Two new art exhibitions open in April at UD

‘The Privateers of ’76,’ cover illustration by Frank E. Schoonover (1877-1972) for ‘The Privateers of ’76’ (Philadelphia: Penn Publishing Co., 1923), 1923, oil on canvas, 34-5/8 x 30-1/2 inches, from the University of Delaware Permanent Collection, gift of the John R. McFarlin Memorial Fund, First Regional Art Exhibition, 1962.

5:07 p.m., March 13, 2007--Two exhibitions at the University Museums, each with a regional focus, will draw visitors to campus through July. One exhibition features works spanning the career of famed Delaware painter Edward L. Loper Sr., while the other explores the rich artistic tradition of the Brandywine Valley.

“The Art of Edward L. Loper Sr.: On the Path of the Masters” opens Monday, April 2, in UD's Mechanical Hall. Encompassing 40 pieces, the exhibition traces Loper's personal journey as an artist from the 1930s to the present and explores the influences that have shaped his unique vision.

From Loper's early work as a draftsman for the Works Progress Administration to his later years as a teacher of what his students call “the Loper Tradition,” he has been committed to exploring the medium of painting and has made a significant mark on 20th-century American art. He was the first African-American artist to be awarded a prize in the Delaware Art Museum's annual exhibition.

Loper's still lifes, Delaware landscapes and figurative paintings, known for their bold color and fragmented forms, have been exhibited and collected by such prestigious institutions as the National Gallery of Art, Corcoran Gallery of Art, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Howard University Gallery of Art and Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art.

A fully illustrated, 60-page catalog with an essay by Anna O. Marley, published by the University, accompanies the exhibition, which runs until July 20.

'My Father the Bishop,' 1975, by Edward L. Loper Sr., oil on canvas, 48 x 36 inches from the University of Delaware’s Paul R. Jones Collection of African American Art. Donated to the University in 2004 by Mr. and Mrs. Edward L. Loper Sr.

“In Tradition: Works by Brandywine Artists” opens Saturday, April 21, in the University Gallery in Old College and also runs until July 20. The exhibition consists of 45 works selected from UD's Permanent Collection, the Brandywine River Museum and private individuals.

Featuring illustrations, landscapes, seascapes and portraits, the show explores and celebrates the Brandywine Valley tradition as exemplified in the work of the region's most prominent 20th-century artists. The artists include Stanley M. Arthurs, Clifford Warren Ashley, Howard Pyle, Frank E. Schoonover, Newell Convers Wyeth, Andrew Wyeth, Henriette Wyeth Hurd and George A. Weymouth.

Both exhibitions are curated by Judith Cizek, who joined the University Museums staff in 2006. She previously was curator of 20th-century and contemporary art at the Delaware Art Museum and also has held positions as director of the Koehnline Visual Arts Center in Des Plaines, Ill., and as assistant curator of photography at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.

The University Museums galleries are open 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays; 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Wednesdays; and 1-4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. They are closed on Mondays and University holidays. Admission is free.

For more information, visit [www.udel.edu/museums] or call (302) 831-8037.

Article by Ann Manser

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