Who is Joseph Albers?

Joseph Albers and Sewell Sillman
explored through two WORKs OF THE WEEK

August 9th through August 22, 2010

From left: Josef Albers, Formulation: Articulation Folio II, Folder 12, 1972, serigraph on paper, 15 x 40 inches. Gift of The Josef and Anni Albers Foundation. 1997.01.05.65L; Josef Albers, Formulation: Articulation Folio II, Folder 18, 1972, serigraph on paper, 15 x 40 inches. Gift of The Josef and Anni Albers Foundation. Asheville Art Museum Collection. 1997.01.05.65R.

Josef Albers and Sewell Sillman are intimately tied in terms of the artistic lives they led and the work they produced. When Sillman arrived at Black Mountain College, Albers was head of the art department. Initially interested in architecture, Sillman quickly displayed a passion for art under the tutelage of Albers. Sillman and Albers both shared a passion for color studies and were both instrumental in the formulation of Color Theory. Sillman eventually taught many of the courses that he took under Albers.

Sillman also continued to work with Albers through his print publishing firm, Ives-Sillman, founded with fellow Yale professor and graphic designer Norman Ives. Sillman used the knowledge he gained from years of color studies to successfully create color reproductions of fine art works. By focusing on screenprinting as a new medium for reproductions, these two were able to control the quality of their color prints, allowing them to introduce the fine art portfolio book to the United States. Their first and most frequent client was Josef Albers, who entrusted them with the production of two instrumental portfolios: Interaction of Color, a book based on Albers' lessons in color theory, and Formulation: Articulation, a retrospective reworking of some of Albers' greatest artistic achievements.

These two prints, now on display in the Museum's exhibition Sewell Sillman: Pushing Limits, are included in Albers' deluxe double portfolio Formulation: Articulation. Sillman recalled that the purpose of this portfolio was to allow Josef Albers the opportunity to take "every seminal idea that he's ever had and to redevelop it." Sillman was a key collaborator in creating this portfolio, for he helped Albers review his past work and select compositions to reproduce as screenprints.

All of the works in the Museum's Collection from Albers' portfolio, Formulation: Articulation, are now up on the Permanent Collection Archive.

Come in to see Sewell Sillman: Pushing Limits, which traverses the breadth of Sillman's career as a student, a businessman, a teacher, a collaborator, an artist and a friend.

Image: Eugenia Joyce, Sewell Sillman, Josef Albers, and Norman Ives at the completion of the Formulation: Articulation project in 1972. Photo by John Hill, Collection of James McNair.

Photographs and Memories

The exhibition on Tim Barnwell at the Museum opens tonight! Hands in Harmony: Traditional Crafts and Music in Appalachia, Photographs by Tim Barnwell. It is a special one, classy black and white photographs with oral histories next to each image. Tim spent years photographing some of the icons of this rich region- both in music and craft culture- while also compiling interviews and oral histories on each one. The Museum brings you these in its newest exhibition. OPENING RECEPTION is tonight at 5pm- and it is Free! Come see the show and meet Mr. Tim Barnwell.

To get you excited about it- here is a sneak preview. Tim Barnwell's photograph of Minnie Adkins, folk artist, and family, is in the show- and here is her wall text. The Museum also has a piece of Minnie's in their collection- a new acquisition purchased by the Art Nouveax. I have included it also! Enjoy!

Minnie Adkins and family with folk art creations, 2005

Isonville, Elliott County, KY

“As far back as I can remember, I’ve whittled and made stuff. I started out making popguns, whistles, slingshots, stuff like that, to play with when I was little. Back in the early ’70s, I would sell little roosters for fifty cents and a dollar at flea markets. I started making them out of forked sticks, like my slingshots, but I never got to sell ’em, or got recognized, till in the early ’80s. They wasn't no folk art in Morehead at the time. Adrian Swain had a little pottery shop in town. He was a-doing pottery and a-selling people's stuff on consignment. He started selling my work. Now he’s curator at the Kentucky Folk Art Center at the university.

When me and Garland first got in it, there wasn't no market for it. Then we begin to make good at it. Some folks made fun of us, said, "Why, Garland quit working and started whittling." I just laughed all the way to the bank. Garland bought a new truck and people seen us supporting ourself. They begin wondering what was going on, come to me asking, "If I make something, where could I sell it?" I bought stuff from everybody and encouraged 'em in doing it and, at one time, we had fifteen real good artists around here.

I make all different kinds of little animals, roosters, alligators, foxes, giraffe, cow, sheep and four or five Noah's arks. The little animals are made from two-by-fours. We saw off a square block, and I'll sketch out what I’m a-going to make, and saw it out on the band saw. We may use some power tools or a Dremel tool sometimes, but usually we just use pocketknives, drawing knives, and chainsaws. All of it we make out of linnwood. It's very soft and easy to whittle, and don't crack much.

When Herman, my second husband, come on the scene, he was a-helping me whittle and said, “Why, anything you can make out of wood, I can make out of iron.” That little iron blue rooster up there is the first one he ever made. When he brought it down, I knowed he was onto something. He’s added an awful lot to what I’m a-doing. When my first husband passed away, I just couldn’t get with it, didn’t think I’d ever do any more. Greg, my grandson, said, “Mamaw, you can’t give it up. Papaw wouldn’t want you to.” He’d encourage me to go on and I appreciate so much the fact that he seen the need to help me keep working. Greg loves doing this. He’s been making stuff about six year, and he’s the one that helps me with the big animals and he's branched out on his own now till he’s a-doing paintings and stuff, so I’m real proud. It’s more or less become a family project. I’m involving my family because at seventy years old, I know I ain’t gonna always be here, and when I’m gone, I’m hopeful that they will carry on what I started.”

-Minnie Adkins

Images: Tim Barwell exhibition setup; Tim Barnwell, Minnie Adkins and Family, Folk Artist, 2005, black and white silver gelatin print, 14 x 11 inches. Courtesy of the Artist; Minnie Adkins, Possum and Babies, 2005, carved and painted wood, 9.5 x 40 x 4.6 inches. 2009 Art Nouveaux Purchase. Asheville Art Museum Collection. 2010.01.04.32; Detail of Minnie Adkins, Possum and Babies.

Once Upon A Time...

....there was an artist who had an idea for a story- one that was colorful, that captured your attention, and that used lots of nouns and verbs- but not many adjectives! It was a book for children!

Children's Book Artists are unique in their approach to the book. Because they have a very distinct and critical target audience, children's books are vividly colorful, creatively simple, and morally applicable. They may look like an easy project, but a good children's book takes into account all of these things and still wins over two separate audiences- children and adults!

The Asheville Art Museum's new exhibition, Nouns: Children's Book Artists Look at People, Places and Things, takes a close look at the art produced through the history of the children's book. Each one of the artists in the show has a unique approach to their craft, and audience members get a rare opportunity to see some of the original pieces from popular books as well as a glimpse into the process of shape, color, and storyline.

Additionally, there is space to sit down with your children and read some of these books. Entertain both yourself and your children with this innovative and multi-faceted exhibition!




I sat down with a friend of mine and her three year old the other day and read Spiegelman's I'm A Dog, and I was pleasantly surprised by its appeal to both adults and children. Kids tap into its colors, fantasy aspects ,and creative use of texture and pop-ups. But adults can appreciate its interestingly bizarre storyline (I won't tell you any more). This book reminded me so much of the needs of children's films these days to cater to both adults and kids with separate sets of jokes, analogies, comments, and associations. Children's books must do so also, and if they are like Spiegelman's I'm A Dog, they can be just as successful!

Come to the Museum to see original art from Spiegelman's I'm A Dog and many others.

The Museum is holding Pre-school Storytime sessions to read in the galleries
February 24, 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. and
March 2, 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Or come in at any time to read children's books in the gallery! For a complete list of programming visit our website!

Want to see another work of art from this exhibition? Check out our Work of the Week from the week of February 15 - 21, 2010.

This exhibition was organized and curated by the Asheville Art Museum. This exhibition is sponsored by Battery Park Book Exchange & Champagne Bar, The Captain's Bookshelf, Mr. Lester Laminack and The Toy Box.

Image Credit: Art Spiegelman. Image from I’m a Dog. Joanna Cotler Books publisher, 1997.

Hanging Lorna Blaine Halper

Today we are hanging Lorna Blaine Halper's solo show at the Asheville Art Museum!

It opens on Saturday, December 12th. Opening Reception is Sunday December 13th at 2pm.

And it is Free.

Lorna Blaine Halper was a student at Black Mountain College, a unique arts school located just outside of Asheville. Although it lasted only 24 years, from 1933-57, and enrolled fewer than 1200 students, Black Mountain College launched a remarkable number of the artists. The Museum is dedicated to collecting and preserving the art of Black Mountain College and continues to expand its Black Mountain College collection.

According to Assistant Curator, Cole Hendrix, Halper's "visual practice became dominated by an obsessive, introspective and sustained meditation on the line. Throughout her career Halper continually played with the terms of seeing, manipulating value, tone and scale to evince the descriptive qualities of line."

Lorna Blaine Halper: The Space Between is going up in the Museum's Community Gallery on the first floor. It is split by the Museum shop so both spaces have to be considered apart from each other and also together within the larger context of the show.

The Curators and Registrar/Preparator determine where the works should go, taking into account shapes, sizes, themes, and colors so that the pieces flow in a logical and creative way for optimal viewing. Then, the Museum's Executive Director considers the placement of the pieces, making changes as

necessary. Afterwards, the prep crew measures and hangs each piece on the wall, securing each side for added strength. The wall text is then placed onto the wall in the appropriate places and the exhibition is ready to open to the public.

Come out and visit this exciting exhibition!

Image Credits:

Lorna Blaine Halper, Untitled, 1965, oil on canvas, 34.13 x 48 inches. Gift of Lorna Blaine Halper. Asheville Art Museum Black Mountain College Collection. 2008.03.09.21; Lorna Blaine Halper, Untitled, nd, oil and ink on linen, 60 x 48 inches. Gift of Lorna Blaine Halper. Asheville Art Museum Black Mountain College Collection. 2008.03.10.21; Staff hanging the exhibition.

Another week has passed

So another week has passed and summer seems to have finally arrived in AVL... and the museum. What have we all been up too?? What exciting things have been happening at your Art Museum??? Well, let me fill you in.

Our newest exhibition: Tradition and Innovation American Masterpieces of Southern Craft and Traditional Art had it's opening May 22. This was the first of many openings I will attend this summer. Having a chance to speak with the artists I got an insiders view into the art and the vision behind it. My favorite piece: the Mardi Gras Indian costume. Something definitely worth checking out for those who couldn't make it.

Last Thursday the Asheville Art Museum got their drink (and read) on. From 5-8 Battery Park Book Exchange was kind enough to host a Museum Night. 50% of the evening's proceeds went to benefit the Museum! People from all over showed up to support the museum. Home baked goodies were provided and overall everyone enjoyed themselves. A few even had a book to go home with.

Yoga at the Museum began this past Monday. As a newbie at yoga, I was a bit timid to go into this class. Though, I was assured it was a beginner level, not having the best of balance I was a bit uneasy about stretching so close to art. Luckily I made it through the class without breaking anything (myself included). Yoga classes will continue every Monday through the month of June.

And finally, we have received our raffle tickets and have begun the process of distributing them! For those who haven't seen the prizes offered you must check them out ASAP! (Though, I find that hard to believe as I have plastered the town with posters).

So, as you can see we are still hard at work at the museum. Feel like your missing out? This next week we have some more events coming up including an Art Break for Tradition and Innovation on June 12 from 12:00-1:00 PM. Luckily I have the Internet on lockdown, constantly updating you on events. So, if you have the following be sure to look for us: Twitter, Facebook, Myspace, and Flickr.

Until next week, this is your Asheville Art Museum Intern signing out.

John Baeder

All of us here at the Asheville Art Museum are excited for the opening of a new exhibition this Friday: Pleasant Journeys and Good Eats Along the Way: A Retrospective of Paintings by John Baeder. These fascinating works invoke a nostalgia for the past when diners were the coffee shops of today, a place to hang out with friends and enjoy good food and a comfortable atmosphere. Come out and enjoy the exhibition; join us for some fun and festive supplemental programs, talks, film screenings, and more; and explore the diners in your own area. Let us know what you think of the diners in Asheville!

Time is of the Essence: Contemporary Landscape Art

This Sunday is the last day for the Museum's exhibition in the Appleby Foundation gallery, Time is of the Essence: Contemporary Landscape Art. The exhibition presented an unusual look at landscape art, bringing together a select group of contemporary artists who consider intersections between time and place.

Guest Curator Ann Batchelder assembled works in photography, video, painting, printmaking, film and sculpture from Laurie Anderson, Ken Fandell, Charles Mary Kubricht, Kimsooja, Maya Lin, Sally Mann, Richard Misrach, Kiki Smith and Hiroshi Sugimoto.

Create a comment to this post to tell us what you thought of the exhibition. What art works made the strongest impression on you from this exhibition? What did you think of the corresponding programs?