'Then and Now': Seven artists' evolution

The exhibition represents the first time in nearly two decades that a Smart Museum exhibition has been dedicated solely to the work of faculty artists.

The show features photographic studies, abstract paintings, large-scale sculpture, and installations by artists on the University faculty, including Judith Brotman, the Harper Instructor in the Committee on the Visual Arts; Lynne Brown, Visiting Artist; Herbert George, Associate Professor in the Committee on the Visual Arts; Robert Hooper, Visiting Artist; Vera Klement, Faculty Member Emeritus in the Committee on Art and Design; Laura Letinsky, Assistant Professor in the Committee on the Visual Arts; and Tom Mapp, Director of Midway Studios.

"This exhibition includes recent work by the artists as well as some of their earlier work from as far back as graduate school," said Courtenay Smith, Smart Museum Assistant Curator and organizer of the exhibition. "The intention is for viewers to see the current concerns of each artist in the context of what they've done in the past. In most of the artists, you'll see a continuity of theme, a transition between their earlier work and what they're doing now."

In addition to works displayed in Smart's galleries, Herbert George has constructed "Spiral, Trap, Shadow" -- a site-specific mesh maze that addresses the effects of light and shadow outdoors -- on the property adjoining the Cochrane-Woods Art Center and the Smart Museum. The piece will remain on view through the spring.

Midway Studios is home to one of Chicago's oldest established art programs, a program known for an interdisciplinary approach to the fine arts that is enhanced by a rigorous intellectual curriculum. The studios became the workplace of American sculptor Lorado Taft in 1906; the building was moved from its original location at 60th Street and Ellis Avenue and reconstructed one block west on Ingleside Avenue in 1929. Midway Studios is now a registered national historic landmark that houses the University's Committee on the Visual Arts.

For museum hours and more information, see the Calendar, pages 6-7.