Visual arts faculty to present work at downtown gallery
The exhibit opens with a 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Oct. 4 reception at GOCA121, 121 S. Tejon. In this themed exhibit, nine UCCS Visual Art faculty member artists – Matt Barton, Valerie Brodar, Carol Dass, Corey Drieth, Marina Eckler, Pauline Foss, Olivia Lundberg, Claire Rau and Erik Schubert – responded to the city-wide thematic CROSS-CREATIONS: gods & monsters project in drawing, photography, video installation, and mixed-media sculptural installation. The opening reception will feature gallery talks with the artists at 5 p.m. and a dance performance by community modern dance company Sansara at 7 p.m.
Refreshments will be provided and the event is free and open to the public. The exhibit will be on display through Dec. 14. Gallery hours are noon to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday or by appointment. All events are free and open to the public.
CROSS-CREATIONS: gods & monsters, the second bi-annual city-wide creative project organized by UCCS GOCA and five other Colorado Springs arts and culture institutions, features contemporary art exhibits, lectures, film screenings, panel discussions, performances, and a LUNCHBEAT dance party from September – November 2013. CROSS-CREATIONS: gods & monsters will inspire dialogue around the many ideas presented – on a city-wide scale. Sparked by discussions about Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein” and the myriad creative possibilities under the theme of gods and monsters, science and ethics, good and evil, literary and film references, campy and deadly serious, the theme is ripe for creative interpretation.
CROSS-CREATIONS: gods & monsters collaborators include: the Business of Art Center, the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center, Colorado College’s IDEA Space, Marmalade at Smokebrush, PikesPeak Community College’s Downtown Studio Gallery, and UCCS Galleries of Contemporary Art (GOCA121).Visit www.crosscreationscollab.com for a full program schedule.
About the artists
Matt Barton, assistant professor, Department of Visual and Performing Arts, currently teaches 3D art making and is co-director of the UCCS visual art program. Following brief stints as a Chuck E. Cheese dancing rat and Victoria’s Secret shop stock boy, Barton spent a year in Italy as an artist apprentice. He earned his Master’s in Fine Arts in 2006 from Carnegie Mellon University.
Valerie Brodar, associate professor, Department of Visual and Performing Arts, received her Bachelor’s of Fine Arts degree in printmaking and fiber arts from Carnegie Mellon University and her Master’s in Fine Arts in time arts from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Her work has been shown at the Instituto Cultural Peruano Norteamericano, Miraflores, Peru; Zico House, Beirut, Lebanon; Mattress Factory, Pittsburgh; SOHO20 Chelsea, New York.; Center on Contemporary Art, Seattle; Artemisia Gallery, Chicago; Betty Rymer Gallery, Chicago ; Gallery 2, Chicago; and The Erie Museum, Erie, Pa.
Carol Dass, instructor, Department of Visual and Performing Arts, was born in Oakland, Calif., raised in rural Missouri and received her bachelor’s degree in art from Northwest Missouri State University. She has lived in Colorado Springs for 30 years and a UCCS photography instructor for 12 years. Dass’s work has been shown nationally and is in the collections of the Denver Art Museum, the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center and numerous private collections.
Corey Drieth, assistant professor, Department of Visual and Performing Arts, received undergraduate degrees in philosophy, comparative religious studies and studio art from Colorado State University and a Master’s in Fine Arts in 2004 from the University of North Carolina. Prior to joining UCCS, Drieth taught studio art classes at CSU, the University of North Carolina and the University of Virginia. His work has been exhibited throughout the country, including San Francisco, Chicago, Albuquerque, New Orleans, Washington DC and New York City.
Marina Eckler, lecturer, Department of Visual and Performing Arts, studied letterpress printmaking and art at San Francisco State University and earned a Master’s in Fine Arts from the Maine College of Art. Her work has been exhibited at the Harwood Museum in Taos, N.M., The Lab in San Francisco, the ICA Gallery in Portland, Maine, and the New York Art Book Fair. She currently teaches two-dimensional art.
Pauline Foss, senior instructor, Department of Visual and Performing Arts, received a Master’s in Fine Arts from the Vermont College of Fine Art, a master’s degree in art from Adams State College and bachelor’s in art history the University of California, Davis. She has received numerous fellowships and awards, including a Colorado Excellence in the Arts Fellowship in 2002, and has exhibited her work nationally and regionally.
Olivia Lundberg, instructor, Department of Visual and Performing Arts, received a Master’s of Fine Arts in painting from the Massachusetts College of Art & Design and a bachelor’s in studio art from the University of California, Davis. She has exhibited in New York, Boston, California and Colorado.
Claire Rau, senior instructor, Department of Visual and Performing Arts, was born in Sandusky, Ohio. She completed her graduate work at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and presently teaches sculpture at UCCS. She is the recipient of several awards and residencies, continuing to build upon an extensive exhibition record in the U.S. and internationally. Rau is a founding member of The Front in New Orleans.
Erik Schubert , instructor, Department of Visual and Performing Arts, received a Master’s of Fine Arts from Massachusetts College of Art and Design, and a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts. from Columbia College, Chicago. Schubert has taught photography at MassArt, Greenfield Community College and currently teaches at UCCS. Schubert has been in several exhibitions throughout the U.S. including Boston Young Contemporaries, SPECTRA: National Photography Triennial, and was featured as the Photographic Resource Center’s NEO Emerging Artist, April 2009. In 2010, Schubert was included in the “On the Road: A Legacy of Walker Evans” exhibition at the Robert Lehman Art Center.
About Sansara Modern Dance Companies
Sansara, a performance based Modern dance company in Colorado Springs, uses its dancer’s eclectic backgrounds and training to bring politically, socially, and personally relevant works to their audience. Literally translated, “Sansara” means continuous movement through life, a concept that the company’s dancers strive to convey in their work. Sansara seeks to push the envelope with thought-provoking subject matter while making dance accessible to all members of their community.
GOCA is a regional hub of contemporary art, culture, and conversation. By featuring world-class artists, hosting artist and expert talks, and offering meaningful events the galleries engage UCCS students, faculty, staff and Pikes Peak Region community members in contemporary culture and life.
For more information, contact Daisy McConnell, director dmcconne@uccs.edu or 255-3504.