Arts & Humanities Forum Opens with
Discussion of Mayhew's "Forgotten Genius"
Addressing such diverse topics as Spanish legend, women and dance, and the
lyrics of controversial rapper Eminem, the spring semester of the Arts and
Humanities Research Forum promises to be interesting as well as exciting. The calendar for the spring semester of the Arts and Humanities Research
Forum can be found at http://www.sonoma.edu/a_h/AHForum.htm.
The first program of the spring semester features Janet Hess of Hutchins giving an illustrated talk entitled, “Forgotten Genius: The Art of Richard Mayhew” at noon on Wednesday, Feb. 8 at Schulz 3001. The abstract for Hess’s talk can be found below. To view some of Mayhew’s work on-line, visit http://www.richardmayhew.com/. Light refreshments will be served.
Richard Mayhew - Working in his tiny studio in coastal California, the
great African American landscape artist Richard Mayhew continues to
produce the shimmering, luminescent landscapes whose dazzling color
sensibilities have enriched museums, galleries and private collections
throughout the world. Yet despite his rich roots in the Hudson River School, his association with great modern painters and critics like Hans Hoffman, Jackson Pollock and Clement Greenberg, his integral involvement with Romare Bearden's Spiral association, and his association with and support for prominent and struggling artists for the past five decades, Mayhew's work has received little critical or popular attention. In this
lecture, Hess discusses Mayhew's role as a bridge between artist of the WPA
era and those who emerged after the Civil Rights Movement, but will also
consider why his astonishing art has been forgotten.
Art From the Heart Previews
This Saturday, Feb. 11, marks the date for the twenty-second annual Art from the Heart silent art auction and party at the University Art Gallery from 6 to 9 p.m. Proceeds from the auction directly benefit the Art Gallery's exhibition, publication and lecture programs. There will be a free preview of the artwork on Wednesday, Feb. 8, 11 a.m.-8 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 9, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., and on Friday, Feb. 10, 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Staff and faculty are encouraged to view the artworks on sale.
Above, Cynthia Hipkiss's ceramic "Princess" is a featured work in the exhibit.