EUGENE, Ore. -- (October 4, 2016) – The Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art’s “Art of the Athlete” exhibition returns for a fifth year featuring work created by University of Oregon student athletes participating in football, volleyball, men’s basketball, women’s golf, and acro & tumbling. The exhibition remains on view through January 29, 2017.
The public is invited to a free reception, sponsored by Bank of America and Merrill Lynch, on Wednesday, October 12, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
This year’s exhibition features work from the following student athletes: Arrion Springs, Football; August Raskie, Volleyball; Austin Maloata, Football; Canton Kaumatule, Football; Dillon Brooks, Men’s Basketball; Evan Baylis, Football; Fotu Leiato, Football; Gary Baker, Football; Jonah Moi, Football; Jordyn Fox, Acro & Tumbling; Malik Lovette, Football; Megan Conder, Women’s Golf; Rex Manu, Football; Tui Talia, Football; Tyree Robinson, Football; and Ugo Amadi, Football.
“Art of the Athlete is a yearlong program that includes a 4-week intensive summer school workshop for UO student athletes,” says Lisa Abia-Smith, JSMA director of education and curator of the program. “Each year, the program builds upon the success of the previous term and integrates service to others, self-reflection, and learning strategies through the visual arts.”
The Art of the Athlete projects center on themes of identity, race, and power. Students investigate how these subjects have been portrayed in famous paintings since the 17th century, and then considered how they wanted to address these elements in relation to their own identities. Works by Kehinde Wiley and Robert Colsecott, artists currently on view in the exhibition “Between the World and Me: African American Artists Respond to Ta-Nehisi Coates,” were studied and used for inspiration.
“We also asked students to consider the use of language and words,” says Abia-Smith. “Artists created portraits using rap lyrics, psalms, inspirational quotes from their coaches and other words that resonated with their identities. “
Also on view are a series of photographs documenting the student athletes and their outreach to Umpqua Community College shooting survivor Julie Woodworth. In fall of 2015, the Art of the Athlete program was approached by Woodworth’s family after doctors recommended that she have art in her hospital room to provide visual stimulation as part of her recovery. Athletes spent weeks painting art for her room, visiting her in the hospital, making signs of support, and eventually had the opportunity to create art with her.
Art of the Athlete is sponsored by AAA Arts and Administration Program and UO Athletics.
About the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art
The University of Oregon's Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art is a premier Pacific Northwest museum for exhibitions and collections of historic and contemporary art based in a major university setting. The mission of the museum is to enhance the University of Oregon’s academic mission and to further the appreciation and enjoyment of the visual arts for the general public. The JSMA features significant collections galleries devoted to art from China, Japan, Korea, the Americas and Europe as well as changing special exhibition galleries. The JSMA is the only accredited academic art museum in Oregon.
The Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art is located on the University of Oregon campus at 1430 Johnson Lane. Museum hours are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesdays, and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursdays through Sundays. Admission is $5 for adults and $3 for senior citizens. Free admission is given to ages 18 and under, JSMA members, college students with ID, and University of Oregon faculty, staff and students. For information, contact the JSMA, 541-346-3027.
About the University of Oregon
The University of Oregon is among the 108 institutions chosen from 4,633 U.S. universities for top-tier designation of "Very High Research Activity" in the 2010 Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. The UO also is one of two Pacific Northwest members of the Association of American Universities.
Contact:
JSMA: Debbie Williamson Smith, 541-346-0942, debbiews@uoregon.edu
Links: Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art, http://jsma.uoregon.edu
