Since the Ruth and Elmer Wellin Museum of Art opened in 2012, its permanent collection has grown through gifts and select purchases. Wellin Collects, opening May 5, showcases new and recent acquisitions in a variety of media. Senior Art Thesis 2015, also opening on May 5, displays new work by graduating art majors. Spanning drawing, painting, photography, printmaking and sculpture, the exhibition represents a culmination of their studies.
On Thursday, May 7, from 4:15 to 6 p.m., there will be an opening reception for both exhibits. The exhibitions and reception are free and open to the public.
Wellin Collects features works by established artists including Carol Bove, Judith Eisler, Tony Feher, Rob Fischer, Alex Hay, Yun-Fei Ji and Matthew Ritchie, as well as emerging artists such as Frohawk Two Feathers and Dannielle Tegeder. There will be a free Sneak Peek Curatorial Tour of the exhibit on Wednesday, May 6, from 12:15 – 1:15 p.m. The show was curated by Associate Director and Senior Curator of Collections Susanna White.
On June 4, Class of 2015, a longitudinal portrait project comprising photographs and video interviews that examine the development of personal identity among a group of students from the class of 2015 at Hamilton College, will open in the museum. Assistant Professor of Photography Robert Knight began this series in 2011, when he started teaching at Hamilton. Thirty-nine students from a diverse range of cultural, racial, and economic backgrounds, and with different academic and personal interests, responded to an open call to be photographed and interviewed each year during their time at Hamilton. With their subjects posed in various campus locations and engaged in activities that describe their college experience, the portraits offer a glimpse into each student’s changing identity at this formative time in their lives.
Senior Art Thesis closes on May 23. Both Class of 2015 and Wellin Collects will close on July 26.
Wellin Museum of Art Visitor Information:
Wellin Museum of Art hours are Tuesday through Sunday, 11 a.m.- 5 p.m. The museum is located on the Hamilton College campus on College Hill Road. Parking and admission are free of charge. For further information, please contact the Wellin Museum of Art at 315-859-4396 or visit the website at www.hamilton.edu/wellin
Wellin Museum Collection:
A rich and vital teaching resource, the Wellin Museum’s collection is being carefully developed to introduce students to contemporary and traditional artistic movements and techniques, as well as to create opportunities for deeper study. The museum’s curatorial vision is guided by our commitment to support a diverse range of academic disciplines at Hamilton College.