One of the many reasons I adore living in the Near West End is that there are so many wonderful (and often free) cultural activities nearby, many of them sponsored by the University of Richmond.   Between the Lora Robins Gallery, Joel and Lila Harnett Museum of Art and the Modlin Center performances, there are so many great enrichment opportunities — and all within walking distance of my house.   The University of Richmond Museums recently announced its spring lineup of events and art shows.  Of particular interest to me are the free workshops, in the later half of the post.

I’ve already emailed many of my teacher friends telling them about the free workshop for teachers on movement and learning, but how great is it that the public is also welcome to attend a lecture on music, healing and the brain  and a (bring your own pillow) Zen Meditation Workshop.  Thank you U of R!

Victories, Orbs, & Angels:  Byzantine Coins from the Collection
Through March 21, 2010
Lora Robins Gallery of Design from Nature
On display are more than twenty-five coins from the museum’s permanent collection that demonstrate how Roman pagan motifs were adapted on bronze and gold Byzantine Christian coins from the beginning of the fifth century to the eleventh century.
Organizer: University of Richmond Museums
Curator: Kelly Hughes, ’09, art history and classical civilization double major, University of Richmond, and the 2008-2009 collections assistant, University of Richmond Museums

John Cage:  Zen Ox-Herding Pictures
Through April 7, 2010
Joel and Lila Harnett Museum of Art and Print Study Center
John Cage (American, 1912-1992) was a seminal composer, philosopher, writer, and visual artist whose interest in East Asian and Indian philosophy led him to abandon intention, memory, and personal taste to focus instead on process and chance in music, performance, and visual art. The exhibition features fifty watercolors on small paper towels created in 1988 at the Mountain Lake Workshop, Virginia.
Organizer: University of Richmond Museums
Curators: Stephen Addiss, Tucker-Boatwright Professor of Humanities-Art and Professor of Art History, University of Richmond, and Ray Kass, Professor Emeritus of Art, Virginia Tech
Catalogue:  Published by George Braziller, Inc. Publishers, New York, in association with the University of Richmond Museums

Transformations:  Inuit Sculptures from the Collection
Lora Robins Gallery of Design from Nature
Through June 20, 2010
Inuit sculpture is deeply rooted in tradition, steeped in storytelling, and offers a glimpse into the daily lives of the Inuit people.  Highlighting the continuity and transformation of the art of the Inuit, the exhibition features a selection of contemporary Inuit sculptures, including objects from a recent gift of Virginia A. Arnold to the museum.
Organizer: University of Richmond Museums
Curators: Richard Waller, Executive Director, University of Richmond Museums, and Schuyler Swartout, ’11, philosophy major, University of Richmond, 2008 Arts and Sciences Summer Research Fellow, and the 2008-2009 curatorial assistant in the University of Richmond Museums

Traces of Time:  Fossils from the Collection
Through October 24, 2010
Lora Robins Gallery of Design from Nature
The exhibition explores different prehistoric environments with examples of fossil plants and animals from the collection. The specimens show some of the similarities and differences between earlier earth environments and modern ecosystems. Highlights include fossils from the Green River Formation in the United States and the Santana Formation in Brazil.  Also included are flora and fauna that were native to what is now Virginia and the mid-Atlantic region, such as the Pliocene scallop Chesapecten jeffersonius.
Organizer: University of Richmond Museums
Curator: Matthew Houle, Curator of Museum Collections, University Museums

Rincon Falls, Trinidad:  A Print Series by Chris Ofili
January 12 to September 26, 2010
Joel and Lila Harnett Museum of Art
Chris Ofili (British, born 1968) explores contemporary black experience in his work using references from traditional African art, images of popular culture, and influences from hip-hop music.  He recently moved to Trinidad from Britain and has been inspired by its predominantly black culture. Rincon Falls is a waterfall on the north coast of Trinidad and is the source for this recent series of prints.
Organizer:  University of Richmond Museums
Curator:  Richard Waller, Executive Director, University Museums

Slightly Unbalanced
January 26 to March 4, 2010
Joel and Lila Harnett Museum of Art
The exhibition presents art focused on a range of psychological tendencies, including anxiety, obsessive behavior, depression, and narcissism. It features work by twenty nationally and internationally known artists, such as Louise Bourgeois, Sophie Calle, Mike Kelley, Bruce Nauman, Tony Oursler, and Cindy Sherman. In their work, the artists question what constitutes normalcy and what qualifies as neurosis, a slippery and suggestive endeavor.
Organizer: iCI (Independent Curators International), New York
Curator: Susan Hapgood, Director of Exhibitions, iCI
Coordinator: N. Elizabeth Schlatter, Deputy Director and Curator of Exhibitions, University Museums
Catalogue:  Published by iCI, New York

Surface Tension: Pattern, Texture, and Rhythm in Art from the Collection
March 20 to May 14, 2010
Joel and Lila Harnett Museum of Art
Drawn from the collections of the Harnett Museum of Art and Print Study Center, the exhibition features art in which pattern, texture, and rhythm are the primary elements that generate energy and visual movement as well as emotional and aesthetic content.  Highlights include a vibrant screenprint by Op artist Victor Vasarely from 1975, photographs of patterns found in natural objects by Life magazine photographer Andreas Feininger, and densely composed screenprints depicting the four seasons by contemporary artist Jennifer Bartlett.
Organizer: University of Richmond Museums
Curator: N. Elizabeth Schlatter, Deputy Director and Curator of Exhibitions, University Museums

Best in Show: Staffordshire Dogs from the Collection
April 9, 2010 – September 25, 2011
Lora Robins Gallery of Design from Nature
Displayed on the mantelpieces of Victorian homes, Staffordshire dogs have today become one of the most popular pieces of collectable ceramics.  Since the 1720s, ceramic dogs had been produced by pottery factories in Staffordshire, England, along with other popular figurines, such as shepherds, royalty, and a variety of animals. The Staffordshire spaniel is tied to the history of the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, known as a favorite breed to the British monarchs, and the dog figurines became the quintessential Victorian decoration and popular artistic motif in paintings and pottery throughout Queen Victoria’s reign (1837-1901).  Staffordshire also produced pottery in the likeness of other dog breeds including dalmations, poodles, pugs, and greyhounds.
Organizer: University of Richmond Museums
Curators: Richard Waller, Executive Director, University of Richmond Museums, and Grace Leonard, ’12, anthropology major, University of Richmond, 2009-2010 collections assistant, University Museums

Senior Thesis Exhibition
April 16 – May 7, 2010
Joel and Lila Harnett Museum of Art
Selected by the studio art faculty to participate in the thesis exhibition program, graduating senior studio art majors present their artwork in this exhibition.
Organizer: University of Richmond Museums
Coordinator: Richard Waller, Executive Director, University Museums

(All events below are free and open to the public, unless otherwise noted)

Monday, January 25, 2010, 7 to 9 p.m.
7 p.m., Lecture, Cousins Studio Theatre, Modlin Center for the Arts
Art Probes the Human Condition
Susan Hapgood, Director of Exhibitions, Independent Curators International, and curator of the exhibition
8 to 9 p.m., Reception and preview of the exhibition Slightly Unbalanced
Harnett Museum of Art, Modlin Center for the Arts

Thursday, January 28, 2010, 4 to 6 p.m.
Workshop, North Court Reception Room
Zen Meditation Workshop
Zen Master Josho Pat Phelan, Abbess of the Chapel Hill Zen Center, North Carolina
(Bring your own pillow)
In conjunction with the exhibition John Cage: Zen Ox-Herding Pictures,
on view in the Harnett Museum of Art, Modlin Center for the Arts

Thursday, January 28, 2010, 7 to 8 p.m.
Lecture, Cousins Studio Theatre, Modlin Center for the Arts
Zen Practice: Meeting Each Moment
Zen Master Josho Pat Phelan, Abbess of the Chapel Hill Zen Center, North Carolina
In conjunction with the exhibition John Cage: Zen Ox-Herding Pictures,
Harnett Museum of Art and Print Study Center, Modlin Center for the Arts

Friday, February 5, 2010, 7:30 p.m.
Lecture, Camp Concert Hall, Booker Hall, Modlin Center for the Arts
Music, Healing, and the Brain
Oliver Sacks, neurologist and author
In conjunction with the exhibition Slightly Unbalanced
on view at the Harnett Museum of Art, Modlin Center for the Arts
Tickets required for this free event, contact the Modlin Box Office, 804-289-8980

Thursday, February 11, 2010, 3 to 5 p.m.
Art Making Workshop, Design Lab, Modlin Center for the Arts
Breathing Lines
Ray Kass, Professor Emeritus of Art, Virginia Tech, artist, and co-curator of the exhibition
John Cage: Zen Ox-Herding Pictures, on view in the Harnett Museum of Art and Print Study Center,
Modlin Center for the Arts

Monday, March 1, 2010, 7:30 p.m.
Music Performance, Camp Concert Hall, Booker Hall, Modlin Center for the Arts
Mad Songs
Jennifer Cable, soprano, University of Richmond faculty,
and Kenneth Merrill, harpsichord, The Julliard School faculty, New York
In conjunction with the exhibition Slightly Unbalanced
on view in the Harnett Museum of Art, Modlin Center for the Arts

Thursday, March 4, 2010, 7 to 8 p.m.
Lecture, Brown Alley Room, Weinstein Hall
John Cage and the Influence of Far Eastern Philosophies
Laura Kuhn, Director, John Cage Trust
In conjunction with the exhibition John Cage: Zen Ox-Herding Pictures
on view in the Harnett Museum of Art and Print Study Center,
Modlin Center for the Arts

Saturday, March 20, 2010, 1 to 4 p.m.
Community Open House Day, Harnett Museum of Art,
Modlin Center for the Arts
Face painting, refreshments, hands-on art-making activities for children
In conjunction with the exhibition Surface Tension: Pattern, Texture,
and Rhythm in Art from the Collection
on view in the Harnett Museum of Art, Modlin Center for the Arts

Wednesday, March 24, 2010, 7:30 p.m.
John Cage Celebration, Camp Concert Hall, Booker Hall, Modlin Center for the Arts
Departments of Music, Dance, and Theater
In conjunction with the exhibition John Cage: Zen Ox-Herding Pictures
on view in the Harnett Museum of Art and Print Study Center, Modlin Center for the Arts

Wednesday, March 31, 2010, 4:30 to 7 p.m.
Teacher’s Workshop, Harnett Museum of Art, Modlin Center for the Arts
For K-12 teachers, all disciplines
Shelley Kruger Weisberg, Kinesthetic Learning Consultant,
and author of Museum Movement Techniques: How to Craft a Moving Museum Experience
In conjunction with the exhibition Surface Tension: Pattern, Texture, and Rhythm in Art from the Collection
on view in the Harnett Museum of Art, Modlin Center for the Arts
Registration required for this free workshop, call Heather Campbell, Curator of Museum Programs,
804-287-6324

Thursday, April 1, 2010, all day, campus wide
Happening
Watch for impromptu dancing, public readings, piano performances,
carillon music, toy pianos, and more!
In conjunction with John Cage: Zen Ox-Herding Pictures
on view in the Harnett Museum of Art and Print Study Center,
Modlin Center for the Arts

Friday, April 9, 2010, 1:30 to 2 p.m.
Curator’s Talk, Lora Robins Gallery of Design from Nature
Spaniel on the Mantel: Dog Figurines in the Victorian Home
Grace Leonard, ’12, anthropology major, University of Richmond, 2009-2010 collections assistant,
University Museums, and co-curator of Best in Show: Staffordshire Dogs from the Collection

University of Richmond Museums comprises the Joel and Lila Harnett Museum of Art, the Joel and Lila Harnett Print Study Center, and the Lora Robins Gallery of Design from Nature. Admission to all museums is free and open to the public. For group visits and tours, please call 804-287-6424 at least two weeks prior to your visit for reservations. Call 804-289-8276 for information and directions or visit our website.

The Joel and Lila Harnett Museum of Art is located in the George M. Modlin Center for the Arts. Museum hours (8/20/09-4/25/10): Tuesday through Sunday, 1 to 5 pm. Summer hours (4/28-5/14/10) Wednesday through Friday, 1 to 4 pm., Closed Semester Break (12/14/09-1/11/10), Spring Break (3/6-15/10), Easter Weekend (4/03-05/10), and Summer Break (5/15-8/17/10).

The Joel and Lila Harnett Print Study Center is also located in the George M. Modlin Center for the Arts. Museum hours (10/02/09-4/07/10): Wednesday through Saturday, 1 to 3 pm., and by appointment (804-287-6424). Closed same schedule as above.

The Lora Robins Gallery of Design from Nature is located in a separate wing of the Boatwright Memorial Library with its entrance on Richmond Way. Museum hours: Tuesday through Friday, 11am to 5pm; Saturday and Sunday, 1 to 5 pm. Closed Semester Break (12/14/09-1/04/10), Spring Break (3/6-15/10), and Easter Weekend (4/03-05/10).