Spring Break
Exhibit Honors UConn's Birthday
Anna Blaise
Issue date: 10/30/06 Section: Focus
In the honor of UConn's 125th birthday, the William Benton Museum contributed to the university's celebration by having an exhibition, "The President and the Professor," on October 27th from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Steven Kern, the Benton's new director, greeted each person and welcomed them to the exhibition. Food and wine were served as a perk for the audience, which consisted of 200 people, said Kern.
According to Kern, "The President and the Professor" exhibition is a way to honor the school's birthday and to also acknowledge the President and the Professor's art collections, which are the founding collections of the Benton Museum. In his speech, he told the audience that the exhibition focused on two visionaries - President of the Connecticut Agricultural College Charles Lewis Beach (1908-1928), who collected paintings around New England after his wife died and Walter Landauer (1924-1965), professor of animal science and genetics, who emigrated to the U.S. from Germany around 1929 and collected the paintings of German artist Kathe Kollwitz, which were focused on social issues such as abortion rights, alcoholism and much more.
According to a press release found on the Benton Museum website, President Beach, after his wife's death, decided to collect the paintings around New England and hung them in dormitories because he felt students' education was missing an important humanistic element. Professor Landauer, on the other hand, collected 20th-century German artist Kathe Kollwitz and upon his retirement in 1965 gave more than 100 of her works to the university.
This opening reception also was a way to open two new exhibitions, "The Great Works" and "India: Proximities of Distance."
"The Great Works," whose curator was Thomas Bruhn, is an exhibition of changing selections of works that are drawn from the museum of more than 6,000 objects. It will run from Oct. 27 to April 2007 and various works will be added, said Bruhn.
"India: Proximities of Distance" was curated by professor Kathryn Myers, bringing together works from the Benton collections by artists such as Betty Hanson, Boris Bravo Ureta and Elizabeth Mahan.
Bruhn also added that when he selected the paintings for "The Great Works" collection, he wasn't sure what was going to be chosen.
"I started with one painting and looked for what will go with it and then a third painting that will make a story."
"These exhibitions just go to show that collecting art is not just for rich people," said Mary Bou, a 7th-semester accounting major. "Regular people can collect too and find pleasure in doing it."
The exhibition for this fall will run until Dec. 20th. Students are urged to visit.
Steven Kern, the Benton's new director, greeted each person and welcomed them to the exhibition. Food and wine were served as a perk for the audience, which consisted of 200 people, said Kern.
According to Kern, "The President and the Professor" exhibition is a way to honor the school's birthday and to also acknowledge the President and the Professor's art collections, which are the founding collections of the Benton Museum. In his speech, he told the audience that the exhibition focused on two visionaries - President of the Connecticut Agricultural College Charles Lewis Beach (1908-1928), who collected paintings around New England after his wife died and Walter Landauer (1924-1965), professor of animal science and genetics, who emigrated to the U.S. from Germany around 1929 and collected the paintings of German artist Kathe Kollwitz, which were focused on social issues such as abortion rights, alcoholism and much more.
According to a press release found on the Benton Museum website, President Beach, after his wife's death, decided to collect the paintings around New England and hung them in dormitories because he felt students' education was missing an important humanistic element. Professor Landauer, on the other hand, collected 20th-century German artist Kathe Kollwitz and upon his retirement in 1965 gave more than 100 of her works to the university.
This opening reception also was a way to open two new exhibitions, "The Great Works" and "India: Proximities of Distance."
"The Great Works," whose curator was Thomas Bruhn, is an exhibition of changing selections of works that are drawn from the museum of more than 6,000 objects. It will run from Oct. 27 to April 2007 and various works will be added, said Bruhn.
"India: Proximities of Distance" was curated by professor Kathryn Myers, bringing together works from the Benton collections by artists such as Betty Hanson, Boris Bravo Ureta and Elizabeth Mahan.
Bruhn also added that when he selected the paintings for "The Great Works" collection, he wasn't sure what was going to be chosen.
"I started with one painting and looked for what will go with it and then a third painting that will make a story."
"These exhibitions just go to show that collecting art is not just for rich people," said Mary Bou, a 7th-semester accounting major. "Regular people can collect too and find pleasure in doing it."
The exhibition for this fall will run until Dec. 20th. Students are urged to visit.
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