CMU Fires Curator of Miller Gallery, Shifts Program: My Mixed Feelings

Parts of Pittsburgh's art scene are buzzing with anger over the seemingly sudden firing of Astria Suparak, known for trendy, hip and often smart exhibits.

First thought is that CMU is just out to cut some costs, and my guess is that's a factor. A larger issue is that the students and faculty who drove dynamic concepts like Future Tenant, The Waffle Shop & Conflict Kitchen needed something beyond another passive college exhibit space. 

From The Tribune Review 

"In a prepared statement, College of Fine Arts Dean Dan Martin said the Miller Gallery will transform from a conventional gallery environment to a combined gallery. Plans include using the gallery for teaching and research space, with room for “installations, seminars, hands-on art-creating workshops, artist lectures and applied research in curatorial/exhibition practices.”

Programming, traditionally handled by the curator, will be determined by a faculty leadership committee representing all five CFA schools: art, architecture, design, music and drama. Associate dean for Interdisciplinary Initiatives Franco Sciannameo will chair the committee."

Sad, that Astria couldn't stick around town as a roving curator, putting together occasional shows @ The Warhol, Mattress Factory, The Miller Gallery and other venues. Pittsburgh lacks that kind of cross pollination.

Pittsburgh Biennial @ Miller Gallery Reviewed in Hyperallergic

It's a bit strange that the awesome online art magazine, Hyperallergic only reviewed this one part of the multi venue Biennial. However, in some ways it's not that surprising since this show of artist collectives and collaborative projects might have the greatest relevance outside of Pittsburgh.

"The exhibition at Miller Gallery, curated by gallery director Astria Suparak, features five artist-teams, all with some connection to Pittsburgh. Although the Biennial’s publicity describes the show as an exploration of the art of collaboration, I found concern about space, place and the planet to be another significant thread weaving the works together.

Each collaborative asks the viewer to re-picture the interconnections that make up our experience of the world — to borrow Smith’s terminology. For Smith, this impulse involves the representation of cultural and economic networks on a global scale. The artists at Miller Gallery, however, focus on a wider range of intertwining relationships, spanning not only the global but also ecological, local, urban, public and domestic spaces."

An excellent, long review with a number of images.

The show ends, Sunday, Dec 12

Open Studios, Holiday Concert and Many Other Events, December 9 @ CMU

Tour the Pittsburgh Biennial at the Miller Gallery in the Purnell Center for the Arts: Noon – 6 p.m., free admission

Attend the School of Music’s Annual Holiday Concert: Noon, Rangos Hall, University Center (free admission); 8 p.m., Carnegie Music Hall, Oakland ($5 in advance, $7 at the door)

See student projects in the School of Architecture: 1:30 – 6:30 p.m., Margaret Morrison Carnegie Hall (MMCH) and College of Fine Arts (CFA) building, free admission

Tour the School of Art Open Studio Day, “IDK, SRY”: 5 - 9 p.m., CFA third and fourth floors, free admission

The Open Studio features more than 40 senior artist studios with works in progress spanning sculpture, video and 2D, plus a Holiday Art Sale with everything from DIY fashion, paintings and prints to performances and predictions for mankind in 2012. A reception from 7 – 9 p.m. features WRCT 88.3FM DJs, food, drink and entertainment. For more information, call the School of Art at 412-268-2409.

The STUDIO for Creative Inquiry hosts “Envisioning High Point Pittsburgh”: 5 – 7 p.m., CFA 111, free admission, RSVP appreciated by email: studio-info@cmu.edu

STUDIO Fellow David Bear and a team of CMU architecture and civil and environmental engineering students will present the possibilities for transforming the rooftop of the 64-story U. S. Steel Tower into a publicly-accessible green roof park — a “pinnacle of perspective.” For more, go to www.studioforcreativeinquiry.org

School of Drama presents “Mad Forest” by Caryl Churchill: 8 p.m. through Dec. 10, Philip Chosky Theater, Purnell Center for the Arts ($15 adults/general, $10 students, at the door or in advance)

Check out all the details here.

MFA Season: Carnegie Mellon MFA Thesis Show Opens Tonight @Miller Gallery

As you can see from the links, the region has lots of good colleges, a good number of which, like CMU,Chatham, Kent State, WVU and IUP will be having their thesis shows starting. Sadly, it won't be very easy to see most of this work without an extreme amount of effort. As I have said before this is both a huge loss to both the artists and the public.

CMU MFA Thesis Show

UP DOWN UP DOWN
Carnegie Mellon 2011 MFA Thesis Exhibition
Organized by the School of Art
March 18 - April 17, 2011

March 18, Fri. 6-8pm: Reception

March 22, Tues.
6:30-9:30pm
Critique and discussion with Tina Kukielski
Associate Curator, Carnegie Museum of Art

"I am writing on the threshold of the MFA thesis exhibition, where each year the graduate students extend themselves to produce something extraordinary. This stretching of imagination and ambition creates an adrenaline-fueled run-in for all concerned. Jesha will push the envelope; Sean will produce yet another magical bricolage; Dan will combine the poetic and the profound; Rob will puzzle us with some photographic conundrums; and Courtney will present us with a wry intellectual challenge. This year’s exhibit promises to be bold, ingenious, thought-provoking, and tinged with humor. I have seen them develop their work and grow in confidence over the last three years, through a mutually supportive camaraderie, which has seen them through their Carnegie Mellon journey. All have had to reappraise the notions they arrived with, and have undergone a rigorous period of critical evaluation, in order to recognize their fundamental motivations and to refine their mode of practice. Not only does this exhibit showcase their talent and considerable achievements, but it also represents the philosophy of the MFA program, which is to produce self-defined artists of exceptional ability and initiative, able to create opportunities for themselves and connect meaningfully with the communities and cultures around them."

Artists

Sean Glover
Jesha Chen
Daniel Luchman
Courtney Dow
James Robert Southard

Fitting the somewhat accurate stereotype of the CMU Art Dept, traditional painting and drawing seem light in this show. But I haven't seen it yet.

Miller Gallery
at Carnegie Mellon University
Purnell Center for the Arts
5000 Forbes Ave.
Pittsburgh, PA 15213

Tues.-Sun., 12-6pm
Closed Mondays

Admission:
Free and open to the public