Exhibition Schedule 2002-2003:

Peggy Kwong-Gordon, a resident of Hudson, OH, will present an installation of hanging scrolls and body casts as well as wall pieces, in which five chapters of the ancient Tao Te Ching are inscribed in Chinese calligraphy. Kwong-Gordon's subtle calligraphic method and the space "architecture" of her installations mirror the philosophy of the Tao.

Susan Bee's (New York, NY) oil, enamel and mixed media collages play on anachronistic feminine gender stereotypes-cliched figured and images from popular culture and pulp fiction of the 1940's and 50's - that are arrayed like an interconnected complex of zodiacal signs.

Working in digital photography, visiting assistant professor of art, Marcella Hackbardt will present new work critically exploring themes of the family and the domestic landscape. Interrelated sequences of images will consider the tree-broken, cut and petrified- as analogous to the family tree and the dysfunctional extended family unit. Other works will reflect upon the structure of the expansive cloistered American lawn as a problematized symbol for normalcy, order and material prosperity.

Introduction

The interpretive exhibition, The Mayos: African-American Artists of the Heartland, and a six-page, four-color brochure with an accompanying essay, and public program is the culmination of an eighteen month-long collaborative project involving Kenyon College faculty, students, administrators and community members.

The Mayos: African-American Artists of the Heartland tells the story of two African-American folk artists-father and son-from Knox County, Ohio. Walter Octavia Mayo (1878-1970) grew up on his family's farm in Mount Vernon. By the 1920s, Walter O. had developed his talent for woodcarving, drawing inspiration from farm animals, biblical characters, historical figures and folk heroes. His most significant contributions are his minutely observed carvings of working people, harnessed horses and mules, and religious figures illustrating biblical narratives. Walter O.'s large, multi-figure carvings of draft animals and their drivers reflect his experience as a "teamer" himself. Walter Leroy Mayo (1908-2000) took a special interest in his father's art. As a boy, he drew pictures of the sculptures he found around the house. Determined to develop his artistic skills, Walter L. enrolled in a correspondence art course in the 1930s. His work includes family portraits; paintings documenting his work experience, commercial artwork; drawings of people and events from popular culture; and large unstretched canvases featuring mostly biblical subject matter, made for his church's annual homecoming celebrations.

Students Margaret Tazewell '03 and Jessica Phillips '04 completed a year-long independent course of study in 2001-2002, involving community fieldwork and primary research. Family members of Walter O. and Walter L. and members of the communities in which the Mayo's lived and worked were interviewed and recorded for their memory of the artists and perspectives on the meaning and significance of their artwork. Tazewell and Phillips worked closely with Professor of Art History and American Studies Melissa Dabakis, Professor of Sociology Howard L. Sacks, Associate Professor of Sociology Ric Sheffield, Associate Professor of Drama Jon Tazewell, Affiliated Scholar Judith R. Sacks, and Olin Art Gallery Director Daniel P. Younger.

This project is co-sponsored by the Olin Art Gallery, the departments of Art and Art History, Sociology and American Studies, and the Rural Life Center. At Kenyon, the Offices of Multicultural Affairs and the Dean of Students, The Rural Life Center, and the Martin Fellowship for American Studies provided funding assistance. In addition, this project was made possible with support from the Ohio Humanities Council and the Ohio Bicentennial Commission.

March 16-22

Phil Hands
Maggie Lamb
Ashley Parker

March 23-29

Katy Tucker
Allison Stroh
Mike Roopenian
Megan Biddle

March 30-April 5

Valerie Temple
Sayako Earle
Russell Whitmore
Anders Johnson

April 6-12

Beth Sweet
Alisha Dall’Osto
Meredith Andrews
Ian Higgins

–a catered reception will follow the talk in the Olin Art Gallery

–a second reception will start at 9:00 pm in the Horn Gallery