Visiting visual artists get vocal

Author: Alexxa Gotthardt

Today marks the second in a series of three lectures organized by the Studio Art Department. An over 20-year tradition for the department, the Visiting Artists Lecture Series seeks to enrich studio art students and art enthusiasts by bringing working artists from around the country into the abiding Middlebury bubble.

The College's rural location may make for efficient, concentrated study. Inspiration, however, often comes from exposure and reaction to the outside world. And while many progressive artists call Middlebury, Vt. and its surrounding area home, the town of less than 10,000 produces nowhere near the amount of creative bounty as cultural centers like New York City, Miami or San Francisco. It is exposure to a more expansive, diverse art world that the Studio Art Department hopes to provide through this month's lectures by mixed-media artist Ingrid Lundt, printmaker Tomas Vu-Daniel and sculptor and installation artist Line Bruntse.

The Visiting Artists Lecture Series, launched over 20 years ago, is made possible in main part by financial support from the Johnson Funds as well as from discretionary funds granted by the College's Committee on the Arts.

While funds are limited and today's art stars are in higher demand than some Hollywood celebrities, the Studio Art Department garners a diverse range of professional, established artists for the series. "We cannot often afford the very famous artists, but we are looking for certain level of professionalism and accomplishment," said Professor of Studio Art John Huddleston. "When we ask an artist to come [to the College], we feel their work is positive, vital and matured."

These qualities prove important criteria for the lectures, as visiting artists are encouraged to speak about their work in terms of artistic development, as opposed to speaking about a single series or theme. Huddleston commented on the benefit of this type of lecture. "We hope to be able to follow growth of the artist," he said. "It is really interesting for students to see their evolution."

This evolution, revealed in a steady slideshow of work which often begins in college and continues into the present, seems especially valuable for students, many of whom are beginning to think beyond their college years and outside the bounds of Middlebury.

In addition to providing forward-looking insight and a dose of creativity, lectures frequently correspond with specific classes and are required for all students enrolled in Studio Art courses. During their time at Middlebury, visiting artists also drop by Studio Art majors' studios, giving input on their budding theses.

A long tenure and positive reactions from students communicates the series' success. Studio Art major Madeleine Terry '08.5 commented on her own experience with the lecture series. "As a studio major in rural Vermont, I believe that visiting artists bring a much-needed energy and a vitally contemporary perspective to our campus," said Terry.

"This week, I have the opportunity to meet with a prominent New York artist, instructor and Guggenheim fellow Thomas Vu-Daniel in my own studio, as well as to hear him speak about his work and his career. These types of interactions constitute a valuable resource for developing artists at Middlebury, and are critical to my own understanding of my art in a broader context than that which I am used to," she continued.

This evening Tomas Vu-Daniel, a painter, printmaker and LeRoy Neiman Professor of Visual Arts at Columbia University, will speak about his work in Twilight Auditorium at 7 p.m. His lecture follows last week's talk "Finding Form: the Narrative Between Drawing and Sculpture," given by visual mixed media artist Ingrid Lundt. On April 17, Line Bruntse, will give the third and final lecture of the series on her sculpture and installation art in Twilight Auditorium at 7 p.m.