At the Faulconer Gallery Spring 2014

BAX

April 11–May 4, 2014

The Bachelor of Arts Exhibition features work by third- and fourth-year art students — both art majors and those who have taken a number of art courses while pursuing other majors. Formerly called the Student Salon, this is a professional exhibition of mature student work.

Complex Conversations: Willie Cole Sculptures and Wall Works

April 4–June 1, 2014

Complex Conversations is an exhibition of 40 works assembled from public and private collections. The exhibition was organized by the James W. and Lois I. Richmond Center for the Visual Arts, Western Michigan University, and is curated by Patterson Sims.

Willie Cole grew up in post-industrial Newark, N.J., and sees himself as an “urban archaeologist.” His work draws from traditional African art and other sources to create contemporary works in many media. He is best known for his found-object sculptures, prints, and photographs. In his art, Cole transforms everyday, mass-produced objects into icons or symbolic representations that explore ideas of diversity, identity, and commercialization.

Quiet Smiles

May 16–June 28, 2014

Temper the bitterness with a quiet smile,

for nothing on this earth is ever entirely sweet.

—Horace, Odes

The Grinnell College art collection in Faulconer is known for its hard-hitting social and political commentary. The collection includes the work of Goya, Picasso, German expressionists, Ben Shahn, and Kara Walker. But in the Solander boxes and on the shelves are paintings, drawings, and etchings created by artists who, with their humor and gentle wit, help us temper everyday sadness with a quiet smile.

Among the artists included in the exhibition will be Charles Germain de Saint-Aubin (1721–1786), James Gillray (1756–1815), Mary Cassatt (1844–1926), Yves Klein (1928–1962), and Justin Gibbens (1975).