasu.

The exhibition is curated by Katie Geha, curator of modern and contemporary art at the Ulrich Museum of Art, and Travis Nichols, a freelance writer based in Seattle.

Poets on Painters will be accompanied by a full-color catalogue designed by Jeff Clark with essays by co-curators Katie Geha and Travis Nichols, and an introduction by distinguished poet Anselm Berrigan.  The poet’s response to a painting appears alongside each image, creating a dynamic catalogue that is equal parts painting and poetry.  A complete checklist and biographical information on each artist and poet will be included.

Poets on Painters is organized by the Ulrich Museum of Art and goes on national tour through 2008.  It will travel to the following venues after its Wichita premiere: University Galleries at Illinois State University, November 6-December 16, 2007; Queens Library Gallery in Jamaica, N.Y., February 4-March 30, 2008, and Sheldon Memorial Gallery at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln, April 26-June 29, 2008.  The exhibition and accompanying catalogue are generously supported by Commerce Bank, the William T. Kemper Foundation, Harry Pollack, and Keith and Georgia Stevens.

The Edwin A. Ulrich Museum of Art at Wichita State University serves as the area’s premier venue for modern and contemporary art, and for new work by emerging and established artists of national and international reputation.  With an active acquisition program stressing recent work by a group of younger artists, the collection includes outstanding examples of contemporary works. Located on the campus of Wichita State University, and home to the world-renowned Martin H. Bush Outdoor Sculpture Collection, the museum is open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, and 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.  Admission is always free, and guided group tours are available.  Visit : www.wichita.edu/ulrich/