The Veteran Vision Project and Veterans Summit

Last Friday, October 9th, the University of Central Missouri hosted the Veterans Summit in which Devin Mitchell, participated as a panelist. This event discussed several topics including veterans suicide rate, PTSD, reintegration to civilian life and the many services veterans receive when they return home from active duty. Devin Mitchell talked about how his project has served as a healing resource for veterans and how important non-profit organization are to veterans.

Veteran Vision Project Exhibition 
Photo by Christian Cutler

Todd Nicely, one of the veterans featured in Devin Mitchell's photographs, was also a panelist in this event. Nicely talked about his experience with the VA and how he is willing to re-learn balance everyday using his prosthetic arms and legs.

Veteran Vision Project Tour 
Photo by Christian Cutler

After the Summit, the panelists from The Veterans Summit visited the UCM Gallery of Art & Design to talk about the Veteran Vision Project. In the tour, Devin Mitchell discussed his work with some veteran participants of the project, and panelists, Mr. Ron Pierce, Senior Director of the PBS Veterans Initiative; Seth Kastle, author of the book Why is Dad so Mad?; and other military officers and panelists.

Devin Mitchell 
Photo by Christian Cutler

The tour was a success due to the visit and participation of veterans, students and other members of the Warrensburg community that talked about their experience when the L.A. photographer was making their portraits. Some veterans mentioned that the exhibition was a great way to communicate what they have felt and a good way for viewers to understand what they have gone through.

Devin Mitchell, panelists and veterans Photo by
Christian Cutler

Veteran Vision Exhibition 
Photo by Christian Cutler

The Daily Star Journal, covered the event and explained the discussion in its newspaper.  The article is attached below:

 

Please feel free to leave any comments related to the Veterans Vision Project exhibition and this entry. We would like to hear from you.


by Christian Cutler and Katherine Urquijo 

Veteran Vision Project. A Photo Essay by Devin Mitchell

Photography is a powerful tool. It can express the deepest feelings of a human being in ways that words cannot. Photographs then are a tool to convey messages that can describe how humans perceive freedom. The photo essay by Devin Mitchell is an example of this use of photography.

Photo by Devin Mitchell

On August 8th, 2014 the student and photographer Devin Mitchell began traveling the west coast in search of veteran stories in hopes of illustrating these individuals through the art of pictures. The Veteran Vision Project is a photo documentary featuring authentic military service members and their lives. His unique portraits are double-sided visual stories that portray on one side the military life of the veteran and on the other, their routine normal life, the veteran’s loved ones, or his/her true self or personal problems. The exhibition features veterans and active duty service members from UCM and surrounding communities. Mitchell wants to photograph 10,000 veterans to finish his project.

This essay is privately funded and organized by the photographer. The mission of the project is to help veterans heal by providing them with a voice. In several interviews, Devin Mitchell has said, “the pictures spread awareness about the veteran community and the challenges they face during reintegration to society.”

Photo by Devin Mitchell at the
UCM Gallery of Art & Design 

In mid-September of this year, Devin Mitchell traveled from his home in Los Angeles, CA to Warrensburg MO to make all but four of the images in the exhibition. To be considered for participation, service members and veterans were required to fit into their service uniform and be clean shaved in uniform for their reflection photo. The Veteran Vision Project has been featured in numerous media outlets including The Washington Post, CBS This Morning, Fox & Friends, and Buzzfeed.

Behind the scenes of John Mitchel photoshoot
at the Veterans Home in Warrensburg, MO.
Photo by Christian Cutler 

The UCM Gallery of Art & Design is Mitchell’s first gallery exhibition of the work. A book of 350 curated images from his first year of photographing subjects for the Veteran Vision Project is scheduled to be released in early 2016.

Veterans and students at the gallery with their portraits
Photo by Christian Cutler and
Katherine Urquijo

According to Devin Mitchell, he never anticipated that the project would grow this much after a couple of months since its creation. Social Media helped to spread the word of this project as well as veterans’ friends and family. He mentioned that he hopes that the project is transparent in its message to heal and show what is really happening in the veteran community and not propagandistic. “I want the project to be an open window.”

View his work, pre-order his book, and register to participate in the project at VeteranVisionProject.com.

The exhibition is currently on view until November 12th, 2015.

Thank you for your comments and feedback

by Christian Cutler and Katherine Urquijo

Art from Indonesia: Batik Art

Wax, dye and patterns can define Batik Art. Today, our visiting artist in the UCM Gallery of Art & Design, Helen Sanders explained to us her work with Boonville High School art students and how Batik Art is made.

Batik Art is part of an ancient tradition in Indonesia. The batik cloth is very colorful and is considered both an art and craft due to the long process that this technique requires.

Helen Sanders emphasized to her students that the batik process requires them to make several layers of dye and wax to create a good design. She starts with drawings and patters sketched on the cloth and then adds the dye and wax.

Helen Sanders - Batik Art
Photo by Katherine Urquijo

The process according to Batikguild.org to make batiks is the following: After you selected the areas of the cloth you want to draw in your design, you block them out by brushing or drawing hot wax over them, and the cloth is then dyed. The parts covered in wax resist the dye and remain the original color. This process of waxing and dyeing can be repeated to create more elaborate and colorful designs. After the final dyeing the wax is removed and the cloth is ready for wearing or showing.

Helen Sanders - Batik Art
Photo by Katherine Urquijo

Helen Sanders mentioned that she uses cotton and silk and sometimes even sheets. Sometimes is good to incorporate other media to the batik design to make it more elaborate and pretty. Some students even quilt on them to make them resistant and interesting looking. The art teacher also said that she likes to experiment with textures and then apply those too to create something more elaborate and interesting.

One of the experiences that Helen explained on her lecture was the creation of story quilts. Her students incorporated to their designs poems and other types of pictures using batik art and mixed media.

Helen Sanders - Batik Art lecture at the
UCM Gallery of Art & Design
Photo by Katherine Urquijo

If you attended to the lecture or you are interested in this type of technique leave a comment. We are interested in your feedback!

 By Katherine U.

Sources: Batikguild.org What is Batik?

Dan Scott Science Fiction Art

Monsters, Super heroes, Villains, Steam-punk machines, Elves and other creatures come to live in our imagination. When we play game boards like DnD, Magic: The Gathering or read comics, we want to show what we are imagining in pictures. This is what an illustrator like Dan Scott does. This is Sci- Fi Illustration and its... AMAZING! Don't you think so? 

Epic Experiment by Dan Scott 

Fantasy Art can be traced back in time when artists treated mythological characters, heroes and gods in their poems, images, stories and myths. During the Renaissance period, got inspired by Greek and Roman mythology creating fantasy art. As a genre and art movement fantasy art wasn't didn't get much recognition. In the 21st century, popular culture has changed the way we perceive fantasy art as another form of expression. 

Against the Odds by Dan Scott 

Dan Scott is a freelance illustrator that is currently working in Kansas City, Missouri. The majority of his work includes illustrations and concept art. The theme of his work is fantasy but also, his work is influenced by comic books, horror, science fiction and more. He has worked producing art work for T shirts, puzzles, cards, comic book covers and trading card games. Some of his client list include, Blizzard Entertainment, Wizards of the Coast, DC Comics and Marvel Comics. 

The UCM Gallery of Art & Design is proud to exhibit the Science Fiction illustrations by Dan Scott. His exhibition is currently on view from September 24 to October 24 in Gallery 115. Artist Talk on October 14 at 2:00 pm.

Dungeons and Dragons artwork by Dan Scott

X- Ranger by Dan Scott

by Katherine Urquijo

Welcome back to the UCM Gallery of Art & Design Fall 2015!

After a long absence, we are ready to reintroduce this new and modern blog to UCM (University of Central Missouri) and the Warrensburg community! New posts will be published twice a week (Tuesdays and Thursdays).

Art Center &
Gallery Entrance 

This blog will focus on our exhibitions, student comments, artists talks, information about what is happening in the gallery, and upcoming shows. We are starting to use Periscope with our Twitter account to bring LIVE broadcast transmissions of lectures, visiting artist talks and art tours. Another application that we will use this Fall will be Aurasma. Using this application, you will get a preview of our art exhibitions. More information will be posted in our blog and our social media sites. 

Fantasy by Rita Blitt

We have two exhibition on view in the galleries this month. In the main gallery we are exhibiting The Veteran Vision Project by the L.A. photographer Devin Mitchell, a photo essay about veterans that served in the military. In Gallery 115 we are exhibiting Dan Scott's Contemporary Fantasy Art and Illustration. 

Here is some information about our authors and what they do in the UCM Gallery of Art & Design! 

Christian Cutler is the Gallery Director for the Gallery of Art & Design at UCM. He has served as Director of Galleries for Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, TX; Director's Assistant for The Sir Elton John Photography Collection; and Co-Director and Registrar for Jackson Fine Art Gallery in Atlanta, GA. He has also owned an art installation business. 

Christian's interests and experience are multifaceted. In addition to his work as a gallery administrator, Christian taught introductory and advanced-level traditional photography courses for high school and adult community classes. He also has led archival art preservation and presentation seminars, and seminars on portfolio preparation for artists.

Christian Cutler,
Gallery Director 

Katherine Urquijo is an international student that works as a GA (Graduate Assistant) in the UCM Gallery of Art & Design. She previously worked in Mexico,  as a social media manager in Talleres de los Ballesteros ( Silverware and jewelry company) and graduated Fall 2013 with a B.A. Communication and Digital Media. She is currently working towards her Masters Degree in Mass Communication at the University of Central Missouri. 

Katherine's interests are diverse. She has a passion for art, photography, dancing, fencing nature, social media and different types of comics. She was born in the State of Mexico and she is proud to be part of the UCM Community. 

Katherine Urquijo
Graduate Assistant

We hope you really enjoy this blog! Leave a comment or your opinion about the UCM Gallery of Art & Design! You can follow us in our social media sites. Click on the links bellow. 

UCM Gallery of Art & Design Facebook

UCM Gallery of Art & Design Twitter

UCM Gallery of Art & Design Instagram 

UCM Gallery of Art & Design Website

EVIDENCE OF AGING. New work by Marydorsey Wanless opens in Gallery 115.

EVIDENCE OF AGING
New work by Marydorsey Wanless
February 17 - March 18, 2011



About Marydorsey Wanless: 
Marydorsey Wanless is an artist and educator living in Topeka, Kansas. She is an assistant professor in photography at Washburn University Art Department, where she has taught  since 1998. She works in all types of photography, including black/white darkroom and digital, but specializes in historical alternative processes. She is currently working with tintypes and gum bichromates. 

Her work has won many awards and has been shown regionally, nationally and internationally, including the Grand Prize for SoHo Gallery’s “Krappy Kamera” International Exhibition. She is a member of Society of Photographic Educators, Women in Photography International, and the F295 Group of Alternative Photography.

BS Art Education, University of Missouri Columbia, 1971
MA Interior Design, University of Missouri Columbia, 1973
MFA Photography, Kansas State University, Manhattan, 2009


Artist Statement:


My work is about aging. My imagery uses the human body, our place of existence, to document the process. "Aging" is the accumulation of changes in an organism or object over time. In humans, it refers to physical, psychological and social changes. 


In the United States more than any other country, we "baby boomers" refuse to grow old. We are a generation of youth, Pepsi, Mustang convertibles, mini skirts, and the Beatles. We make changes with plastic surgery, facelifts, body lifts, lipo-suction, silicone, chemical skin sanding, Botox, makeup, hormones, etc; but these can only prolong the inevitable. We are afraid to grow old; we are not at peace with ourselves. We are not accepting of our own bodies as they mature and begin to decay. We have an actual crisis in looking at ourselves. 


This work is an exploration of my aging. In making images of my aging body, I was forced to look at myself, and as a result, I am embracing the process through which my body is passing. I as a viewer am also able to rethink the experience of aging through this body of work. 


Images of the exhibition in Gallery 115:

Marydorsey Wanless. Wrinkle Free. (Series). Tintype.

Marydorsey Wanless. Wrinkle Free. (Series). Tintype.

Marydorsey Wanless. Wrinkle Free. (Series). Tintype.

                                  

Marydorsey Wanless. Renewal. (Series). Tintype.

 

 

UCM Gallery of Art and Design Hosts Three New Exhibits

The Gallery of Art and Design at the University of Central Missouri will host three new exhibits opening Feb. 24.

Janet Bonsall will present a photography exhibit titled “A Quest for Beauty and Benches” in the Main Gallery. As a student of photography, she became interested in the design and purpose of benches in public places as she traveled throughout the world. According to Bonsall, benches are a place to seek solitude—a private domain in a public area.

Dr. Janet Bonsall - Bench. West Oregon. Haystack. 

A native of Morgantown, W. Va., Bonsall is a professor of photography at UCM. She is a graduate of Rochester Institute of Photography in Rochester, N.Y. with a degree in professional photography. She attended the Polytechnic of Central London during her junior year. She received a master’s degree and doctorate in technology education from West Virginia University.

Yvonne Wakabayashi will present an exhibit of textiles created using the ancient Japanese process of arashi shibori in the Outer Gallery. Using silk produced in a small family mill in Japan, she crafts sculptural forms that allow her to craft pleats into wall pieces and art wear. She seeks to explore the possibilities of shibori will combining it with western aesthetics, all the while respecting

Wakabayashi’s piece “Sea Anemone” was selected as Best of Show in the international juried textile exhibition at the UCM Gallery of Art and Design during summer 2010. Wakabayashi is a native of Vancouver, B.C., Canada.

Yvonne Wakabayashi - Marine Protozoa. (Installation Detail)

Photographer Marydorsey Wanless’ exhibit, “Evidence of Aging,” will be on exhibit in Gallery 115. She examines her own aging process, using photographs as a method of collecting evidence. Her own brief experience with dependency following an accident led her to begin examining what she defines as an individualized process and to contemplate the legacy she will leave.

Marydorsey Wanless. Epiphany 3. Tintype

All three exhibits will be open to the public, free of charge, through March 18. An opening reception is planned for 4-6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 24, when Bonsall will be available to meet with gallery visitors and discuss her work.