Material Matters: Water, Pigment, and Light

From 1972 until 1976, Herb Jackson, Davidson College professor emeritus, initiated and hosted a landmark exhibition, The Davidson National Print and Drawing Competition. During those five years, artists from around the country shipped thousands of works of art to Davidson College to be juried by acclaimed artists and curators. Artists vied for a spot on the gallery walls and for awards, which included the purchase of some works for the College’s Permanent Art Collection. The series of exhibitions, and subsequent subset of the Permanent Collection, provide a glimpse into drawing and printmaking techniques and styles at the time. In commemoration of the 40th anniversary of the last Davidson National, and in the spirit of this exhibition, Material Matters: Water, Pigment, and Light, features works from 8 artists from across the US: Nancy Baker, Matthew Brandt, Chris Duncan, Selena Kimball, Lavar Munroe, Liz Nielsen, and Shoshanna Weinberger in the Van Every Gallery, and William Córdova in the Smith Gallery. Though this exhibition is curated rather than juried, the artists selected represent the range of possibilities for what works on and of paper could be, including an exploration of unique processes and materials capable of making marks — from graphite and gouache to water, sun, earth, and time.

The Galleries will purchase new works for the Permanent Art Collection from this exhibition, as a way of increasing our 21st century holdings of works on paper. Funds will be raised through GiveCampus (click here to give or become an advocate), and gallery interns will host a Common Hour Coffee + Conversation on September 15 from 11:05 to 12:05pm to introduce the community to works eligible for purchase. Purchases will be decided by public vote, with the announcement of new acquisitions on September 22, during an Art Acquisition Party from 7-9pm at the Belk Visual Art Center. RSVP required: http://bit.ly/2bhaVk7

A small brochure will be available featuring an essay by exhibition co-curator Tyler Starr, Assistant Professor of Art at Davidson College. The exhibition, related programming, and brochure are made possible through the support of the Herb Jackson and Laura Grosch Gallery Endowment, Malú Alvarez ’02, and the Davidson College Friends of the Arts.

View the exhibition catalog below: