EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Kresge Art Museum will display art by four Master of Fine Arts degree candidates at the annual Michigan State University Department of Art and Art History Master of Fine Arts Exhibition from March 20 to April 2.
The featured artists are: Ben Clore, Andrew Rieder, Grant Whipple and Andrea Wicklund.
The opening reception will take place on from 7 to 9 p.m. March 19. The MFA candidates will introduce and discuss their work in a gallery walk on March 23. The exhibition and reception are sponsored by The Graduate School, Michigan State University.
This year artists will exhibit installations in painting and ceramics, and mark the culmination of a three-year MFA degree program that emphasizes extensive creative exploration under the supervision of a faculty guidance committee. Focused study in an area of concentration, as well as coursework in art history and related fields, helps each artist situate their work within the larger discourse of the present practice of art. As part of the MFA curriculum, the candidates work closely with curators and staff at Kresge Art Museum to plan, promote and mount the show.
Ceramist Benjamin Clore’s work stems from a deep preoccupation with process and materials, a connection to the building trade of his father and grandfather, and the hometown natural disaster that became a catalyst for his studio exploration. Andrew Rieder’s paintings critique our society’s social and economic systems, exposing the inequitable influence of wealth and power to shape history. Time and space are slowed and abstracted in Grant Whipple’s paintings, exposing the heightened perception and disorientation that coexist during protracted moments of crisis. The paintings of Andrea Wicklund reference microscopic diagrams and medical imagery and through the addition cartoon-like eyes take on the anthropomorphic traits often used to describe biological phenomena.
“This exhibition is an excellent example of student creative endeavors being shared with external audiences in a public environment,” said Tom Berding, chair of the Department of Art & Art History. This particular exhibition also continues the history of successful collaborations between the Department of Art & Art History and the Kresge Art Museum, setting the stage for exciting future possibilities.
“By displaying graduate student art at Kresge Art Museum, we offer the community an opportunity to see their accomplishments and for the students to be recognized publicly for their work,” said Director Susan J. Bandes. “These annual exhibitions are eagerly anticipated by students, faculty, families and the community.”
Admission is free to Kresge Art Museum. Kresge Art Museum is located on the first floor of the Kresge Art Center at the intersection of Physics and Auditorium Roads, on the campus of Michigan State University in East Lansing, MI. Museum hours are Monday through Friday, 10 to 5 p.m., Thursday until 8 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. For additional information, call (517) 355-7631 or visit www.artmuseum.msu.edu.
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