Art geared toward learning? Sign me up.
As part of the Art Museum’s “Museum as Classroom” approach, the Pat Guthrie Special Exhibitions Teaching Gallery was implemented in the spring of 2013. It is used as a means of heightening cultural experiences available in Laramie. The gallery offers a preschool initiative, after school programs and university classes, as well as walk-throughs, tours and presentations that are open to the public for free.
Every semester, the teaching gallery exhibits artwork chosen by University of Wyoming faculty members. This semester’s grouping of art was to support Mesoamerican Art and Architecture (Art 3002), Modern US History: 1929-1960 (History 4480/5480), US from 1865 (History 1221), Modern Japanese Society and Culture (Honors 2151) and Anthropology of Childhood (Anthropology 4020/5005).
Each class’ selections are allowed one wall of space in the gallery; sculptures, artifacts, paintings or any other art depicting the essence of the class are displayed. The space makes for an eclectic and fascinating experience.
This semester’s exhibits ranged from American-produced art from the 1930’s to traditional Central American masks to Japanese traditional ukiyo-e prints and more contemporary Japanese art to American Indian artifacts and photos.
It was really an impressive sight and left this onlooker in awe.
Cierra Dawson, a Religious Studies major, said her favorite of the exhibits were the Central American masks on the east wall.
“I like the first one with all the different faces,” Dawson said. “I wonder if it’s a portrait of the many faces of the artist or if it was made as a representation of society’s many faces.”
Lana Sulkey, a visitor from out of state, especially liked the Central American masks too. Her favorites were the ‘Spotted Big Cat’ masks; she said she spent most of her time in the museum observing them.
“The one on the right was beautiful and had a lot of color,” Sulkey said. “The middle one didn’t have as much detail, and looked too flat and long to be accurate. My favorite is the one on the right. Cool colors and lots of shape!”
