The Turner News, Fall 2019 Edition

Current Exhibition:

Drawn In—By Hand: Graphic Prints

Exhibition Dates: August 26—September 28, 2019

Curated by: Trevor Lalaguna, J. Pouwels, and Sheri Simons

Keith Achepohl | Momento Mori | etching

Drawn In—By Hand: Graphic Prints was curated by Turner curator Catherine Sullivan and art faculty members Trevor Lalaguna, J. Pouwels, and Sheri Simons.

Sullivan explained that “prints from the Turner Print Collection served as a springboard for the faculty artists to examine their teaching philosophies through the expressiveness of other artists. They were free to choose those prints that most directly spoke to issues, ideas, elements, and process that best expand their curriculum, express their philosophy, and emphasize drawing’s communicative ability.”

Simons noted that “I use the Turner collection as a teaching tool because it allows students to have firsthand experiences in exploring the nature of art and the role of art fundamentals as a means of expressing artistic intentions. To this end, my drawing students were first tasked with understanding the essential role of composition by studying the work of numerous artists. Using tracing paper laid over the prints, students mapped their take on compositional styles, thinking about size, shape, balance, rhythm, and areas of density and openness.” Visit this compelling exhibition to see how the act of drawing creates and acuity of vision.

Coming soon: 3rd Story—Prints with Prose

You won’t want to miss our second exhibition of the fall, on view from October 14—December 14, 2019, a special collaboration between The Turner, English professor Rob Davidson, and CSU, Chico creative writing students. Students in the “Advanced Fiction and Nonfiction Writing” class produced ekphrastic writing, prose inspired by prints from the Turner collection.

“The students were restricted to writing flash prose, very short, stand-alone narratives. Students had to produce work in three sub-categories: the micro flash (100–300 words), the short flash (250–750 words), and the full flash (750–1,500 words). . . . Forced to grapple with radical brevity and concision, the students found new ways to express themselves creatively and to experiment—often wildly—with the possibilities inherent in the form,” Professor Davidson explained.

The exhibition will display the Turner prints and the students’ prose together, as well as information about the ekphrastic process.

Donation from the Estate of Kathryn Metz

The Janet Turner Print Museum is honored to receive a substantial donation of work from the estate of artist Kathryn “Kay” Metz.

The Turner Print Collection has long acted as the artist archive of museum founder Janet Turner, and we are privileged to add a representative archive of the late printmaker and painter Kathryn E. Metz. This addition strengthens our holdings of Northern California artists and women printmakers, as well as showcases inventive techniques within printmaking. Like Janet Turner at California State University, Chico, Metz fostered the next generation of printmaking by starting the print program at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Metz’s work is held in numerous collections, including the New York Public Library; the Library of Congress; the Fresno Art Museum; Monterey Museum of Art; Community Foundation of Santa Cruz County; the University of California, Los Angeles; and Special Collections, McHenry Library, the University of California, Santa Cruz.

We are indebted to Betsy Anderson for facilitating the donation of this important educational and artistic resource.

Thank you to Russ and Jan Burnham

Turner event at the home of Russ and Jan Burnham last year was a unique experience that we all enjoyed. If you weren’t able to join us, suffice it to say the Burnhams have a beautifully curated gallery filled with fine art prints and other works of art. I want to express sincere gratitude to the Burnhams for their hospitality in sharing their art with Turner friends and donors in fall 2018 and for their generous sponsorship of the Regional Collective: California Society of Printmakers, spring 2019.

Sponsoring an exhibition or an exhibition catalogue is a special way to engage with the Turner. Sponsors are acknowledged for their gift at The Turner and online, and they get the opportunity to enjoy meeting with visiting artists, guest curators, and exhibition jurors.

Your gift to The Turner is a wonderful gesture that reverberates in so many ways. A donation to the Acquisition Endowment empowers The Turner to support artists, remain relevant as printmaking techniques and materials change, and to continue Janet’s vision of bringing people face-to-face with art. A gift to the Education Program makes it possible for 1000-plus school children to experience printmaking, and for many it is their first visit to a museum! As always, your unrestricted support of The Turner is a vital part of our success, and it helps with day-to-day operations, as well as unexpected needs. I am happy to help you explore the various ways to give and answer any questions you may have.

Daria Booth—Development Director—530-898-4054—dbooth3@csuchico.edu

Welcome New Board Members!

Board members JoAnn Morgan, David Thode, and Logan Weichers

The Turner is thrilled to welcome three talented new members to the Board of Directors. David Thode and JoAnn Morgan are both returning to the board, and Logan Weichers brings extensive experience with prints and printmaking, including his work as a Turner volunteer. Thode is a CSU, Chico alumnus who during his previous time on the board developed the idea of the Janet Turner Prize for Excellence in the Arts. Morgan is a past president of the Turner Board and was part of the cohort that raised over $100,000 for the Turner’s move to a permanent space. Weichers has an expansive knowledge of prints as a printmaker, buyer, and seller. Welcome Logan, JoAnn, and David!