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Body-Mind Entente

Body-Mind Entente: Exhibition and Panel Discussion

Curated by the Graduate Art History Association

Exhibition Dates: January 21 – February 26, 2016
Opening Reception: Thursday, January 21, 5:00 – 7:00 pm
Panel Discussion: Thursday, February 11, 6:00 – 7:30 pm

UMKC Gallery of Art, Fine Arts Building 203
5015 Holmes St, KCMO 64110
Free parking in the Cherry Street garage, levels 5 & 6

Body-Mind Entente features multimedia artworks that explore the relationship between body and mind, perception and cognition, consciousness and spirituality. It looks into the biological and cultural factors that shape our existence, enabling us to develop singular identities while simultaneously sharing many features and modes of behavior with others. This exhibition opens a dialogue between art and cognitive sciences by unveiling significant crossovers between artists and scientists’ objects of inquiry. The contemporary artists whose work is included in Body-Mind Entente approach pivotal questions about how people perceive, think, and build a sense of identity in relation to others. The exhibition shows that aesthetics play an important role in heightening self-consciousness and triggering reflection on the interdependence between body and mind.

This exhibition was curated by the members of the Graduate Art History Association (GAHA), which is a student-driven organization through the UMKC Art & Art History Department. It dedicates itself to fostering professional development in art scholarship. GAHA works with local museums, galleries, and educational institutions to enable students to enter into dialogue with established art professionals.

Panel Discussion: Exploring Body-Mind Connections

Thursday, February 11, 2016 from 6:00—7:30 pm at the UMKC Gallery of Art

Featured speakers: New York City artist Nene Humphrey, art historian and UMKC faculty member Dr. Cristina Albu, neuroscientist and UMKC faculty member Dr. Nash Boutros, and art history graduate student Tara Karaim as moderator. The discussion will address how the neural basis of perception, along with cultural affiliations, influences aesthetic experience. The program aims to expand the traditional understanding of neuroscience and art by fostering a broader comprehension and appreciation of the qualities of both.

This exhibition and panel discussion was made possible through the generous support of the Department of Art & Art History, the UMKC Gallery of Art, the UMKC Office of Student Involvement, and the Missouri Arts Council.

EXHIBITION:Fawziah Al-Thobaiti MA Thesis Exhibition

Fawziah Al-Thobaiti MA Thesis Exhibition: Perception is Not Reality

UMKC Gallery of Art

Opening Reception:
Thursday, October 29, 5-7pm
Free Parking in the Cherry St. garage, levels 5 & 6

Exhibition Dates:
October 29 – November 13, 2015

The Saudi Arabian woman has been seen as a mysterious figure draped in black. She is known to be mistreated, to have her rights stolen, and to be the subject of other hurtful depictions. Unfortunately, these images are limited in scope – focusing only on the negative aspects of life in Saudi Arabia. Fawziah Al-Thobaiti was born and raised there, and while studying in the United States, she has witnessed her culture from a critical distance.

Al-Thobaiti combines contemporary typography, illustration and photography with Arabic calligraphy as a means to create works – both digitally and by hand – that depict the real life of today’s Saudi women. These images form a cultural portrait offering viewers insight into the ongoing successes and challenges of Saudi women at present such as: women’s rights, marriage, driving laws, education, achievements abroad, and the misconceptions of some issues that have negatively affected their lives.

Through her M.A. thesis exhibition, Al-Thobaiti has set out to highlight the changes that have assisted Saudi women to gain their rightful positions in society. Al-Thobaiti hopes that her works will continue to give voice to these women via print media and online networks.

Transmissions / Signals

Warren Rosser and James Woodfill: Transmissions / Signals

Opening Reception:
Thursday, September 3, 2015, 5—7PM
Free Parking in the Cherry St. garage, levels 5 & 6

Alt. Lecture KC:
Wednesday, September 16 from 7:00-9:00pm in the Gallery
Panelists: Warren Rosser, James Woodfill, David Cateforis, and Rebecca Dubay

Exhibition Dates:
Thursday, September 3 – Friday, October 16, 2015

The UMKC Gallery of Art presents Transmissions / Signals, the most recent work of Warren Rosser and James Woodfill. Built around a discussion of the extended medium of painting, this work brings focus to the expansive definition that both artists have of the discipline.

Transmissions / Signals has taken the form of not only this exhibition, but a book as well, scheduled for release in early September. Together, they examine the history of dialogue between these two artists, starting as a student – teacher relationship in the late 1970’s shortly after Rosser’s addition to the KCAI Faculty, and extending to present day where both teach in the Painting Department at the Kansas City Art Institute.

The alternate paths that each have pursued help frame a discussion about their teaching philosophies as well, building by example a narrative that describes the pedagogical structure of the Painting Department at KCAI, where Rosser has worked to establish a faculty with a vast diversity of intent, and where both bring the professional practice into direct contact with students.

Point to the Center: An Alt. Lecture KC discussion between Rosser, Woodfill, and art history professors David Cateforis and Rebecca Dubay on Wednesday, September 16 from 7:00-9:00pm in the gallery will introduce the collaborative project marking the history of dialogue between the artists. Founded in 2013 by Jessica Borusky, Alt. Lecture KC pairs a local aesthetic producer with someone from outside the city in order to cultivate creative conversation across state lines.

Contact the Gallery for more information.