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Season Archives

FACT/itious

FACT/itious Exhibition Virtual Gallery

September 8 – October 9, 2020

The word “factitious” means artificial or manufactured – made by human beings, often in imitation of something natural and often made up for a particular occasion. Artists in this exhibition are pushing on and engaging with truth, fiction, facts, narrative, and source material from a variety of perspectives. Exploring the idea of what makes this moment so particularly relevant in terms of separating fact for the fictitious. These works allow us to reconsider, recontextualize, and analyze the world around us in new, unique and interesting ways.

Virtual Exhibition Programing 

(Image by Micheal Jacobs)

Lexington in the Time of Covid-19

Lexington in the Time of COVID-19 is an ongoing project of uncertain length by social practice artists Kurt Gohde and Kremena Todorova. In essence, Kurt and Kremena document the ways members of the Lexington, KY community are enduring and sustaining themselves and others during the quarantine, while observing the governor-directed social distancing measures of the COVID era.  On March 16, 2020, Kurt and Kremena began photographing individuals, couples, and families outside of their homes, always from a safe social distance. During their visits, the collaborative artists spend time talking with the people they photograph, writing down notes to better understand and share our lived experience with distancing. These notes become stories that are shared on Facebook; they are the source of the text paired with each image in this exhibition. As presented by Morlan Gallery, Lexington in the Time of COVID-19 is a selection of images from Kurt and Kremena’s larger project which will be ongoing until we are no longer asked to socially distance and have put an end to the spread of the virus.

Near and Far

October 26 – November 30, 2020

“Near and Far” is an exhibition of fine art prints created for an international print exchange hosted by Morlan Gallery. Print-based artists were asked to create works centered around the theme of: “How do we sustain ourselves and others emotionally and physically?” In the past several months, it has become increasingly important to understand our needs and seek to connect with and support each other. “Near and Far” showcases prints from a variety of printmaking media related to ideas such as home, isolation, place, play, monotony, longing, racial justice, vulnerability, distance, new and old habits, meditation, reading, gardening, safety, mental health, screentime, the collective unconscious, community, change, progress, separation, technology, and loved ones.

Loop

Our lives are a series of several consecutive loops. These come in the form of short habitual repetitions – and long instructive repeatings in our histories – and through our memories where we reflect on, or long for, what was. Paired with these loops we find ourselves immersed in virtual environments. These digital spaces are where we go to work, find refuge, seek pleasure, argue our opinions, decompress at the end of the day, engage in entertainment, provide education, and receive knowledge. Artists in the Loop exhibition create artworks in the mediums of video, websites and digital interactives that engage with these loops that make up our lives. Through this virtual exhibition viewers can take the time to intersect with art in its digitally native space to consider the ideas related to habits, histories, memories, meditation, time and discovery.

Exhibition Programming via Zoom

  • Thursday, Jan. 21 – 7-8pm – Artist Talk by Jibz Cameron / Dynasty Handbag
Join the talk at 7 p.m. on Jan. 21
  • Thursday, Feb. 11 – 7-8pm – Artist Panel Discussion with Malena Barnhart, Jason Bernagozzi, and Heather Stratton
Join the talk at 7 p.m. on Feb. 11

2021 Juried Student Art Exhibition

March 15 – April 9

Transy students! We want to see your art! We want to show your art! Let’s show your art to each other! Morlan Gallery is re-opening exclusively for the Transy community to host the annual Juried Student Exhibition. We will also be creating an online gallery to share with friends and family. 

Awards

  • Best in Drawing – Cecile Tijou “March”
  • Best in Painting – Emily Millard “do i look pretentious yet?”
  • Best in Photography – Kaleigh Kinner “Fishing”
  • Best in Ceramics – Maggie Muehelman “Intimacy in Green”
  • Best in Video Art – Kaleigh Kinner “Found Footage”
  • Best in Digital Art – Perry “Local Asian Grocery”
  • Best in Sculpture – Zach Hall “Remains”
  • Abbott Scholarship Recipient – Cheyenne Morgan
  • Deans Purchase Awards
    Alma Valdez “Reef” and
    Bailey Guess “On Cloud 9”

The Art of Kentucky: 45 Years of Larkspur Press

September 3 – November 1, 2019

In a special collaborative exhibition, Morlan Gallery and the Transylvania University Library present The Art of Kentucky: 45 Years of Larkspur Press, a celebration of Larkspur’s 45th anniversary. Located on the main floor of the library, The Art of Kentucky explores the significant influence Gray Zeitz’ Larkspur Press has had on printing and literature in Kentucky and beyond. Broadsides, books with Larkspur bindings, books with art bindings of Larkspur content, and letterpress printing equipment will be on display. This exhibition curated by book artist Gabrielle Fox Butler.

EVENTS

Lexington Gallery Hop| Friday, Sept. 20, 5-8 p.m., Transylvania University Library
Craft and Art: The Community of Larkspur Press, a panel discussion with Larkspur Press founder Gray Zeitz; Curator of Rare Books Emeritus, University of Kentucky, Jim Birchfield, and exhibition curator and book artist Gabrielle Butler | Wednesday, Oct. 2, 6 p.m., Transylvania University Library
Delcamp Visiting Writers’ Series: Readings from authors who have been published by Larkspur Press featuring Mary Ann Taylor-Hall, Bobby Ann Mason and Wendell Berry | Wednesday, October 9, 7-8 p.m., Carrick Theater

A Matter of the Heart: the Dan Selter Retrospective

September 10 – October 11, 2019

A celebration of the work and life of Dan Selter, Professor Emeritus of Art, who taught art at Transylvania for 35 years until his retirement in 2010. Dan was a master ceramist and a brilliant professor, and his art reflected his humorous wit. He inspired countless students to explore the unusual and to find beauty wherever they went.

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Forest Portals by Zoé Strecker

September 10 – October 11, 2019

Forest Portals: Pine Mountain (Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall)is a sculpture that invites contemplation of the spectacular biodiversity in Kentucky’s old growth forests and the soil that supports them. The cracked screens are porcelain clay. Clay is dirt. Dirt is a foundation for terrestrial life, the shared site of the living and the transformed, home to human and non-human beings. This is a special Studio 300 exhibition located in Morlan Gallery’s side gallery. Studio 300 is Kentucky’s only digital arts and music festival and will occur on the campus of Transylvania University Oct. 3, 4. For more information visit studio300.transy.edu. 

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If I Could Turn Back Time

Work by Aaron Skolnick, Forest Kelley, Jared Phillip Buckheister, Jonesy and Jaime C. Knight; Curated by Paul Michael M. Brown
October 25 – December 3, 2019Closed November 26-29 for Thanksgiving

If I Could Turn Back Time focuses on artists who employ queer archives and histories both personal and collective, informal and institutional, real and imagined as a starting point for their work. The artists on view alternately unearth, reinterpret, or invent queer historical narratives in an effort to destabilize mainstream understandings of the past.

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Resilience 101

Work by Public Service Artists and Friends
January 14 – February 21, 2020
Closed Monday, January 20 for MLK Jr Day

Public Service Artists (PSA) and invited friends create an exhibition expressing societal, physical, generational, and environmental resilience. PSA is a Cincinnati-based group of political art activists interested in proactively changing the political climate through increasing voter turnout, identifying viable political candidates, and convincing a greater public to be politically active. They began in early 2018 and their interventions include yard signs, coasters, t-shirts and buttons, as well as interactive pop-up events and activities. 

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