This is the last week to view work by some of the University of Denver’s best-known artists and art teachers. On May 6, the Myhren Gallery will close the exhibit “Eight Painters and Sculptors at the University of Denver, 1930–65.” The exhibit is the first in a series featuring distinguished DU art professors.
Dozens of distinguished artists have taught painting, sculpture and other art disciplines at the University of Denver’s School of Art & Art History.
This exhibit celebrates the work and influence of eight DU art professors who helped bring a diversity of artistic styles and approaches to the regional art scene: Otto Karl Bach, John Billmyer, Marion Buchan, Mina Conant, Vance Kirkland, Arnold Rönnebeck, Louise Emerson Rönnebeck and William Sanderson.
Works are drawn from local private and institutional lenders and from DU’s art collections. Works include some never before exhibited, including several borrowed directly from the families of the artists.
Dan Jacobs, director of the Myhren Gallery and curator of the University Art Collections, curated the exhibit.
“The response to this exhibit has been very gratifying,” says Jacobs. “We’ve been approached by alumni and former faculty who were connected in some way to the faculty in the exhibit.
“The project has begun to serve its purpose of reconnecting the school with the community.”
“Eight Painters” is the latest Myhren program to give advanced students the opportunity to contribute original scholarship to exhibitions and related publications. It also launches an organized effort to gather information on historic DU art faculty, creating resources for future scholarship.
Student researchers for the project are helping establish archives for featured artists. Future projects in the series will address the work of other artists who have taught at DU during the last century.
The exhibition is free and open to the public. Information is available at:www.du.edu/art/galleries/myhren/exhibitions.htm/.